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The Orpheus Descent
Would you pay the ultimate price for the ultimate knowledge?
I have never written down the answers to the deepest mysteries, nor will I ever... The philosopher Plato wrote these words more than two thousand years ago, following a perilous voyage to Italy -- an experience about which he never spoke again, but from which he emerged the greatest thinker in all of human history.
Today, twelve golden tablets sit in museums around the world, each created by unknown hands and buried in ancient times, and each providing the dead with the route to the afterlife. Archaeologist Lily Barnes, working on a dig in southern Italy, has just found another. But this tablet names the location to the mouth of hell itself.
And then Lily vanishes. Has she walked out on her job, her marriage, and her life -- or has something more sinister happened? Her husband, Jonah, is desperate to find her. But no one can help him: not the police and not the secretive foundation that sponsored her dig. All Jonah has is belief, and a determination to do whatever it takes to get Lily back.
But like Plato before him, Jonah will discover the journey ahead is mysterious and dark and fraught with danger. And not everyone who travels to the hidden place where Lily has gone can return.
I have never written down the answers to the deepest mysteries, nor will I ever... The philosopher Plato wrote these words more than two thousand years ago, following a perilous voyage to Italy -- an experience about which he never spoke again, but from which he emerged the greatest thinker in all of human history.
Today, twelve golden tablets sit in museums around the world, each created by unknown hands and buried in ancient times, and each providing the dead with the route to the afterlife. Archaeologist Lily Barnes, working on a dig in southern Italy, has just found another. But this tablet names the location to the mouth of hell itself.
And then Lily vanishes. Has she walked out on her job, her marriage, and her life -- or has something more sinister happened? Her husband, Jonah, is desperate to find her. But no one can help him: not the police and not the secretive foundation that sponsored her dig. All Jonah has is belief, and a determination to do whatever it takes to get Lily back.
But like Plato before him, Jonah will discover the journey ahead is mysterious and dark and fraught with danger. And not everyone who travels to the hidden place where Lily has gone can return.
488 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2013
93 people are currently reading
1522 people want to read
About the author
Tom Harper
54 books197 followersTom Harper was born in West Germany in 1977 and grew up in Germany, Belgium and America; he now lives in England. He is chair of the Crime Writers' Association and also a member of the Historical Novels Society and the Society of Authors.
Tom Harper also writes historical adventures as Edwin Thomas.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Tom Harper also writes historical adventures as Edwin Thomas.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
September 8, 2016
Δεν διαβαζόταν ...
Ιστορία αναζήτησης σε παρελθόντα χρόνο, με ήρωα τον Πλάτωνα που ψάχνει τον αγαπημένο του φίλο Αγάθωνα, σε ένα ταξίδι στην Κάτω Ιταλία.
Και ιστορία αναζήτησης σε ενεστώτα χρόνο, με ήρωα έναν ροκά που ψάχνει την αρχαιολόγο αγαπημένη του στα ίδια μονοπάτια.
Τρόμαξα να το τελειώσω, άσε που έχασα κάθε ιδέα για τον Πλάτωνα.
Αρχαιοελληνικός αχταρμάς ομού με αμερικανιές.
Ιστορία αναζήτησης σε παρελθόντα χρόνο, με ήρωα τον Πλάτωνα που ψάχνει τον αγαπημένο του φίλο Αγάθωνα, σε ένα ταξίδι στην Κάτω Ιταλία.
Και ιστορία αναζήτησης σε ενεστώτα χρόνο, με ήρωα έναν ροκά που ψάχνει την αρχαιολόγο αγαπημένη του στα ίδια μονοπάτια.
Τρόμαξα να το τελειώσω, άσε που έχασα κάθε ιδέα για τον Πλάτωνα.
Αρχαιοελληνικός αχταρμάς ομού με αμερικανιές.
July 24, 2013
Two parallel stories: Jonah’s archaeologist wife is missing and so is a rare and valuable artefact. Did Lily steal it? Has she run away? Or has she been abducted by the rich and powerful sponsor of the dig? Meanwhile, back in 389 BC, Plato is travelling to Italy in search of a lost friend: it is a trip that will change his life forever.
It’s a nice idea, not quite as nicely done as I’d hoped it would be. It feels as if it’s constantly reaching for something bigger and better, but never quite gets there. As you’d expect in a book about Plato, there’s a lot of philosophising, but for all its classical quoting and borrowing, there’ s really not that much depth here.
The story is good – a little far fetched at times (and that dream sequence goes on way, way too long!), but there’s nothing wrong with that. There are reminders of The Secret History: the Bacchanal, the close-knit group of friends - cold academics, locked in their own small world, a world mostly closed to strangers, like guitarist Jonah – but it’s not in the same league as Donna Tartt’s masterpiece. The modern-day characters are not as well-wrought as they could be (the classical characters are much better) but they serve well enough to drive the plot. I did care what happened to them, but I enjoyed Plato’s story much more than Jonah’s. Jonah came across as rather thick; he got a bit annoying at times.
I'm in two minds about this book. Like the Greek tragedies it apes, The Orpheus Descent wears a mask: it feels like it wants, desperately, to be profound, and sometimes it almost is, but the tone is always closer to Dan Brown than David Mitchell. It's an intriguing and involving story; a terrific good and meaty holiday read – especially if you’re travelling to Greece or Sicily. Nice and long and thoroughly entertaining, if you don't want to have to think too hard.
It’s a nice idea, not quite as nicely done as I’d hoped it would be. It feels as if it’s constantly reaching for something bigger and better, but never quite gets there. As you’d expect in a book about Plato, there’s a lot of philosophising, but for all its classical quoting and borrowing, there’ s really not that much depth here.
The story is good – a little far fetched at times (and that dream sequence goes on way, way too long!), but there’s nothing wrong with that. There are reminders of The Secret History: the Bacchanal, the close-knit group of friends - cold academics, locked in their own small world, a world mostly closed to strangers, like guitarist Jonah – but it’s not in the same league as Donna Tartt’s masterpiece. The modern-day characters are not as well-wrought as they could be (the classical characters are much better) but they serve well enough to drive the plot. I did care what happened to them, but I enjoyed Plato’s story much more than Jonah’s. Jonah came across as rather thick; he got a bit annoying at times.
I'm in two minds about this book. Like the Greek tragedies it apes, The Orpheus Descent wears a mask: it feels like it wants, desperately, to be profound, and sometimes it almost is, but the tone is always closer to Dan Brown than David Mitchell. It's an intriguing and involving story; a terrific good and meaty holiday read – especially if you’re travelling to Greece or Sicily. Nice and long and thoroughly entertaining, if you don't want to have to think too hard.
January 23, 2017
"It's only if we set our minds on Beauty and Truth and Goodness, not with the senses but through pure thought, that we rediscover the certain eternal knowledge of our souls."
I was totally set to rate this book a solid 4 until the last two chapters. You know, the only two chapters in the entire book that relate to the synopsis. And I just didn't like them. I felt like a fluid connection to the rest of the book was missing, like the author just tacked them on because he knew that's what he wanted to get to so why not now? But overall the book was appropriately frustrating as a thriller.
2018 Reading Challenge: set in two time periods
I was totally set to rate this book a solid 4 until the last two chapters. You know, the only two chapters in the entire book that relate to the synopsis. And I just didn't like them. I felt like a fluid connection to the rest of the book was missing, like the author just tacked them on because he knew that's what he wanted to get to so why not now? But overall the book was appropriately frustrating as a thriller.
2018 Reading Challenge: set in two time periods
September 16, 2025
Rating: 3.5 stars
This was fun. This novel is split into two timelines in Italy and Greece - one in the ancient world of Plato and Dionysius, Tyrant of Syracuse; the other in the present day following musician Jonas in search of his missing wife, archaeologist Lily Barnes, who has vanished. Has she just run off or is something else going on? Also, Lily has been accused of stealing a small golden tablet providing instruction to the route to the afterlife. I really liked how the Ancient Greek timeline narrated by Plato mirrored the present timeline narrative, while also including bits of Greek history and philosophy, without boring the reader to tears or making them toss the book against the wall. You don't need to be proficient in Greek history or philosophy, but it adds an extra dimension to the story if you can recognize the characters and events mentioned. However, the book was not nearly as profound as the author seemed to want it to be and the ending was a bit of a let-down, but the journey was entertaining and enjoyable (especially the bit under the volcano).
This was fun. This novel is split into two timelines in Italy and Greece - one in the ancient world of Plato and Dionysius, Tyrant of Syracuse; the other in the present day following musician Jonas in search of his missing wife, archaeologist Lily Barnes, who has vanished. Has she just run off or is something else going on? Also, Lily has been accused of stealing a small golden tablet providing instruction to the route to the afterlife. I really liked how the Ancient Greek timeline narrated by Plato mirrored the present timeline narrative, while also including bits of Greek history and philosophy, without boring the reader to tears or making them toss the book against the wall. You don't need to be proficient in Greek history or philosophy, but it adds an extra dimension to the story if you can recognize the characters and events mentioned. However, the book was not nearly as profound as the author seemed to want it to be and the ending was a bit of a let-down, but the journey was entertaining and enjoyable (especially the bit under the volcano).
February 7, 2023
Dawno się tak nie wynudziłam. Nie polecam.
March 20, 2013
Tom Harper, THE ORPHEUS DESCENT
Tom Harper is rapidly making a name for himself as a sure-footed author of dual time line books which combine a contemporary thriller with a historical action thriller or mystery, in which the synthesis of the two worlds woven together is greater than the sum of its parts. The Orpheus Descent is by far his most ambitious novel to date; I’d go as far as to say it's a project of enormous daring and the wonder of it is that he pulls it off.
The basic premise is that Plato, a somewhat second rate philosopher who had studied with – and worshipped – Socrates, is shipwrecked off the Italian coast and ends up at Syracuse (aka Sicily) as the ‘house guest’ and effective prisoner of the tyrant Dionysius I. He is seeking a friend, Agathon, and Agathon was seeking the truth that came before Pythagorus, which may well take him to Hades.
In the modern day, Jonah is a musician with a successful, but possibly falling-apart rock band. On the night of the (maybe last) gig, he drives down to Greece to meet his wife, Lily. Except Lily isn’t there and everyone is lying to him about where she might be and what she might be doing. In his search for Lily, Jonah finds a golden wafer on which is written the directions to the Underworld.
As the two narratives combine, Jonah must follow his heart, and Lily’s footsteps into the Underworld, just as Plato finally follows Agathon – and so we discover the truth of the path to the Underworld, to the life beyond death, and what we might meet there. Plato, on emerging, becomes the greatest philosopher the Western world has ever known. Jonah, however, must still rescue his wife, and the enigmatic woman who has led him into Hades.
So much for the plot: it’s fast, it’s engaging and it’s clever; it’s a passionate love story -Jonah’s dual-thread of his first meetings with Lily and his hunt for her are very tender in places. But what lifts this book into another realm altogether – what makes it so very daring - is the bringing-alive of philosophy. This is the best of the ‘show, don’t tell’ writing tradition: a writer who knows and understands Plato in depth and can bring out of him the understanding that transformed him from a man who wrote second rate niggles at the Athenians who had murdered his beloved Socrates into the one whose depth we have never quite plumbed. Something huge had to have happened and in this book, we see the hugeness of it, without becoming lost in dry explorations of man and mind.
This book is unique in many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and recommend it highly.
THE ORPHEUS DESCENT WILL BE OUT IN MAY 2013
Tom Harper is rapidly making a name for himself as a sure-footed author of dual time line books which combine a contemporary thriller with a historical action thriller or mystery, in which the synthesis of the two worlds woven together is greater than the sum of its parts. The Orpheus Descent is by far his most ambitious novel to date; I’d go as far as to say it's a project of enormous daring and the wonder of it is that he pulls it off.
The basic premise is that Plato, a somewhat second rate philosopher who had studied with – and worshipped – Socrates, is shipwrecked off the Italian coast and ends up at Syracuse (aka Sicily) as the ‘house guest’ and effective prisoner of the tyrant Dionysius I. He is seeking a friend, Agathon, and Agathon was seeking the truth that came before Pythagorus, which may well take him to Hades.
In the modern day, Jonah is a musician with a successful, but possibly falling-apart rock band. On the night of the (maybe last) gig, he drives down to Greece to meet his wife, Lily. Except Lily isn’t there and everyone is lying to him about where she might be and what she might be doing. In his search for Lily, Jonah finds a golden wafer on which is written the directions to the Underworld.
As the two narratives combine, Jonah must follow his heart, and Lily’s footsteps into the Underworld, just as Plato finally follows Agathon – and so we discover the truth of the path to the Underworld, to the life beyond death, and what we might meet there. Plato, on emerging, becomes the greatest philosopher the Western world has ever known. Jonah, however, must still rescue his wife, and the enigmatic woman who has led him into Hades.
So much for the plot: it’s fast, it’s engaging and it’s clever; it’s a passionate love story -Jonah’s dual-thread of his first meetings with Lily and his hunt for her are very tender in places. But what lifts this book into another realm altogether – what makes it so very daring - is the bringing-alive of philosophy. This is the best of the ‘show, don’t tell’ writing tradition: a writer who knows and understands Plato in depth and can bring out of him the understanding that transformed him from a man who wrote second rate niggles at the Athenians who had murdered his beloved Socrates into the one whose depth we have never quite plumbed. Something huge had to have happened and in this book, we see the hugeness of it, without becoming lost in dry explorations of man and mind.
This book is unique in many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and recommend it highly.
THE ORPHEUS DESCENT WILL BE OUT IN MAY 2013
December 27, 2016
This was a great story AND I learned some stuff.
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this, I had just heard that it was an ancient mystery thriller type story and had a Dan Brown feel to it so I was looking forward to it. I'll admit I wasn't immediately hooked and I was feeling a bit lukewarm towards it until I got three or four chapters in but from then on I could hardly put it down.
It's a dual timeline story and a lot of the time it felt like I was reading two separate tales but they were both great tales so it was win/win. One aspect I was a bit worried about was that one storyline was told from the point of view of Plato, and his part of the tale is filled with Greek God's and philosophers and in truth I thought a lot of it might go over my head as the closest I've come to anything remotely like that was the time I watched Disney's Hercules... My fears were unfounded though, Plato and his contemporaries were a joy to read about. Interesting, puzzling, fascinating...I loved all of it. When we first meet Plato he is setting off from Greece by ship to meet his friend in Italy who has asked him to bring funding for a special book he has found but can't afford. The rendezvous hits a setback from the very start and Plato's task is to try and find his friend and solve the mystery surrounding the book he wanted to buy.
Plato's modern counterpart in alternating chapters is Jonah, a band member who has recently come off tour and is keen to reunite with his archaeologist wife who he hasn't seen for the 6 weeks he's been off touring Europe. Like Plato his meeting doesn't go smoothly when his wife goes missing and as he tries to piece together the mystery that surrounds her disappearance we see the parallel's to Plato's story start to unfold.
The two stories are set more than 2000 years apart but by alternating chapters we see how closely they are intertwined and riddles posed in Jonah's chapters were usually answered in Plato's chapters and vice versa. It's very well done.
The only thing I wasn't keen on was the ending. The book held my interest right up to the conclusion but I found the ending unsatisfying. It just seemed a bit rushed and I just wasn't as enamored with it as I was the rest of the story.
All in all a great story though and I plan to read all the other author's works too.
Note: I received a free copy of this title from the publisher.
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this, I had just heard that it was an ancient mystery thriller type story and had a Dan Brown feel to it so I was looking forward to it. I'll admit I wasn't immediately hooked and I was feeling a bit lukewarm towards it until I got three or four chapters in but from then on I could hardly put it down.
It's a dual timeline story and a lot of the time it felt like I was reading two separate tales but they were both great tales so it was win/win. One aspect I was a bit worried about was that one storyline was told from the point of view of Plato, and his part of the tale is filled with Greek God's and philosophers and in truth I thought a lot of it might go over my head as the closest I've come to anything remotely like that was the time I watched Disney's Hercules... My fears were unfounded though, Plato and his contemporaries were a joy to read about. Interesting, puzzling, fascinating...I loved all of it. When we first meet Plato he is setting off from Greece by ship to meet his friend in Italy who has asked him to bring funding for a special book he has found but can't afford. The rendezvous hits a setback from the very start and Plato's task is to try and find his friend and solve the mystery surrounding the book he wanted to buy.
Plato's modern counterpart in alternating chapters is Jonah, a band member who has recently come off tour and is keen to reunite with his archaeologist wife who he hasn't seen for the 6 weeks he's been off touring Europe. Like Plato his meeting doesn't go smoothly when his wife goes missing and as he tries to piece together the mystery that surrounds her disappearance we see the parallel's to Plato's story start to unfold.
The two stories are set more than 2000 years apart but by alternating chapters we see how closely they are intertwined and riddles posed in Jonah's chapters were usually answered in Plato's chapters and vice versa. It's very well done.
The only thing I wasn't keen on was the ending. The book held my interest right up to the conclusion but I found the ending unsatisfying. It just seemed a bit rushed and I just wasn't as enamored with it as I was the rest of the story.
All in all a great story though and I plan to read all the other author's works too.
Note: I received a free copy of this title from the publisher.
November 8, 2023
Fajna książka, podoba mi się wątek przeplatania współczesności z starożytnością. Trudno było mi domyślić się zakończenia, ale każda minuta czytania była warta!
February 18, 2025
Ένα μάλλον κακογραμμένο πασάλειμμα με τη μορφή "ιστορικού μυθιστορήματος", σιγοβράζουμε, ρίχνουμε μια πρέζα φιλοσοφία, μια κουταλιά του γλυκού Πυθαγόρα και μια Εμπεδοκλή, λίγο μυστικισμό και σβήνουμε με ένα παραλήρημα λίγο πριν το τέλος.
Οι ιστορίες είναι δύο, η μία εξελίσσεται στους αρχαίους χρόνους και η άλλη στο "παρόν". Στη μια, σε πρώτο πρόσωπο γραμμένη, ο Πλάτωνας ξεκινάει να πάει στην Ιταλία να βρει το φίλο του Αγάθωνα που του έστειλε ένα επείγον μήνυμα και συνταξιδεύει με τον σοφιστή Εύφημο, τον οποίο απεχθάνεται μεν, αλλά σώζει όταν ναυαγεί το πλοίο τους στις ιταλικές ακτές. Στην άλλη, σε τρίτο πρόσωπο, μια αρχαιολόγος βρίσκει ένα εγχάρακτο χρυσό έλασμα και εξαφανίζεται στην Ιταλία, ενώ ο γκόμενός της, μουσικός στο επάγγελμα που μόλις έχει πάει να βρει μετά το τέλος της πανευρωπαϊκής του τουρνέ, ψάχνει απεγνωσμένα να τη βρει, ενώ όλοι του λένε ότι τον έχει εγκαταλείψει.
Ο αναγνώστης θα ταλαιπωρηθεί επί 500+ σελίδες στην ελληνική έκδοση με τα πέρα δώθε στο χρόνο, αλλά πολύ περισσότερο από την αμηχανία και τις εμπνεύσεις του συγγραφέα, που όπου κρίνει σκόπιμο πετάει έναν από μηχανής θεό που αργότερα τον αφήνει να παρακμάσει (και στις δύο ιστορίες) και για τον οποίο δεν προσφέρει ποτέ, καμία εξήγηση. Το μοναδικό εύκολο να γίνει πιστευτό στο βιβλίο, είναι ο κρετίνος γιος του Έλληνα πλοιοκτήτη που θέλει να γίνεται πάντα το δικό του (κάτι που μετά λύπης σας βεβαιώ ότι συμβ��ίνει και στις μέρες μας).
Ρηχό (μέσα στο μανδύα της αρχαιότητας και επίφασης φιλοσοφίας), κακογραμμένο και κουραστικό παρά τις γνώσεις του συγγραφέα για την αρχαία Ελλάδα και τη φιλοσοφία, δεν προτείνεται σε καμία των περιπτώσεων, εκτός κι αν θέλετε κάτι να σας εκνευρίσει. Ιδίως το παραληρηματικό κεφάλαιο κάτω από το ηφαίστειο λίγο πριν το τέλος, φέρνει τον αναγνώστη κυριολεκτικά στα όριά του, περισσότερο κι από τις απαντήσεις που δεν δίνονται ποτέ και τους κακούς που ψοφάνε πολύ βολικά για τους ήρωες. Η γραφή είναι μόλις ένα κλικ πάνω από εμέσματα τύπου Νταν Μπράουν, τα οποία όμως διαβάζονται πολύ πιο ξεκούραστα και χωρίς να κάνουν κρόσσια τα νεύρα του (καθόλου απαιτητικού) αναγνώστη τους.
Οι ιστορίες είναι δύο, η μία εξελίσσεται στους αρχαίους χρόνους και η άλλη στο "παρόν". Στη μια, σε πρώτο πρόσωπο γραμμένη, ο Πλάτωνας ξεκινάει να πάει στην Ιταλία να βρει το φίλο του Αγάθωνα που του έστειλε ένα επείγον μήνυμα και συνταξιδεύει με τον σοφιστή Εύφημο, τον οποίο απεχθάνεται μεν, αλλά σώζει όταν ναυαγεί το πλοίο τους στις ιταλικές ακτές. Στην άλλη, σε τρίτο πρόσωπο, μια αρχαιολόγος βρίσκει ένα εγχάρακτο χρυσό έλασμα και εξαφανίζεται στην Ιταλία, ενώ ο γκόμενός της, μουσικός στο επάγγελμα που μόλις έχει πάει να βρει μετά το τέλος της πανευρωπαϊκής του τουρνέ, ψάχνει απεγνωσμένα να τη βρει, ενώ όλοι του λένε ότι τον έχει εγκαταλείψει.
Ο αναγνώστης θα ταλαιπωρηθεί επί 500+ σελίδες στην ελληνική έκδοση με τα πέρα δώθε στο χρόνο, αλλά πολύ περισσότερο από την αμηχανία και τις εμπνεύσεις του συγγραφέα, που όπου κρίνει σκόπιμο πετάει έναν από μηχανής θεό που αργότερα τον αφήνει να παρακμάσει (και στις δύο ιστορίες) και για τον οποίο δεν προσφέρει ποτέ, καμία εξήγηση. Το μοναδικό εύκολο να γίνει πιστευτό στο βιβλίο, είναι ο κρετίνος γιος του Έλληνα πλοιοκτήτη που θέλει να γίνεται πάντα το δικό του (κάτι που μετά λύπης σας βεβαιώ ότι συμβ��ίνει και στις μέρες μας).
Ρηχό (μέσα στο μανδύα της αρχαιότητας και επίφασης φιλοσοφίας), κακογραμμένο και κουραστικό παρά τις γνώσεις του συγγραφέα για την αρχαία Ελλάδα και τη φιλοσοφία, δεν προτείνεται σε καμία των περιπτώσεων, εκτός κι αν θέλετε κάτι να σας εκνευρίσει. Ιδίως το παραληρηματικό κεφάλαιο κάτω από το ηφαίστειο λίγο πριν το τέλος, φέρνει τον αναγνώστη κυριολεκτικά στα όριά του, περισσότερο κι από τις απαντήσεις που δεν δίνονται ποτέ και τους κακούς που ψοφάνε πολύ βολικά για τους ήρωες. Η γραφή είναι μόλις ένα κλικ πάνω από εμέσματα τύπου Νταν Μπράουν, τα οποία όμως διαβάζονται πολύ πιο ξεκούραστα και χωρίς να κάνουν κρόσσια τα νεύρα του (καθόλου απαιτητικού) αναγνώστη τους.
April 27, 2013
I surrender! Picked this one up with the intention of giving something new a bash and find I am waving the white flag in shame after reading less than a hundred pages. The premise is an interesting one, with missing artefacts, time lapses, action and ancient philosophy, but the writing doesn't quite deliver. I found Jonah, one of the leads, to be incredibly dull and a little simple, he didn't feel real enough for me to take him seriously and he kept making daft mistakes. On this basis I struggled to feel involved as a reader and none of the other characters stood out at all. I suppose there is a chance that the writing gets better as the novel progresses, but as I got a quarter of the way through and saw no real improvement I had my doubts, so I didn't finish it. It feels like a bit of fiction released to offer as an alternative to Dan Brown fans that are looking for a different author that would be perfect as a beach read, not my cup of tea at all.
June 1, 2013
Review
I was really not sure what to expect with Orpheus Descent, I have to admit to owning all of Tom Harpers Books and reading none (until now). They languish in my mountainous TBR (to be read) pile.
So this was always going to be a new experience of style and plot. That said I’m a big fan of well written time-slip books, the interplay of differing era’s, attitudes and people if done right can be fantastic.
Add to the above my love of ancient Greece, thrillers and the glowing praise filtering through on Twitter, what choice did I have but to make Orpheus Descent my first Tom Harper read.
Firstly I need to add that I did read the short story “Twelfth Tablet” (http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Twelfth-T...) that acts as a teaser for this book. For anyone not sure of Tom Harpers writing, go read this, it had me hooked from page one. It is however a teaser for the modern era side of the time-slip tale only but gives a great insight into Greek tycoon who acts as principle antagonist in both stories.
The main thrust of the plot follows the two distinct and yet gradually blurring timelines. In modern Greece Lilly an archaeologist goes missing, her husband who has utter faith in his relationship and wife knows she has not run out on him and sets out to find her, battling inner demons and the voices of family and friends who all tell him that she has just left him, he knows something isn’t right, and he will stop at nothing to find her again.
In the alternate plot-line Plato leaves Greece for Italy, to search for his friend Agathon. That simple voyage turns into a life and death series of mishaps, misfortune, and calamity that tests the great philosopher’s will, beliefs and view of the world, making him challenge all he holds dear, his vision of the world and his place in it.
I think there will be some who struggle with Plato’s side of this story, it does get very involved in the differences of philosophical types, eg: sophistry and Plato’s view of it. It covers many myths and the thinking of the classical man. But while for me this slowed the pace of the plot, it also gave it a very very different edge and a much greater depth. It made me think which isn’t the norm for treasure hunter/ thriller plot. I used (online) the description that the book “Thrills and messes with your mind in equal measure”, and it really did. The philosophical elements made you stop and contemplate what was meant, what was hidden, what was the meaning behind it. Writing this review is making me stop and re-examine some of the points of the book and its meaning all over again. I think you could re-read the book and find something new every time. The story is very much a product of you the reader, at the time you read it, in the emotion that you read it in (as much as what was written by the author). As the readers position is a changeable position/ emotion so your view and enjoyment of the book I think will change, and what you take away from it… see …it messed with my head!
So do I recommend it… Of course. Any book that you can read again and again is right up there on the go read it list. Just go in with an open and inquisitive mind.
(Parm)
I was really not sure what to expect with Orpheus Descent, I have to admit to owning all of Tom Harpers Books and reading none (until now). They languish in my mountainous TBR (to be read) pile.
So this was always going to be a new experience of style and plot. That said I’m a big fan of well written time-slip books, the interplay of differing era’s, attitudes and people if done right can be fantastic.
Add to the above my love of ancient Greece, thrillers and the glowing praise filtering through on Twitter, what choice did I have but to make Orpheus Descent my first Tom Harper read.
Firstly I need to add that I did read the short story “Twelfth Tablet” (http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Twelfth-T...) that acts as a teaser for this book. For anyone not sure of Tom Harpers writing, go read this, it had me hooked from page one. It is however a teaser for the modern era side of the time-slip tale only but gives a great insight into Greek tycoon who acts as principle antagonist in both stories.
The main thrust of the plot follows the two distinct and yet gradually blurring timelines. In modern Greece Lilly an archaeologist goes missing, her husband who has utter faith in his relationship and wife knows she has not run out on him and sets out to find her, battling inner demons and the voices of family and friends who all tell him that she has just left him, he knows something isn’t right, and he will stop at nothing to find her again.
In the alternate plot-line Plato leaves Greece for Italy, to search for his friend Agathon. That simple voyage turns into a life and death series of mishaps, misfortune, and calamity that tests the great philosopher’s will, beliefs and view of the world, making him challenge all he holds dear, his vision of the world and his place in it.
I think there will be some who struggle with Plato’s side of this story, it does get very involved in the differences of philosophical types, eg: sophistry and Plato’s view of it. It covers many myths and the thinking of the classical man. But while for me this slowed the pace of the plot, it also gave it a very very different edge and a much greater depth. It made me think which isn’t the norm for treasure hunter/ thriller plot. I used (online) the description that the book “Thrills and messes with your mind in equal measure”, and it really did. The philosophical elements made you stop and contemplate what was meant, what was hidden, what was the meaning behind it. Writing this review is making me stop and re-examine some of the points of the book and its meaning all over again. I think you could re-read the book and find something new every time. The story is very much a product of you the reader, at the time you read it, in the emotion that you read it in (as much as what was written by the author). As the readers position is a changeable position/ emotion so your view and enjoyment of the book I think will change, and what you take away from it… see …it messed with my head!
So do I recommend it… Of course. Any book that you can read again and again is right up there on the go read it list. Just go in with an open and inquisitive mind.
(Parm)
April 16, 2018
Παράλληλες ιστορίες σε διαφορετικούς αιώνες με παρόμοιες ανησυχίες. Plato rules.
August 17, 2019
3.5/5
The two stories were so captivating I could hardly put the book down. Two time lines more than 2000 years apart, but still intertwining.
The musician Jonah in present day and Plato many many years ago, are both looking for something. Their stories take turns, and as soon as you finish one chapter, you want to keep going with the same character, then you get sucked into the other character's story again and so on. There were questions from Jonah's chapters which you discover the answers to in Plato's. It was really interesting to see how the world had changed during those 2000 years in the imagination of the writer.
The book has also awoken my interest in Ancient Greece, which has been sleeping for more than 10 years. I'm thankful to the author for describing which characters were real and which weren't in the acknowledgements, to make it easier to hunt for more knowledge :)
The two stories were so captivating I could hardly put the book down. Two time lines more than 2000 years apart, but still intertwining.
The musician Jonah in present day and Plato many many years ago, are both looking for something. Their stories take turns, and as soon as you finish one chapter, you want to keep going with the same character, then you get sucked into the other character's story again and so on. There were questions from Jonah's chapters which you discover the answers to in Plato's. It was really interesting to see how the world had changed during those 2000 years in the imagination of the writer.
The book has also awoken my interest in Ancient Greece, which has been sleeping for more than 10 years. I'm thankful to the author for describing which characters were real and which weren't in the acknowledgements, to make it easier to hunt for more knowledge :)
January 16, 2020
The premise was promising but it fell flat. Messy plots and messed up characters. I don't see how the past and presence connected at all. Was so thrilled with the archaeological bit but some where along the book, it lost its thrill. It was more of a philosophical book for me, which so many quotes from Socrates, Plato and the whole Athenian clan. The soul being immortal was thought provoking. Would have loved the incarnations bit being explored further. The voices of Will, Reason and Desire was good. The rest was just meh.
May 27, 2013
I seem to have hit a dual-timeline streak in my reading. Of the past dozen or so books I've read, at least five had dual (or multiple) timelines. It's an interesting realisation, and while probably not indicative of a trend in publishing – dual-timelines have been around for ages – as a reader, it does give me a clearer view of what can go wrong or right when such a construction is used. Tom Harper's The Orpheus Descent is another dual-timeline book and one which does it very well, in my opinion. The two timelines are clearly linked, but not dependent on each other, however, the braiding of the two narratives enriches the story as a whole and gives it added depth.
The earlier timeline follows Plato, one of the most important philosophers in Western history. One of Socrates' disciples, he was hit hard by his teacher's execution by his beloved Athenian state and for years he's set adrift, as were many of Socrates' other pupils. This results in Plato taking ship for Italy after receiving a cryptic letter from one of his closest friends and one of Socrates' star pupils, Agathon. He sets out on a ship in the – rather unwanted – company of Euphemus, a sophist, someone who embodies everything Plato and Socrates before him disapproves of heartily. What follows is a long game of chase across the Greek colonies in Italy, one in which Plato never quite manages to catch up to Agathon, but does manage to piece together the mystery his friend has unearthed. It's a fascinating journey, not just in a physical sense, but also on a meta-physical level, as Harper manages to incorporate the seed questions to Plato's best-known teachings. As such, he makes a convincing case for how Plato's departure from his Socratic principles came about.
As the first-person narrator Plato is the character the reader becomes most closely connected to and he's a sympathetic and likeable character. Given to deep contemplation, he is a surprisingly action-driven character, who doesn't hesitate to act in any given situation. The more pragmatic and opportunistic Euphemus starts out as an unlikeable sod, but gradually becomes more sympathetic as Plato's perceptions of him and his ideas change. A more mysterious character whose motives remain somewhat obscured is Diotema. She possesses almost supernatural powers and while ostensibly she champions a good cause, I never came to trust her, even if Plato did. Plato's storyline ends where it began, in the Piraeus, the Athenian harbour, but the Plato who returns is a completely different person from the one who left, having learnt of mysteries beyond the ken of his contemporaries and going on to teach what he'd learnt in one of the greatest schools Athens would ever know.
The other timeline is contemporary and focuses on the story of Jonah, a musician who goes looking for his missing wife. Lily has discovered the same golden tablet as Agathon had and seemingly as a result has vanished. Foul play or not, Jonah is determined to find Lily, if only to get some answers, but in truth because he can't imagine living without the love of his life. Jonah was immediately sympathetic, you can't help but like him in his bewildered, grief-stricken state and tenacious faith in Lily. His story is a real thriller, including a secretive foundation, a cabal of Oxford friends, and a mysterious voice on the phone offering him help. The mystery surrounding Lily's disappearance is tangled, but Harper teases out the knots without leading the reader by the nose.
Jonah is surrounded by frustrating characters: Lily's Oxford friends who seem to be hiding things left, right, and centre. None of them came off as very likeable, except for Julian, as you'd expect more of a sympathetic reaction to Jonah's plight instead of the rather callous brushing off he receives, telling him to let it go, because Lily has simply left him. Similarly, Lily's mother and sister are as easily dismissive of Jonah, despite not having spoken to Lily themselves. In fact, other than Jonah, Lily, and Jonah's unexpected ally, Ren, the contemporary timeline is rather devoid of sympathetic characters. In essence, this serves to emphasize Jonah's increasing isolation as he searches for Lily.
The contemporary timeline has more immediacy to it, which is logical due to its thriller-nature. However, even if Plato's timeline is of a more historical bent, it is still an exciting read, and no less enthralling than its companion. In The Orpheus Descent, Harper blends historical fiction and thriller elements with classical Greek mythology, which ends in a gripping denouement in which the mystery of both timelines is revealed in a sequence that sucked me in and wouldn't let go for the last four chapters of the book. While one of the books on my Anticipated Books List for the first half of the year, this book exceeded all my expectations and while this is the first book I've read by Tom Harper, I definitely hope it isn't my last. With The Orpheus Descent, Harper has firmly placed himself on my must-read list.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
The earlier timeline follows Plato, one of the most important philosophers in Western history. One of Socrates' disciples, he was hit hard by his teacher's execution by his beloved Athenian state and for years he's set adrift, as were many of Socrates' other pupils. This results in Plato taking ship for Italy after receiving a cryptic letter from one of his closest friends and one of Socrates' star pupils, Agathon. He sets out on a ship in the – rather unwanted – company of Euphemus, a sophist, someone who embodies everything Plato and Socrates before him disapproves of heartily. What follows is a long game of chase across the Greek colonies in Italy, one in which Plato never quite manages to catch up to Agathon, but does manage to piece together the mystery his friend has unearthed. It's a fascinating journey, not just in a physical sense, but also on a meta-physical level, as Harper manages to incorporate the seed questions to Plato's best-known teachings. As such, he makes a convincing case for how Plato's departure from his Socratic principles came about.
As the first-person narrator Plato is the character the reader becomes most closely connected to and he's a sympathetic and likeable character. Given to deep contemplation, he is a surprisingly action-driven character, who doesn't hesitate to act in any given situation. The more pragmatic and opportunistic Euphemus starts out as an unlikeable sod, but gradually becomes more sympathetic as Plato's perceptions of him and his ideas change. A more mysterious character whose motives remain somewhat obscured is Diotema. She possesses almost supernatural powers and while ostensibly she champions a good cause, I never came to trust her, even if Plato did. Plato's storyline ends where it began, in the Piraeus, the Athenian harbour, but the Plato who returns is a completely different person from the one who left, having learnt of mysteries beyond the ken of his contemporaries and going on to teach what he'd learnt in one of the greatest schools Athens would ever know.
The other timeline is contemporary and focuses on the story of Jonah, a musician who goes looking for his missing wife. Lily has discovered the same golden tablet as Agathon had and seemingly as a result has vanished. Foul play or not, Jonah is determined to find Lily, if only to get some answers, but in truth because he can't imagine living without the love of his life. Jonah was immediately sympathetic, you can't help but like him in his bewildered, grief-stricken state and tenacious faith in Lily. His story is a real thriller, including a secretive foundation, a cabal of Oxford friends, and a mysterious voice on the phone offering him help. The mystery surrounding Lily's disappearance is tangled, but Harper teases out the knots without leading the reader by the nose.
Jonah is surrounded by frustrating characters: Lily's Oxford friends who seem to be hiding things left, right, and centre. None of them came off as very likeable, except for Julian, as you'd expect more of a sympathetic reaction to Jonah's plight instead of the rather callous brushing off he receives, telling him to let it go, because Lily has simply left him. Similarly, Lily's mother and sister are as easily dismissive of Jonah, despite not having spoken to Lily themselves. In fact, other than Jonah, Lily, and Jonah's unexpected ally, Ren, the contemporary timeline is rather devoid of sympathetic characters. In essence, this serves to emphasize Jonah's increasing isolation as he searches for Lily.
The contemporary timeline has more immediacy to it, which is logical due to its thriller-nature. However, even if Plato's timeline is of a more historical bent, it is still an exciting read, and no less enthralling than its companion. In The Orpheus Descent, Harper blends historical fiction and thriller elements with classical Greek mythology, which ends in a gripping denouement in which the mystery of both timelines is revealed in a sequence that sucked me in and wouldn't let go for the last four chapters of the book. While one of the books on my Anticipated Books List for the first half of the year, this book exceeded all my expectations and while this is the first book I've read by Tom Harper, I definitely hope it isn't my last. With The Orpheus Descent, Harper has firmly placed himself on my must-read list.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
June 2, 2019
A tale of two men. One adventures through ancient Greece, fencing with thoughts. The other is a bit of a modern day dullard I never connected with. I removed one star because of the latter but I did genuinely enjoy the other bits.
March 23, 2020
2.5☆.
April 10, 2013
Tom Harper has deftly blended fact, history, conjecture, maths, music, philosophy and modern day intrigue into a very cohesive whole. The narrative flits between Jonah's current search for his missing wife, Plato's historical search for his friend and an elusive book that allegedly shows the entrance to the underworld, and the days leading up to Jonah and Lily meeting and falling in love.
I wouldn't say the plot is as fast moving as something like the Da Vinci Code but it's as mysterious and intriguing. The Orpheus Descent is more a book to be experienced and savoured like a good gourmet meal rather than rushed through like fast food. Some of the discussions on philosophy went a bit over my head, I've never studied any philosophy, but the main gist of it seemed to come down to one main thing: would a good man do something bad to do good? Plato is searching for love, beauty and truth (very bohemian!) as much as Jonah is searching for Lily.
There are gods and goddesses, secret artefacts, people trying to prevent Jonah from finding both the artefacts and his wife, but Jonah is a man who never gives up. The author has taken Jonah's grief and shown it to us on the page, from every time he opens the door to his empty flat, wondering if this time he'll see her, or the way his heart jolts when the phone rings, hoping it is Lily.
It's a wonderful, engaging read and makes me want to learn a bit more about philosophy. I'd heard of Plato and Socrates, but that was about it. This book brings them and their philosophies vividly to life and it's a book you think about long after the last page is turned.
Review copy from amazon vine (UK)
I wouldn't say the plot is as fast moving as something like the Da Vinci Code but it's as mysterious and intriguing. The Orpheus Descent is more a book to be experienced and savoured like a good gourmet meal rather than rushed through like fast food. Some of the discussions on philosophy went a bit over my head, I've never studied any philosophy, but the main gist of it seemed to come down to one main thing: would a good man do something bad to do good? Plato is searching for love, beauty and truth (very bohemian!) as much as Jonah is searching for Lily.
There are gods and goddesses, secret artefacts, people trying to prevent Jonah from finding both the artefacts and his wife, but Jonah is a man who never gives up. The author has taken Jonah's grief and shown it to us on the page, from every time he opens the door to his empty flat, wondering if this time he'll see her, or the way his heart jolts when the phone rings, hoping it is Lily.
It's a wonderful, engaging read and makes me want to learn a bit more about philosophy. I'd heard of Plato and Socrates, but that was about it. This book brings them and their philosophies vividly to life and it's a book you think about long after the last page is turned.
Review copy from amazon vine (UK)
August 6, 2014
This mystery opens slowly - eventually weaving together its past and present mysteries. But this is not a quick path by any means. The pacing drags on in both plots. In the historical section, Plato narrates his journey through Italy in search of his friend - surviving many mishaps (shipwrecks, falling bricks, etc) while in the modern storyline rockstar Jonah searches for his archaeologist wife, who has disappeared along with a golden tablet that gives instructions to journey to the Afterworld. The modern storyline is the stronger of the two in many ways with characters that feel more authentic and well-rounded, though the historical sections (they alternate) are fascinating in their own way and feel well-researched (though there are some definite distracting vernacular phrases and such that stick out as anachronisms). It is well-written and in an engaging enough manner that the slow pacing can be overcome, though I heartily wish that the climax had a bit more flash - it’s frankly a let-down.
It is a nice blend of history and mystery, though it unfolds at a pretty glacial pace. As it approaches five hundred pages, it is easy to become somewhat impatient with both plot lines, though the book as a whole becomes more engrossing as the plotlines begin to overlap and connect. This is my first experience with Harper, and while I did enjoy this one, I am not dying to read his earlier novels. The female characters, in particular, are underdeveloped. This is even more frustrating in the modern storyline. I certainly will not be holding my breath for more from this author.
It is a nice blend of history and mystery, though it unfolds at a pretty glacial pace. As it approaches five hundred pages, it is easy to become somewhat impatient with both plot lines, though the book as a whole becomes more engrossing as the plotlines begin to overlap and connect. This is my first experience with Harper, and while I did enjoy this one, I am not dying to read his earlier novels. The female characters, in particular, are underdeveloped. This is even more frustrating in the modern storyline. I certainly will not be holding my breath for more from this author.
September 13, 2014
The historical details felt convincing, but I just never got into this one. I had a hard time relating to the characters, the plot turns felt forced, and the entire story felt like it was trying to build to a big reveal that never came.
The story centers on two searches (one in each of the dual timelines) for characters we've never met. The historical search was fine but the modern storyline fell flat; although we meet Lily through multiple flashbacks, her character was two-dimensional and I never felt any concern for her or Jonah.
In each timeline, we're introduced to a far-too-convenient female character with a flimsy backstory. Both women swoop in & out of the story to save the day (and sometimes to explain otherwise inaccessible plot points). The central villains are almost afterthoughts; we don't even learn of their existence until more than halfway through the story, and one we barely even meet at all. The climax was somehow completely random and utterly predictable at the same time.
Overall, it felt hastily thrown together, too shallow and underdeveloped to even be a fun page-turner.
The story centers on two searches (one in each of the dual timelines) for characters we've never met. The historical search was fine but the modern storyline fell flat; although we meet Lily through multiple flashbacks, her character was two-dimensional and I never felt any concern for her or Jonah.
In each timeline, we're introduced to a far-too-convenient female character with a flimsy backstory. Both women swoop in & out of the story to save the day (and sometimes to explain otherwise inaccessible plot points). The central villains are almost afterthoughts; we don't even learn of their existence until more than halfway through the story, and one we barely even meet at all. The climax was somehow completely random and utterly predictable at the same time.
Overall, it felt hastily thrown together, too shallow and underdeveloped to even be a fun page-turner.
July 11, 2014
interesting concept. Parallel story lines set two millennia apart. Two men, each seeking someone who has disappeared after encountering a mysterious grave tablet with instructions on how to navigate a Persephone journey through an otherworld. Ancient philosophers, mystics and a modern archaeologist endangered by an unscrupulous foundation seeking the totem. Interesting premise, great elements but dramatic arcs don't mesh organically. Minimal character development, flat storytelling and cardboard characters.
July 13, 2015
Brilliant. Simply brilliant. I can't rave enough about this action/historical thriller with dual timelines: one set in contemporary times and another in ancient Italy. This is the first book I have read by Tom Harper and I'm well and truly bowled over by not just his storytelling but his magnificent chutzpah! Imagine trying to blend Greek philosophy into an action-thriller. And imagine being able to pull it off without boring the heck out of his readers! I am going to read every book that Mr. Harper has written!
January 16, 2023
"I fell into a burning ring of fire" - Johnny Cash.
It is my mistake; I saw the name Plato and thought it may have a more philosophical take-off of Plato. Now I see that the description is Dan Brown's want-a-be. The book is peppered with pieces of Plato.
I see the Dan Brown formula where we take some real history and some speculative history and turn it into a thriller. A missing person and no mention of pomegranates.
It is my mistake; I saw the name Plato and thought it may have a more philosophical take-off of Plato. Now I see that the description is Dan Brown's want-a-be. The book is peppered with pieces of Plato.
I see the Dan Brown formula where we take some real history and some speculative history and turn it into a thriller. A missing person and no mention of pomegranates.
January 5, 2018
A mesmerising novel, interweaving the travels of Plato and present day Jonah to Athens and southern Italy. Each is on a quest - dangerous, deeply personal and inspired by love and truth. Not a book to forget in a hurry but one that will not let you put it down. I can't recommend it enough.
August 8, 2017
Lento, molto lento, lentissimo. Storia discreta ma spesso leggendo a letto mi sono addormentato con questo libro.
February 10, 2023
FOR MY OWN REFERENCE ONLY
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 496
When archaeologist Lily disappears from the excavated remains of an ancient drowned city in southern Italy, we embark on a journey that will astonish us. Refusing to believe claims of friends and family, and police, that Lily has become another of those wives or husbands who simply decides one day to vanish, her husband Jonah, a musician, begins his own investigation, insisting that the disappearance from the dig of a small gold tablet must be related and even worrying that Lily’s archaeological friends, his own friends, too, may know more than they say. Jonah sets of on a journey across Italy and Greece, following the clues, archaeological and otherwise, to find his wife. He is on a quest but he’s not the first.
The Orpheus Descent is a novel that tells two stories. In parallel to Jonah and Lily’s story is that of Plato. In the years following Socrates’ murder or assassination, Plato’s writings underwent a significant change as his philosophical view of life, love, beauty and virtue shifted. Tom Harper here gives us one possible reason for this. Plato is also on a quest. He is hunting for his friend Agathon or, more particularly, a book that Agathon was prepared to pay an enormous amount of money for but, as far as Plato can tell, he disappeared in the act of buying it. Wars between Greek and Italian cities makes this a dangerous time to travel but Plato is determined to find his friend and his book. Accompanying him through shipwreck and capture is philosopher Euphemus, a Sophist with an entirely different interpretation of goodness to Plato. Both philosophies will be tested. But as the hunt continues, following the clues left by people he encounters as well as his own gold tablet, the possibility arises that Plato is also not the first to follow this path.
The two stories entwine like fibres of gold through The Orpheus Descent. As the novel progresses the strands knit closer but for much of the time they are linked by things wonderfully described and evoked – landscape, mythology, love, religion, desire, philosophy, jealousy, virtue. The Orpheus Descent is a superb reworking of some of the most familiar and beautiful myths of ancient Greece – Orpheus’ hunt for Eurydice in the Underworld among others. The landscapes of ancient and newer Greece and Italy, as well as the mythological landscape, are brought alive by the journeys of Jonah and Plato and the parallels between their two stories are awash with similarities and echoes.
Plato tells his story in the first person as if we are either reading his words or he is recounting them to us. Jonah’s story is in the third person. Hindsight tells us that Plato would survive his journey but there is nothing of the sort when it comes to Jonah. But what Plato’s survival and transformation tells us is that whatever he discovered must be truly miraculous and marvellous.
As befitting a novel inspired by ancient myth and philosophy, The Orpheus Descent has grand themes and elaborate plotting, connecting the two stories thousands of years apart in so many ways, but, just like Greek myths, it is also very simple and timeless. A man loves his wife, he loses her and he will find her.
The Orpheus Descent fascinates and entertains in lots of different ways. It is very successful as an adventure and thriller and, in the Plato half, also works well as a historical novel. But the two stories together, both of which I enjoyed equally, with all of the clever parallels and links with myths and quests, makes the novel utterly enchanting and brain testing in the best of ways. I think a basic knowledge of Greek mythology would enrich a reader’s enjoyment but it certainly isn’t necessary. This novel is genre-defying and the richer for it. I can't recommend it enough.
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 496
When archaeologist Lily disappears from the excavated remains of an ancient drowned city in southern Italy, we embark on a journey that will astonish us. Refusing to believe claims of friends and family, and police, that Lily has become another of those wives or husbands who simply decides one day to vanish, her husband Jonah, a musician, begins his own investigation, insisting that the disappearance from the dig of a small gold tablet must be related and even worrying that Lily’s archaeological friends, his own friends, too, may know more than they say. Jonah sets of on a journey across Italy and Greece, following the clues, archaeological and otherwise, to find his wife. He is on a quest but he’s not the first.
The Orpheus Descent is a novel that tells two stories. In parallel to Jonah and Lily’s story is that of Plato. In the years following Socrates’ murder or assassination, Plato’s writings underwent a significant change as his philosophical view of life, love, beauty and virtue shifted. Tom Harper here gives us one possible reason for this. Plato is also on a quest. He is hunting for his friend Agathon or, more particularly, a book that Agathon was prepared to pay an enormous amount of money for but, as far as Plato can tell, he disappeared in the act of buying it. Wars between Greek and Italian cities makes this a dangerous time to travel but Plato is determined to find his friend and his book. Accompanying him through shipwreck and capture is philosopher Euphemus, a Sophist with an entirely different interpretation of goodness to Plato. Both philosophies will be tested. But as the hunt continues, following the clues left by people he encounters as well as his own gold tablet, the possibility arises that Plato is also not the first to follow this path.
The two stories entwine like fibres of gold through The Orpheus Descent. As the novel progresses the strands knit closer but for much of the time they are linked by things wonderfully described and evoked – landscape, mythology, love, religion, desire, philosophy, jealousy, virtue. The Orpheus Descent is a superb reworking of some of the most familiar and beautiful myths of ancient Greece – Orpheus’ hunt for Eurydice in the Underworld among others. The landscapes of ancient and newer Greece and Italy, as well as the mythological landscape, are brought alive by the journeys of Jonah and Plato and the parallels between their two stories are awash with similarities and echoes.
Plato tells his story in the first person as if we are either reading his words or he is recounting them to us. Jonah’s story is in the third person. Hindsight tells us that Plato would survive his journey but there is nothing of the sort when it comes to Jonah. But what Plato’s survival and transformation tells us is that whatever he discovered must be truly miraculous and marvellous.
As befitting a novel inspired by ancient myth and philosophy, The Orpheus Descent has grand themes and elaborate plotting, connecting the two stories thousands of years apart in so many ways, but, just like Greek myths, it is also very simple and timeless. A man loves his wife, he loses her and he will find her.
The Orpheus Descent fascinates and entertains in lots of different ways. It is very successful as an adventure and thriller and, in the Plato half, also works well as a historical novel. But the two stories together, both of which I enjoyed equally, with all of the clever parallels and links with myths and quests, makes the novel utterly enchanting and brain testing in the best of ways. I think a basic knowledge of Greek mythology would enrich a reader’s enjoyment but it certainly isn’t necessary. This novel is genre-defying and the richer for it. I can't recommend it enough.
March 5, 2022
To miał być trzymający w napięciu rajd po świecie. Kryminalna intryga z wątkami historycznymi w tle – pasjonująca niczym uwielbiane przez miliony publikacje Dana Browna. Podczas lektury „Zagadki Orfeusza” nie opuszczało mnie poczucie, że autor bardzo chciał osiągnąć ten konkretny cel, ale zabrakło mu tego tajemniczego składnika, który sprawia, że coś niezłego staje się czymś genialnym.
W efekcie otrzymaliśmy tytuł, który nie potrafi porwać - plasujący się idealnie pośrodku skali przeciętności. Za największy atut i najmocniejszy punkt uznaję rozdziały przedstawiające wydarzenia w świecie starożytnym, w którym ateński filozof wyrusza odnaleźć przyjaciela we Włoszech i wpada na trop zagadki, która zmieni jego patrzenie na świat. Mocno zatopiona w filozofii i przemyśleniach o człowieku relacja, a jednocześnie opowiadana sprawnie i potrafiąca zaciekawić.
Niestety tego poziomu nie trzyma przewidywalny i płaski fabularnie wątek współczesny, w którym pierwsze skrzypce gra irytujący muzyk Jonah podążający tropem zaginionej ukochanej. Wątki nie wzbudzają emocji, nie ma elementu zaskoczenia, klimatu w tym również niewiele. Dodatkowo całość pod koniec wpada w spiralę dziwnych motywów z pogranicza fantastyki czy science-fiction, co samo w sobie nie byłoby wadą, gdyby nie pojawiało się tak nagle i na tak krótko.
Przy setkach tysięcy dostępnych książek zbudowanych na podobnych założeniach, tę z czystym sumieniem można sobie odpuścić.
W efekcie otrzymaliśmy tytuł, który nie potrafi porwać - plasujący się idealnie pośrodku skali przeciętności. Za największy atut i najmocniejszy punkt uznaję rozdziały przedstawiające wydarzenia w świecie starożytnym, w którym ateński filozof wyrusza odnaleźć przyjaciela we Włoszech i wpada na trop zagadki, która zmieni jego patrzenie na świat. Mocno zatopiona w filozofii i przemyśleniach o człowieku relacja, a jednocześnie opowiadana sprawnie i potrafiąca zaciekawić.
Niestety tego poziomu nie trzyma przewidywalny i płaski fabularnie wątek współczesny, w którym pierwsze skrzypce gra irytujący muzyk Jonah podążający tropem zaginionej ukochanej. Wątki nie wzbudzają emocji, nie ma elementu zaskoczenia, klimatu w tym również niewiele. Dodatkowo całość pod koniec wpada w spiralę dziwnych motywów z pogranicza fantastyki czy science-fiction, co samo w sobie nie byłoby wadą, gdyby nie pojawiało się tak nagle i na tak krótko.
Przy setkach tysięcy dostępnych książek zbudowanych na podobnych założeniach, tę z czystym sumieniem można sobie odpuścić.
August 26, 2021
There are 2 story lines. Plato in ancient times, and Jonah in modern times. Jonah story is annoying. Made me hate the name Lily, as it is mentioned at least twice per page, and for 80% of the book his idea of searching for Lily is asking everyone “ where is Lily?”
Plato’s imaginary misadventures is Sicily ( where indeed he was at age 40) is somewhat less irritating, but I bought what was supposed to be a thriller, not a book on greek philosophy for dummies. The book just crawls for 80% of it ( not coincidentally when Johah finally gets an inkling of where Lily is), so the last 80 pages at least move forward, not a crawl anymore, but a leisure pace.
Plato’s imaginary misadventures is Sicily ( where indeed he was at age 40) is somewhat less irritating, but I bought what was supposed to be a thriller, not a book on greek philosophy for dummies. The book just crawls for 80% of it ( not coincidentally when Johah finally gets an inkling of where Lily is), so the last 80 pages at least move forward, not a crawl anymore, but a leisure pace.
August 15, 2024
Fikciós kalandregény, két idősíkban, az egyik történetszálban a 40 éves Platón elbeszéli utazását Pireuszból Itáliába, az akkori görög gyarmatrészekre. A valóságban is megtörtént dolgok-a filozófus életéből merítve, keverednek a képzelettel, rengeteg érdekes információt tudunk meg a korszakról, Platón életéről. Mindenhol korrekt idézet-fordítások vannak, megjelölve az adott ókori szöveg/nem csak Platón írásaiból/ magyar fordítóit, lábjegyzetben néha rövid magyarázatokkal.
Nekem érdekes volt , nem akasztotta meg az olvasást, a görög mondák és az orphikusok, pithagoreusok tanait is megismerhetjük. Azt hiszem Platón műveiből is olvasnom kell majd.
A másik történet napjainkban játszódik, régészek között, így az ásatások témája kapcsolódik a fentiekhez. Főszereplő itt egy angol zenész, és régész felesége, a férfi kutatása az eltűnt régésznő után.
Ez csak regény, de végig tetszett mindkét szálban a filozófiai kérdések, élet és halál, témája. A szerző elkerüli a primitívség csapdáját, köszönhető a sok idézetnek, az ókori görög világ megjelenítésének.
A orphikusok elnevezés Orpheusz nevéből ered,bár itt többről van szó, de megjelenik a felesége után induló szerelmes férfi története.
Levontam fél csillagot, mert az utolsó kb. 50 oldal túlbonyolított, csavarodott és kicsit túlolt, de nyilván kellett valamennyi filmszerű izgalmas rész is.
Ami nagyon tetszett még, hogy bemutat egy igazi jó kapcsolatot, szentimentális nyavalygás nélkül. Milyen jó élmény erről is olvasni, a manapság divatos állandó bántalmazó, elnyomó, rideg és/vagy borzalmas, beteges kapcsolatok helyett!
Létezhet igazi szerelem, élhető házasság és összetartozás, néha lehet szó ilyenekről.
Nekem érdekes volt , nem akasztotta meg az olvasást, a görög mondák és az orphikusok, pithagoreusok tanait is megismerhetjük. Azt hiszem Platón műveiből is olvasnom kell majd.
A másik történet napjainkban játszódik, régészek között, így az ásatások témája kapcsolódik a fentiekhez. Főszereplő itt egy angol zenész, és régész felesége, a férfi kutatása az eltűnt régésznő után.
Ez csak regény, de végig tetszett mindkét szálban a filozófiai kérdések, élet és halál, témája. A szerző elkerüli a primitívség csapdáját, köszönhető a sok idézetnek, az ókori görög világ megjelenítésének.
A orphikusok elnevezés Orpheusz nevéből ered,bár itt többről van szó, de megjelenik a felesége után induló szerelmes férfi története.
Levontam fél csillagot, mert az utolsó kb. 50 oldal túlbonyolított, csavarodott és kicsit túlolt, de nyilván kellett valamennyi filmszerű izgalmas rész is.
Ami nagyon tetszett még, hogy bemutat egy igazi jó kapcsolatot, szentimentális nyavalygás nélkül. Milyen jó élmény erről is olvasni, a manapság divatos állandó bántalmazó, elnyomó, rideg és/vagy borzalmas, beteges kapcsolatok helyett!
Létezhet igazi szerelem, élhető házasság és összetartozás, néha lehet szó ilyenekről.
May 3, 2019
Very interesting at first but the ending was too confusing for me
I really liked the beginning of this book. And even further in it was very interesting. But as it started to wrap up I don't know, I guess I'm not smart enough to understand what the author was trying to say. So I can't really recommend it and I can't say that I enjoyed it . I couldn't even tell you what actually happened in the end to resolve the conflicts. The final chapters were too confusing. Left me saying , huh?
I really liked the beginning of this book. And even further in it was very interesting. But as it started to wrap up I don't know, I guess I'm not smart enough to understand what the author was trying to say. So I can't really recommend it and I can't say that I enjoyed it . I couldn't even tell you what actually happened in the end to resolve the conflicts. The final chapters were too confusing. Left me saying , huh?
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