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The Descent of the Lyre
It is the early nineteenth century, and the Bulgarian village of Gela, the legendary home of Orpheus, is suffering under the heavy taxation and arbitrary justice of Ottoman rule. When his bride-to-be is abducted the night before his wedding, Ivan Gelski takes to the hills and turns to banditry to seek revenge. But a chance encounter with a travelling guitarist, and the bloodshed that follows, set him on a musical journey through fame, martyrdom and legend. In this remarkable reinvention of the tale of Orpheus, Will Buckingham plunges us into the music and folklore of Bulgaria, in a parable about storytelling, sainthood and myth-making.
“Blends history and myth… lyrical and well-written.” The Bookseller
“A powerful literary novel.” The Sunday Telegraph
“This is a book that is memorable for all the right reasons. The story is gripping and highly original, and it is beautifully written.” Louis de Bernières.
“Blends history and myth… lyrical and well-written.” The Bookseller
“A powerful literary novel.” The Sunday Telegraph
“This is a book that is memorable for all the right reasons. The story is gripping and highly original, and it is beautifully written.” Louis de Bernières.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2013
4 people are currently reading
740 people want to read
About the author
Will Buckingham
31 books181 followersWill Buckingham is a writer, academic and traveller with an MA in Anthropology and a PhD in Philosophy. He has published books in several genres, including philosophy and fiction for children and adults. His latest book is "Hello, Stranger: How We Find Connection in a Disconnected World" (Granta 2021).
Born in the UK, he has worked and travelled all over the world. He co-directs Wind&Bones, a social enterprise that explores how writing can help us connect and reconnect, and is currently based in Dundee, Scotland.
Born in the UK, he has worked and travelled all over the world. He co-directs Wind&Bones, a social enterprise that explores how writing can help us connect and reconnect, and is currently based in Dundee, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 21, 2015
A lyrical parable with Old World charm
There is nothing I enjoy more than a story that sets me on a journey of research after I have finished reading and reminds me of stories of the old ways and traditions. The Descent of the Lyre is one of those such reads that as soon as I finished, I combed through my resources high and low for more information about European locations, character's names, icons mentioned and details that may be born of imagination or serve as a new piece of trivia for this reader. With this novel I learned about unfamiliar topics and above all was entertained with this tale of music, love, anger and death. With its distinctive expressive flow and setting, this novel felt more as a parable passed down and I could imagine myself sitting in a candle lit room listening to my Baba tell portions of this story. Like the old fashioned ways of storytelling The Descent of the Lyre holds the audience's attention with: religious beginnings, superstitions, dark sides of human nature, near forgotten traditions, love lost, passages of self discovery, moral lessons and regional folklore. As this tale builds this book takes the reader on a journey from small villages at the foot of high mountain passes to isolated religious sites then to the elegance and splendor of Europe's most celebrated cities- with music always in mind, how it can soothe and even transform a lost soul. Finally like the old fashioned tales, there is something to learn at the ending but that message is up to the listener.
In the end, The Descent of the Lyre certainly had the historical essentials that are always inviting and enchanting to this reader but I couldn't ignore the feeling this novel seemed oddly rushed towards the end and something was missing to tie off all of the strand-like storylines. I understand the author set the flow of this novel to replicate a dance tempo and indeed it felt at times as so, moving from quick and measured to jumping forward and back taking on different rhythms at any moment with introducing characters and locations, to one entire leap into the future that dedicated the page to the specifics relating to composition research. Although those changes were very inventive and unique, I won't lie, it took me a little longer than I expected to get used to those changes to the pace of the story and unfortunately those creative courses slowed this short book even more for this reader. I also honestly think I missed a few hidden messages in this book, but perhaps other readers will understand and gather from all of the presented passages. Still overall, this was a unique lyrical read that I would recommend to others looking for a music historical inspired parable with Old World charm in the pages, just waiting for the right listener.
There is nothing I enjoy more than a story that sets me on a journey of research after I have finished reading and reminds me of stories of the old ways and traditions. The Descent of the Lyre is one of those such reads that as soon as I finished, I combed through my resources high and low for more information about European locations, character's names, icons mentioned and details that may be born of imagination or serve as a new piece of trivia for this reader. With this novel I learned about unfamiliar topics and above all was entertained with this tale of music, love, anger and death. With its distinctive expressive flow and setting, this novel felt more as a parable passed down and I could imagine myself sitting in a candle lit room listening to my Baba tell portions of this story. Like the old fashioned ways of storytelling The Descent of the Lyre holds the audience's attention with: religious beginnings, superstitions, dark sides of human nature, near forgotten traditions, love lost, passages of self discovery, moral lessons and regional folklore. As this tale builds this book takes the reader on a journey from small villages at the foot of high mountain passes to isolated religious sites then to the elegance and splendor of Europe's most celebrated cities- with music always in mind, how it can soothe and even transform a lost soul. Finally like the old fashioned tales, there is something to learn at the ending but that message is up to the listener.
In the end, The Descent of the Lyre certainly had the historical essentials that are always inviting and enchanting to this reader but I couldn't ignore the feeling this novel seemed oddly rushed towards the end and something was missing to tie off all of the strand-like storylines. I understand the author set the flow of this novel to replicate a dance tempo and indeed it felt at times as so, moving from quick and measured to jumping forward and back taking on different rhythms at any moment with introducing characters and locations, to one entire leap into the future that dedicated the page to the specifics relating to composition research. Although those changes were very inventive and unique, I won't lie, it took me a little longer than I expected to get used to those changes to the pace of the story and unfortunately those creative courses slowed this short book even more for this reader. I also honestly think I missed a few hidden messages in this book, but perhaps other readers will understand and gather from all of the presented passages. Still overall, this was a unique lyrical read that I would recommend to others looking for a music historical inspired parable with Old World charm in the pages, just waiting for the right listener.
August 4, 2014
Really well done story using the Orpheus legend as a template.
December 30, 2018
Great start, weak finish
One review I read gave me the impression that this would be historical fiction, but I would characterize it as being a bit history-informed. Still, I like the writing style and the story pulled me in. Being a musician, I was attracted to the theme of redemption through music. But the ending was not satisfying to me; it just stopped and then a few loose ends were tidied up.
One review I read gave me the impression that this would be historical fiction, but I would characterize it as being a bit history-informed. Still, I like the writing style and the story pulled me in. Being a musician, I was attracted to the theme of redemption through music. But the ending was not satisfying to me; it just stopped and then a few loose ends were tidied up.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews