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The Walled Orchard #1-2
The Walled Orchard
The hero is Eupolis, weary, cynical and believing only in comedy. The heroine is Athens, at the height of her schizophrenic glory. A startling mixture of comedy and tragedy, The Walled Orchard is the poignant, charming story of their turbulent relationship.
608 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
42 people are currently reading
804 people want to read
About the author
Tom Holt
98 books1,173 followersTom Holt (Thomas Charles Louis Holt) is a British novelist.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 6, 2020
My favourite book by this author to date. Different from other fantasy books of his that I’ve read so far, as it’s an historical novel, a fictional autobiography of Eupolis of the district of Pallene, outside of ancient Athens, and an opportunity for the author to explore, in his characteristic style with lots of asides and wry humour, the glory that was classical Athens at its peak around 400BC.
Just an aside about the author who I’m now a big fan of. Tom Holt is well known for his comic fantasies, short, light humorous books which could happily sit alongside Terry Pratchett on the bookshelf. And there are also more serious fantasy novels, often but not always with no magic and with human protagonists only, written under his pen name, KJ Parker. And now the reason for the explanation, there are also several historical novels, serious stuff, but written under the name Tom or Thomas Holt. So, several genres with two pen-names but one author!
Now back to this particular historical novel. It’s a first person narration, a verbal autobiography, of Eupolis’ life. He has come into some land and works hard on it. He has the ambition to become a comic playwright, the tragedies and comic plays of ancient Athens being its claim to cultural immortality. As a person he is not particularly sympathetic, he is prone to being judgmental about others, a little bitchy and he seems rather cold in his dealings with family, and his new wife when he reaches the age for marriage. In a very chatty style, Eupolis takes us through everyday life in this city that could claim to be the cradle of Western civilisation, by exposing the leading politicians, playwrights and philosophers to be occupied with rather everyday concerns, and to be pot bellied, bald, smelly and often difficult to like. Death is always just around the corner too, with plague and military service being common causes. Ancient Athens is famous as the first large democracy and Eupolis introduces us to its workings. A true democracy where everyone could have their say, as long as they were a free male with the leisure time, and not female and not one of the very many slaves. There are a lot of things said about this ancient democracy that ring true for modern democracies...
A later section of the book deals with a military expedition by arrogant Athens to Sicily which Eupolis gets called up for, as can any free male in Athens. This is the nearest thing to adventure we get in the book, and we see the war to be badly organised and confusing with poor generals. Survival is a lottery even for the bravest participant.
Finally we have the aftermath of the war, and its effect on democracy in Athens, and on Eupolis himself who gets caught up in the politics by accident. I can’t say here, as I’ve implied in reviews of other fantasy books by this author, that he has a cold approach to romance or love. Eupolis certainly has an unusual relationship with his wife, but after a time we realise it’s not cold at all, and it even brought a tear to my eye at the end.
A word of advice to some of my GR friends who read this review and, like me, normally read fantasy and science fiction. This is rather different. It’s a well researched historical novel. It is based upon real people and events (as I’ve found from checks on Wikipedia while reading this book!) which rather constrains it from fantastical plots. Clearly, the intention of the author is to give an everyday feel to people who really existed but we see as only marble statues, and events/battles that are turned into glorious Hollywood films.
It adds to the enjoyment of the story to know just a little about the Ancient Greece of this period, to see how he portrays famous people and historic events; prominent in this book are the great democratic politicians Pericles and Cleon, the famous Tragic playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and the comic playwright Aristophanes (who is made out to be a bastard in this book but may be known to you from his play, Lysistrata, where the women of Athens stage a sex strike in order to stop the men fighting interminable wars). The famous philosopher Socrates features too, as does the god Dionysius. Even Eupolis was a real comic playwright although there is little enough known of him, according to Wikipedia, that the author can construct his colourful life story here in this book without contradicting history. There are also the big rivals to Athens in that period, the military city state of Sparta, and past enemies in Persia.
It did help reading this on a Kindle as a few words unknown to me, from Ancient Greek, are used to describe literary forms in Greek literature, various bureaucrats and other features specific to ancient Greek life. The dictionary feature, or the link to Wikipedia if online, gave me a very quick check on what they meant.
All in all, I enjoyed every page of this substantial, well written book and I’m looking forward to more Tom Holt historical novels.
Just an aside about the author who I’m now a big fan of. Tom Holt is well known for his comic fantasies, short, light humorous books which could happily sit alongside Terry Pratchett on the bookshelf. And there are also more serious fantasy novels, often but not always with no magic and with human protagonists only, written under his pen name, KJ Parker. And now the reason for the explanation, there are also several historical novels, serious stuff, but written under the name Tom or Thomas Holt. So, several genres with two pen-names but one author!
Now back to this particular historical novel. It’s a first person narration, a verbal autobiography, of Eupolis’ life. He has come into some land and works hard on it. He has the ambition to become a comic playwright, the tragedies and comic plays of ancient Athens being its claim to cultural immortality. As a person he is not particularly sympathetic, he is prone to being judgmental about others, a little bitchy and he seems rather cold in his dealings with family, and his new wife when he reaches the age for marriage. In a very chatty style, Eupolis takes us through everyday life in this city that could claim to be the cradle of Western civilisation, by exposing the leading politicians, playwrights and philosophers to be occupied with rather everyday concerns, and to be pot bellied, bald, smelly and often difficult to like. Death is always just around the corner too, with plague and military service being common causes. Ancient Athens is famous as the first large democracy and Eupolis introduces us to its workings. A true democracy where everyone could have their say, as long as they were a free male with the leisure time, and not female and not one of the very many slaves. There are a lot of things said about this ancient democracy that ring true for modern democracies...
A later section of the book deals with a military expedition by arrogant Athens to Sicily which Eupolis gets called up for, as can any free male in Athens. This is the nearest thing to adventure we get in the book, and we see the war to be badly organised and confusing with poor generals. Survival is a lottery even for the bravest participant.
Finally we have the aftermath of the war, and its effect on democracy in Athens, and on Eupolis himself who gets caught up in the politics by accident. I can’t say here, as I’ve implied in reviews of other fantasy books by this author, that he has a cold approach to romance or love. Eupolis certainly has an unusual relationship with his wife, but after a time we realise it’s not cold at all, and it even brought a tear to my eye at the end.
A word of advice to some of my GR friends who read this review and, like me, normally read fantasy and science fiction. This is rather different. It’s a well researched historical novel. It is based upon real people and events (as I’ve found from checks on Wikipedia while reading this book!) which rather constrains it from fantastical plots. Clearly, the intention of the author is to give an everyday feel to people who really existed but we see as only marble statues, and events/battles that are turned into glorious Hollywood films.
It adds to the enjoyment of the story to know just a little about the Ancient Greece of this period, to see how he portrays famous people and historic events; prominent in this book are the great democratic politicians Pericles and Cleon, the famous Tragic playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and the comic playwright Aristophanes (who is made out to be a bastard in this book but may be known to you from his play, Lysistrata, where the women of Athens stage a sex strike in order to stop the men fighting interminable wars). The famous philosopher Socrates features too, as does the god Dionysius. Even Eupolis was a real comic playwright although there is little enough known of him, according to Wikipedia, that the author can construct his colourful life story here in this book without contradicting history. There are also the big rivals to Athens in that period, the military city state of Sparta, and past enemies in Persia.
It did help reading this on a Kindle as a few words unknown to me, from Ancient Greek, are used to describe literary forms in Greek literature, various bureaucrats and other features specific to ancient Greek life. The dictionary feature, or the link to Wikipedia if online, gave me a very quick check on what they meant.
All in all, I enjoyed every page of this substantial, well written book and I’m looking forward to more Tom Holt historical novels.
December 24, 2017
Βαθμολογία: 9/10
Ο Βρετανός Τομ Χολτ, είναι ένας συγγραφέας γνωστός για τα χιουμοριστικά και σατιρικά μυθιστορήματα του, τα περισσότερα εκ των οποίων ανήκουν στο είδος του Φανταστικού. Το μυθιστόρημα που μόλις τελείωσα, είναι το μοναδικό βιβλίο του Χολτ που έχει μεταφραστεί στα ελληνικά. Μάλιστα, για αρκετό καιρό η ελληνική έκδοση ήταν εξαντλημένη, μέχρι που ευτυχώς επανεκδόθηκε πριν κάτι μέρες. Και λέω ευτυχώς, γιατί πρόκειται για ένα καταπληκτικό ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα, γεμάτο χιούμορ, σάτιρα και απολαυστικές στιγμές.
Ο Εύπολις ήταν ένας από τους σημαντικότερους δημιουργούς της αρχαίας κωμωδίας, μαζί με τον Κρατίνο και τον Αριστοφάνη, έχοντας μάλιστα κερδίσει εφτά φορές σε αγώνες των Αθηνών. Δυστυχώς, όμως, μόνο αποσπάσματα των έργων του έχουν διασωθεί. Επίσης ήταν γνωστή η κόντρα του με τον μεγάλο Αριστοφάνη. Στο βιβλίο αυτό, ο Εύπολις αφηγείται την ιστορία της ζωής του και ο Τομ Χολτ αναπαριστά με χιούμορ και σατιρική διάθεση την ιστορική πραγματικότητα του 5ου αιώνα π.Χ. Κανείς δεν την γλιτώνει από τα αιχμηρά βέλη της σάτιρας του Τομ Χολτ: Ούτε ο Αριστοφάνης, ούτε μεγάλοι πολιτικοί και στρατηγοί εκείνων των χρόνων, ούτε φυσικά η Αθήνα και η ξακουστή Δημοκρατία της.
Τα περισσότερα από αυτά που συμβαίνουν μέσα στο βιβλίο είναι μάλλον δημιουργήματα της φαντασίας του συγγραφέα, ενώ και η όλη προσέγγιση των ιστορικών γεγονότων ίσως να μην είναι η πλέον πιστή και ενδεδειγμένη. Όμως εδώ μιλάμε για ένα μυθιστόρημα, που σκοπό έχει να αναδείξει κάποια πράγματα σχετικά με την Αθήνα και την Δημοκρατία της, με τρόπο άκρως απολαυστικό και συναρπαστικό. Ο συγγραφέας έκανε πολλή έρευνα σχετικά με την εποχή κατά την οποία διαδραματίζεται η όλη ιστορία και κατάφερε να προσφέρει ένα έργο γεμάτο δράση, εικόνες και τρομερές σκηνές μιας εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσας ιστορικής περιόδου. Η γραφή του είναι φοβερή και εθιστική, με γλαφυρές περιγραφές και ωραίους διαλόγους, το χιούμορ έξυπνο και εύστοχο, ενώ οι χαρακτήρες αξιοσημείωτοι και ενδιαφέροντες, αν και ίσως στα όρια της καρικατούρας.
Δεν ξέρω πως θα φανεί το μυθιστόρημα σε κάποιον που γνωρίζει εις βάθος την συγκεκριμένη ιστορική περίοδο, όμως όσοι λατρεύουν την ιστορία της Αρχαίας Ελλάδας και θέλουν να διαβάσουν κάτι το διαφορετικό και το απολαυστικό στο είδος, δεν υπάρχει περίπτωση να μην περάσουν καλά με αυτό το βιβλίο. Ο συγγραφέας κατάφερε να με ταξιδέψει εκατοντάδες χρόνια πίσω στον χρόνο και να παρουσιάσει με τρόπο ξεχωριστό και ψυχαγωγικό, μια ενδιαφέρουσα περίοδο της Αρχαίας Αθήνας, αλλά και έναν πραγματικά φοβερό χαρακτήρα. Οπότε, δίκαια τσιμπάει τα πέντε αστεράκια από μένα, και ας μην είναι ένα άριστο ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα.
Ο Βρετανός Τομ Χολτ, είναι ένας συγγραφέας γνωστός για τα χιουμοριστικά και σατιρικά μυθιστορήματα του, τα περισσότερα εκ των οποίων ανήκουν στο είδος του Φανταστικού. Το μυθιστόρημα που μόλις τελείωσα, είναι το μοναδικό βιβλίο του Χολτ που έχει μεταφραστεί στα ελληνικά. Μάλιστα, για αρκετό καιρό η ελληνική έκδοση ήταν εξαντλημένη, μέχρι που ευτυχώς επανεκδόθηκε πριν κάτι μέρες. Και λέω ευτυχώς, γιατί πρόκειται για ένα καταπληκτικό ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα, γεμάτο χιούμορ, σάτιρα και απολαυστικές στιγμές.
Ο Εύπολις ήταν ένας από τους σημαντικότερους δημιουργούς της αρχαίας κωμωδίας, μαζί με τον Κρατίνο και τον Αριστοφάνη, έχοντας μάλιστα κερδίσει εφτά φορές σε αγώνες των Αθηνών. Δυστυχώς, όμως, μόνο αποσπάσματα των έργων του έχουν διασωθεί. Επίσης ήταν γνωστή η κόντρα του με τον μεγάλο Αριστοφάνη. Στο βιβλίο αυτό, ο Εύπολις αφηγείται την ιστορία της ζωής του και ο Τομ Χολτ αναπαριστά με χιούμορ και σατιρική διάθεση την ιστορική πραγματικότητα του 5ου αιώνα π.Χ. Κανείς δεν την γλιτώνει από τα αιχμηρά βέλη της σάτιρας του Τομ Χολτ: Ούτε ο Αριστοφάνης, ούτε μεγάλοι πολιτικοί και στρατηγοί εκείνων των χρόνων, ούτε φυσικά η Αθήνα και η ξακουστή Δημοκρατία της.
Τα περισσότερα από αυτά που συμβαίνουν μέσα στο βιβλίο είναι μάλλον δημιουργήματα της φαντασίας του συγγραφέα, ενώ και η όλη προσέγγιση των ιστορικών γεγονότων ίσως να μην είναι η πλέον πιστή και ενδεδειγμένη. Όμως εδώ μιλάμε για ένα μυθιστόρημα, που σκοπό έχει να αναδείξει κάποια πράγματα σχετικά με την Αθήνα και την Δημοκρατία της, με τρόπο άκρως απολαυστικό και συναρπαστικό. Ο συγγραφέας έκανε πολλή έρευνα σχετικά με την εποχή κατά την οποία διαδραματίζεται η όλη ιστορία και κατάφερε να προσφέρει ένα έργο γεμάτο δράση, εικόνες και τρομερές σκηνές μιας εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσας ιστορικής περιόδου. Η γραφή του είναι φοβερή και εθιστική, με γλαφυρές περιγραφές και ωραίους διαλόγους, το χιούμορ έξυπνο και εύστοχο, ενώ οι χαρακτήρες αξιοσημείωτοι και ενδιαφέροντες, αν και ίσως στα όρια της καρικατούρας.
Δεν ξέρω πως θα φανεί το μυθιστόρημα σε κάποιον που γνωρίζει εις βάθος την συγκεκριμένη ιστορική περίοδο, όμως όσοι λατρεύουν την ιστορία της Αρχαίας Ελλάδας και θέλουν να διαβάσουν κάτι το διαφορετικό και το απολαυστικό στο είδος, δεν υπάρχει περίπτωση να μην περάσουν καλά με αυτό το βιβλίο. Ο συγγραφέας κατάφερε να με ταξιδέψει εκατοντάδες χρόνια πίσω στον χρόνο και να παρουσιάσει με τρόπο ξεχωριστό και ψυχαγωγικό, μια ενδιαφέρουσα περίοδο της Αρχαίας Αθήνας, αλλά και έναν πραγματικά φοβερό χαρακτήρα. Οπότε, δίκαια τσιμπάει τα πέντε αστεράκια από μένα, και ας μην είναι ένα άριστο ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα.
May 25, 2015
Of one of K. J. Parker's stories I observed that it is about the problems caused by both love and war, and in fact that theme runs through a number of his stories, including most obviously the Engineer Trilogy. And that theme is utterly central to The Walled Orchard, which I consider Tom Holt's masterpiece, both in the correct sense (the work that proved his ability as a master craftsman), and in the more common contemporary sense: his best and deepest story. K. J. Parker is of course Tom Holt, and it is of the Holt of the historical novels that Parker most reminds me.
The Walled Orchard is very very funny, but in the darkest of ways, and it is ultimately a true tragedy (after all, the title of the original first volume, Goat Song, means tragedy), and very moving indeed.
The novel is told by Eupolis of Pallene, a Greek dramatist, a writer of comedies, and a rival of Aristophanes. He is writing the history of his times, which ends up being the history of the fall of Athens from its place of importance. It's also of course the story of his life, and the story of his love for his wife, Phaedra, whom he loves desperately and also cannot stand, cannot live with.
I won't go into much detail about the plot. It concerns Eupolis' playwrighting, the contests Athens had every year for plays, as well as Athenian politics, and the original democracy. But ultimately it concerns the Athenian adventure at Syracuse on Sicily, during the Pelopennesian War, which ended in complete disaster for Athens. Eupolis is conscripted to fight at Syracuse, and he is one of the few survivors, hence this history. There's much more going on that that of course, but much of the burden of the novel is the horrors and folly of war, especially his experience at the walled orchard on Sicily.
As I said, it's a truly powerful and moving novel, both in its depiction of war, and also in the terribly sad love story of Eupolis and Phaedra. But it remains blackly funny as well. In the end, very true. And ... I will say, rereading passages of the novel, the connections with K. J. Parker's work, and voice, seem extremely obvious. To conclude -- one of the great historical novels of the past few decades, and a somewhat neglected one, I suspect because Holt's name is stereotyped as a writer of light comedies.
The Walled Orchard is very very funny, but in the darkest of ways, and it is ultimately a true tragedy (after all, the title of the original first volume, Goat Song, means tragedy), and very moving indeed.
The novel is told by Eupolis of Pallene, a Greek dramatist, a writer of comedies, and a rival of Aristophanes. He is writing the history of his times, which ends up being the history of the fall of Athens from its place of importance. It's also of course the story of his life, and the story of his love for his wife, Phaedra, whom he loves desperately and also cannot stand, cannot live with.
I won't go into much detail about the plot. It concerns Eupolis' playwrighting, the contests Athens had every year for plays, as well as Athenian politics, and the original democracy. But ultimately it concerns the Athenian adventure at Syracuse on Sicily, during the Pelopennesian War, which ended in complete disaster for Athens. Eupolis is conscripted to fight at Syracuse, and he is one of the few survivors, hence this history. There's much more going on that that of course, but much of the burden of the novel is the horrors and folly of war, especially his experience at the walled orchard on Sicily.
As I said, it's a truly powerful and moving novel, both in its depiction of war, and also in the terribly sad love story of Eupolis and Phaedra. But it remains blackly funny as well. In the end, very true. And ... I will say, rereading passages of the novel, the connections with K. J. Parker's work, and voice, seem extremely obvious. To conclude -- one of the great historical novels of the past few decades, and a somewhat neglected one, I suspect because Holt's name is stereotyped as a writer of light comedies.
May 31, 2010
Finding out absolutely by chance about the historical fiction of the comic fantasist Thomas Holt - the author extra in Blonde Bombshell is very intriguing and made me explore his website - I just got all 5 and will read them in-between sff
Walled Orchard (originally in two volumes, but I read the omnibus) is another superb one after Meadowland featuring the same trademark matter of fact style and dark irony; Athens in its Golden Age and the disaster of the Sicilian Expedition
Historical sf at its best; one of the narrator's grandsons narrates the Alexander novel, while Olympiad has more Greek stuff but at an earlier time.
Walled Orchard (originally in two volumes, but I read the omnibus) is another superb one after Meadowland featuring the same trademark matter of fact style and dark irony; Athens in its Golden Age and the disaster of the Sicilian Expedition
Historical sf at its best; one of the narrator's grandsons narrates the Alexander novel, while Olympiad has more Greek stuff but at an earlier time.
March 18, 2012
I love Tom Holt's fantasies, but this historical novel is one of the best I've ever read. Its analysis of the 'democracy' of ancient Athens is a comment on our own times, and it's scathingly funny. Also eerie. Just wonderful.
May 22, 2022
Could be my favourite Holt/Parker book I’ve read. Could be my favourite read of the year. 5+⭐️
June 20, 2019
This is not the sort of fiction that I normally read. So, I was surprised that the story and the character of Eupolis pulled me along chuckling all the way. As the story described various events or characters of classical Greece during the peloponnesian war, my curiosity pulled me to check their factual basis on the internet. The story always seemed consistent with what is know from the historical record. The violence of war, democracy and everyday life was shocking. But, presented through the endlessly amused eyes of Eupolis, the comic poet, the comically extreme slings and arrows suffered by our hero are palpable and believable.
July 11, 2024
This omnibus of two previously-published historical novels (1989, 1990) was good, but a book I wanted to like more than I did. It badly needed a re-edit and condensation. A 600-page book that would have been much better at ~400 pages. There were long stretches of pointless nattering that I skimmed. For me this was a 3.5 star read. It’s available as a $4 ebook and I cautiously recommend it to Tom Holt and historical-fiction fans. My rating is a bit lower than the average reader here — and I certainly got my $4 worth!
This is a well-researched historical novel that has some great black humor. The protagonist is an unlikable playwright of classical comedy, and the cast of characters includes many familiar names from the Peloponnesian War era (ca. 431-404 BC). If you read it, you will see that human nature hasn’t changed much since then.
This is a well-researched historical novel that has some great black humor. The protagonist is an unlikable playwright of classical comedy, and the cast of characters includes many familiar names from the Peloponnesian War era (ca. 431-404 BC). If you read it, you will see that human nature hasn’t changed much since then.
February 26, 2022
A real mixed bag, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. It's a very convincing realisation of time and place, with an interesting plot and entertaining characters. On the downside, it's at least 30pc too long and the main character is intermittently obnoxious.
August 13, 2022
Awesome:) 9/10 - 0.5 for the much too long aftermath
February 5, 2012
I may be biased because I love Greek History, but this is definitely one of the most interesting Tom Holt books I've ever read. The main characters are incredibly real, gritty, and immensely entertaining. And it has one of the best final lines I've ever read. I really enjoyed it - and there's a high probability of re-reading in the future which shows a deep favourite. I had no idea Tom Holt wrote books like this, and I am deeply impressed also by the level of research, and ironic analysis of said research, that went into this. Being able to appreciate the hilarity and apalling violence and loss of life of the Sicilian Expedition (read: disaster), and then also being able to communicate that dextrously to the reader, without descending to pure crudeness or cheap shots, is a remarkable achievement.
July 29, 2021
A wonderful book. Very few books set in the ancient world manage to place you so vividly in a specific place and time: 'Whom the Gods would Destroy' by Richard Powell is the only one I can think of. Other books set in antiquity tend to create their own, alternate world: the works of David Gemmell, Madeline Miller, Margaret Atwood, Thornton Wilder - much as I loved them, they create an antique world, rather than open up a door to the actuality of one.
Among other successes, Tom Holt has managed to make an ancient marriage seem real and exciting. Eupolis's relationship with his wife is one of the highlights of the book. In second place are the satires of how Socrates, and the Sophists really operated. So many real characters here: playwrights, farmers, sneaky lawyers, barbers, villagers in the remote mountains of Sicily.
And you learn a lot about Athens, too.
Among other successes, Tom Holt has managed to make an ancient marriage seem real and exciting. Eupolis's relationship with his wife is one of the highlights of the book. In second place are the satires of how Socrates, and the Sophists really operated. So many real characters here: playwrights, farmers, sneaky lawyers, barbers, villagers in the remote mountains of Sicily.
And you learn a lot about Athens, too.
September 24, 2020
What an odd book! I've never read a book like this --incredibly dry humor. I feel like I would've appreciated it more if I was better versed in ancient Greek history. The narrator's observations about Athens, democracy, war, politicians, etc were hilarious and somehow also poignant. Not really plot driven, so it took me a long time to finish it but I laughed out loud regularly when I did. I've become quite fond of Eupolis.
February 10, 2019
A somewhat dark book, but also rather quotable and occasionally quite funny. I've added a couple of sample quotes below.
...
"‘Where the hell are we?’ he moaned.
‘I don’t know,’ I replied. ‘I don’t think this is the road we came up yesterday.’
‘How would you know?’ he grumbled.
‘Because we didn’t see this ditch yesterday,’ I replied.
‘What does that prove?’ replied the son of Philip.
‘Besides,’ I went on, ‘this is a drainage ditch, right?’
‘Could be,’ said Aristophanes cautiously.
‘Of course it is, you idiot. Now it stands to reason that it drains into something, or leads out of something. Agreed?’
Aristophanes looked at me. ‘You’ve been seeing too much of Socrates,’ he said."
"Don’t you hate it when you’re listening to a story or a poem; and the hero has just got himself out of a scrape by the tips of his fingers in Argos, say, or Crete, and then the scene suddenly changes to Tempe or Phocis, and there’s our hero, sitting in a nice clean tunic with his hair newly curled and his beard trimmed, having a bite to eat with the King and planning his next adventure? I do. I feel cheated. I want to hear how he got all the way from Argos to Phocis, which is probably more difficult in practical terms than duping the three-headed giant or escaping from the man-eating bull. Particularly since the three-headed ogre turned out to be incredibly gullible, or the hero was so laden down with magical hardware, pressed into his hand by some helpful god or other, that the whole Spartan army wouldn’t have stood a chance against him. No, what I want to hear is how he managed to hitch a lift on a ship without any money, and what he did for food and water as he crossed the mountains, and how he got past the King’s doorkeeper without a sealed pass and three chamberlains to vouch for him. I am no Milesian cheapskate; I will not fob you off with an implied challenge to your imaginative powers. Before we return to violet-crowned Athens, I will give you a short account of our stay in Catana and the trip home."
...
"‘Where the hell are we?’ he moaned.
‘I don’t know,’ I replied. ‘I don’t think this is the road we came up yesterday.’
‘How would you know?’ he grumbled.
‘Because we didn’t see this ditch yesterday,’ I replied.
‘What does that prove?’ replied the son of Philip.
‘Besides,’ I went on, ‘this is a drainage ditch, right?’
‘Could be,’ said Aristophanes cautiously.
‘Of course it is, you idiot. Now it stands to reason that it drains into something, or leads out of something. Agreed?’
Aristophanes looked at me. ‘You’ve been seeing too much of Socrates,’ he said."
"Don’t you hate it when you’re listening to a story or a poem; and the hero has just got himself out of a scrape by the tips of his fingers in Argos, say, or Crete, and then the scene suddenly changes to Tempe or Phocis, and there’s our hero, sitting in a nice clean tunic with his hair newly curled and his beard trimmed, having a bite to eat with the King and planning his next adventure? I do. I feel cheated. I want to hear how he got all the way from Argos to Phocis, which is probably more difficult in practical terms than duping the three-headed giant or escaping from the man-eating bull. Particularly since the three-headed ogre turned out to be incredibly gullible, or the hero was so laden down with magical hardware, pressed into his hand by some helpful god or other, that the whole Spartan army wouldn’t have stood a chance against him. No, what I want to hear is how he managed to hitch a lift on a ship without any money, and what he did for food and water as he crossed the mountains, and how he got past the King’s doorkeeper without a sealed pass and three chamberlains to vouch for him. I am no Milesian cheapskate; I will not fob you off with an implied challenge to your imaginative powers. Before we return to violet-crowned Athens, I will give you a short account of our stay in Catana and the trip home."
December 21, 2012
I don't know much about the Ancient Greeks and have never had any particular interest in learning more about them, but I loved this book. It was so compellingly written that I often found it easy to forget that I was reading fiction and felt as though I was reading an actual memoir. The character Eupolis and his supporting cast felt well-rounded and real. I especially loved Phaedra, she was funny and sweet and sad and exasperating all at the same time.
The book starts out being just a humorous story, but towards the middle and from then all it all became darker and more compelling. It was still funny, maybe even funnier than the first half, but it was also sadder. I think this book will stay with me for a long time.
The book starts out being just a humorous story, but towards the middle and from then all it all became darker and more compelling. It was still funny, maybe even funnier than the first half, but it was also sadder. I think this book will stay with me for a long time.
February 7, 2014
One of my favourite books. A perfect mix of comedy and pathos with an anti-hero who I can relate to. Eupolis is a comedy playwright who seems to be confounded at every turn by vicissitudes of fate which lead him into a number of tragic situations. Despite his bad luck he retains his positive attitude. Through this character we learn so much about the human desire for success, the futility of war, the idiocy of politics and more. It is also a really easy read, and that is a compliment. Everything in it makes you want to keep reading, to find out more about this character, and just because he's so fun to spend time with.
May 16, 2013
Historical fiction based in ancient Athens. A bit of a departure from Tom Holt's excellent novels of mythical humour.
Not that this book is without some smiles but the humour tends more toward dark irony. Well worth the read.
Not that this book is without some smiles but the humour tends more toward dark irony. Well worth the read.
July 9, 2020
The first part was a bit digressive, but the second part was really great and I enjoyed the way the book ended.
November 14, 2021
Vaguely interesting, but not enough for me to want to finish it. 100 plus pages was all I managed.
June 10, 2025
...how Athens came to have the most pure and perfect democracy the world has ever seen, in which every man had a right to be heard, the law was open to all, and nobody need go hungry if he was not too proud to play his part in the oppression of his fellow Greeks and the judicial murder of inconvenient statesmen. [p. 46]
I owned a paperback copy of this novel -- actually two novels in one volume, Goatsong and The Walled Orchard -- for many years but did not read it. Suddenly, recently, the time was right and I was very much in Ancient Greek mode: and I am now much more familiar with the glories of Classical Greece, and the horrors of the Sicilian Expedition, than I was before. (See, for instance, Glorious Exploits.)
The narrator of the duology is Eupolis of Pallene, a gentleman farmer and writer of comedies, from his childhood survival of the plague, which left him scarred and ugly, to his old age. Entwined with the Peloponnesian War and the Sicilian Expedition are the triumphs and disasters of Eupolis' career as a dramatist and his ongoing feud with rival playwright Aristophanes, and his unhappy marriage to Phaedra, a young woman whom he rescues from Aristophanes and his bevy of drunken yobs.
Eupolis loves and hates Phaedra, who is evil-tempered and keen to make her husband look ridiculous: he loves and hates Athens, her shining ideal of democracy and the idiotic voters who perpetuate it. But Aristophanes is the true villain of the piece, even (especially?) when he and Eupolis are fleeing for their lives through hostile Sicily, forced to compose cod-Euripides on the fly to entertain their hosts.
Eupolis' fate is tied to Aristophanes', perhaps by the will of Dionysus. His innate cynicism and stubborn determination -- not to mention his true gift for rhetoric and for comedy -- help him endure the horrors of war, the PTSD afterwards, the sabotage of his final play, and the overthrow of democracy.
I found the Sicilian scenes harrowing and brutal, but extraordinarily vivid because of Eupolis' narrative voice. The minutae of everyday life in classical Greece are recounted with dark humour (though there are also moments of deep joy) and never feel laboured or over-explained. And the greater arcs of the story -- of the decline of Athens, of the horrors of war, of the flaws and failures of democracy -- feel as immediate as today's news.
Democracy is a cannibals’ harvest festival, where everyone does their best to feed the hand that bites them. [p. 519]
July 11, 2023
A whirlwind of a novel - encompassing life in Athens and as an Athenian abroad. Witty, funny, bizarre, moving, action-packed and yet also bleak. Eupolis is an unlikely and sometimes unsympathetic hero. The chapters detailing his harrowing military adventures in Sicily were particularly gripping, while his twisted relationship with Aristophanes was laugh aloud funny.
The book turned out to be a study of human nature in all its strangeness and was an enthralling, unconventional read.
The book turned out to be a study of human nature in all its strangeness and was an enthralling, unconventional read.
July 30, 2023
I’m a huge Holt fan, but this just didn’t live up to his standard. This volume lacks the charm, wit, and creativity usually found in his novels.
Written as the memoir of an Athenian citizen, the main character bills himself as a comedic poet/playwright.
But of course we have to start with him as a child goat herder. And include his conscription into the Sicilian war. And the eventual demise of his family. So where’s the comedy? Meh.
Written as the memoir of an Athenian citizen, the main character bills himself as a comedic poet/playwright.
But of course we have to start with him as a child goat herder. And include his conscription into the Sicilian war. And the eventual demise of his family. So where’s the comedy? Meh.
June 30, 2019
Well thoroughly enjoyed that. I'll look out for more of his work.
June 23, 2025
very recognizably a K.J. Parker Book with a K.J. Parker Main Character, but rather less obnoxious than the ones actually written under that pseudonym
October 19, 2013
War is hell. Even legendary war.
This is a sequel to Goatsong.
This is a sequel to Goatsong.
March 1, 2009
very funny
July 3, 2013
I usually never write reviews...but this book made me do it...wonderful mix of historical character and comedy..really enjoyed..should give a try atleast once
February 25, 2015
Geschichte eines Komödienschreibers im alten Athen und seine Hassliebe zu seiner Stadt
November 12, 2015
This is a great historical novel. Funny and gritty all at the same time. I could definitely see KJ Parker's style in there, particularly in the battle and other action scenes.
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