The Twenty-Two Letters by Clive King

The Twenty Two Letters by Clive King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a children's book. It gives a fictionalised account of the birth of the alphabet in Gebal-Byblos, a historical town in Phoenicia on what is now the Lebanese coast where the alphabet does indeed seem to have begun. The invention is ascribed to an apprentice scribe called Aleph who is captured and enslaved by Egyptian soldiers. His brother Nun learns the secret of navigating by the stars on a sea voyage to Crete. His other brother Zayin, a general in the army, goes on a scouting mission north and is captured by horsemen..

Despite a surprising amount of description, this has everything a good boys' adventure yarn needs. All three brothers have to escape if they are going to warn their home town about invasion plans. And the stay-at-home sister Beth also has a part to play.

I loved this when I was a kid and even re-reading it there was a moment of catharsis near the end when a lump came to my throat and tears to my eyes. If it can still do that to a cynical sexagenarian it must be a great book.

Some of my favourite moments:
“'Call yourselves soldiers!' Zayin jeered. 'I’ve collected eggs in the farmyard from creatures with more guts than you! I’ve seen them clip wool from animals with as much sense!'" (Ch 2)
"Calculations, to Nun, were a matter of fingers and toes or pebbles, or beads on strings; but the stranger seemed to be able to perform them instantly." (Ch 3)
"The two men exchanged looks in the obscurity, as soldiers do on the battlefield when a casualty occurs." (Ch 10)
“I counted the trees, Father,” (Ch 11): the sniffle moment.

A much-underestimated masterpiece. February 2021

Clive King also wrote Stig of the Dump.



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