Telemachus

by Peter Gray

Librarian Note: See Alternate Cover Edition HERE.

Told through the medium of a colony of migrating birds, this is essentially a love story which explores the meaning of the word ‘love’ to different individuals.

It’s about pain and joy, illusion and reality. It’s also about the fragility of love and the way it can be destroyed so easily for some, while for others, it’s the immutable spine of their very existence.

Tom John-Mary has two contradictory anticipations in his early days, both about females who will have a future influence on his life. Daisy, an unwelcome intruder, and Sally, the love of his life.

Daisy inserts herself into his respected family and Tom’s belief that Sally is to be his gift from Aves, God of Birds, is shattered. Meantime, Sally becomes paired with Jacob who, at an early stage, mistreats her and absconds.

Telemachus is the big red eagle at the end of the northern valley and from whose talons none return. Tom doesn’t know if he’s real or an illusion, as none ever return to say they’ve seen him. He’s the threat that’s there in the face of all life, the danger that’s met around any corner. In some ways, he’s the existential response to illogical teaching and distorted reasoning.

Follow this incredible story and discover the storms, twists, turns, tragedies and migrations that Tom and Sally have to endure before love can really start to soar.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 23, 2016

About the author

Just a guy who loves the countryside and has a soft spot for little creatures of all kinds.

Reviews

[Bob Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

For perhaps the first third of the story, the book reminded me of Aesop’s fables, Watership Down and other allegorical stories. After all, it’s about swallows who think and in remarkable ways act like human beings. However, those other stories about anthropomorphic animals make strong points of ethics and morality. Insofar as I can gather, Telemachus is rather an examination of the (human) relationships between the sexes.

The language is almost poetic in parts, especially early in the book. I can almost hear Peter’s voice as he tells it like a fairytale, and this largely makes telling rather than showing acceptable -- in most parts. Occasionally, he summarises inherently exciting events from a lofty outside view, explaining a person’s emotions rather than inducing me to share them. This negative is balanced in part by excellent characterisation, especially of the main characters, Tom and Sally.

As an editor, I always pay attention to the technicalities of language. This book is excellent: I could only find a few inaccuracies.

Overall, I am happy to recommend “Telemachus” as interesting reading, and certainly different.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Telemachus is a unique story told about a bird. Now that’s different! I thought this was an interesting book; once you get into it, you HAVE to know what happens. The reader will quickly learn that birds are just as crazy as people. If you want to read the birds’ version of General Hospital, with a little Jerry Springer thrown in, this is the book for you!

I give Telemachus an overall rating of 3 Boundless Stars. It was slow at times but the story, and my curiosity, made me keep with hit.

http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com

https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews

[Jay Odd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Telemachus is a unique piece of fiction. It follows the daily lives of a handful of birds in their colony. The book manages to realistically portray the struggles of human family life through these birds.

How does a mother cope with the loss of her children/chicks? How does a man juggle the pressures of family demands and a high-powered job? What does one do in the face of unrequited love?

In short, it’s like a soap opera… with birds. However, that’s not to say that humans have simple been replaced by birds for quirky effect – the reader really gets a sense of what bird-life might be like.

‘No,’ he answers, mindful of what his father would say. ‘If you’ve done no wrong, have no fear of a Locutor’s judgment. It’s far better to stand than to run.

Tom, one of the main characters in the book, is the colony’s Locutor, or head speaker/judge. Presumably Peter Gray chose this title from the Spanish for announcer, or from the Latin for speaker or talker. As Locutor, Tom is responsible for the moral and legal decisions of the group.

Sally can draw no comfort from this and Tom reasons to himself that Jacob has left her fearful of life. Yet, as starry-eyed as he is, she’s pragmatic and gives the impression she’s reached a crossroads. To keep her, he’ll have to take her future in his hands. For, ever banished, she’d be accepted anywhere.

Sally is a bird of beauty and kindness, desperate to be a mother. She has terrible luck with male birds, slowly making her bitter and leading her to care only about her chicks. Of course, being birds, Sally’s children face danger after danger and she must face this with them. Loss is inevitable and it slowly unravels Sally’s sanity. Will she ever find happiness?

Tom and Sally find themselves together, much in love and with a large family. Surely this will be enough for the couple?

This is certainly an interesting book and not like anything I have read before. It’s not exactly non-stop entertainment, given that the book mostly deals with unhappy events and characters’ problems, but it is intriguing enough to keep the reader turning the pages.

Although I hope that real-life birds are just getting on with things and enjoying simple pleasures, I have found myself watching birds from my window and wondering if they’re suffering from heartache or loss. Is there more to the little creatures than we know?

Reflecting on the book now, I also wonder if the author is hinting at the possibility of other species changing in the way that humans have. Will they mix up their traditional gender roles for example?

Or, the reader could see it from the other direction: many species have always shared their parenting/foraging/hunting roles between the sexes. Arguably, this is something that humans have only started to do relatively recently. Are we only just beginning to catch up with the rest of nature?

https://examiningtheodd.com/2017/05/1...

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Telemachus by Peter Gray presents a gripping and emotional tale using the POV from migrating birds. It quickly becomes powerful and profound in its simplicity. The story is written in an easy-flowing, heart-felt style that a child would enjoy. Still, an adult could just as easily interpret the anthropomorphic metaphor as a Greek tragedy, engaging all the elements of love, challenge, loss, and triumph. The male and female protagonists, Tom John-Mary and Sally, might represent the tragic lives of their human counterparts. Tom is an intelligent bird, but a singleton, growing in a nest without benefit of siblings and the lessons learned that come from sharing, but with strong parental and moral guidance. Tom is thoroughly smitten with Sally from the beginning; she is beautiful and steals his heart and mind, but it would seem she is attracted to another. Unfortunately, like any good tragedy, the main antagonist, a female named Daisy, manipulates both Tom and his parents while Sally is whisked away by a stronger, larger, and more dominant male who later proves a drunken batterer. The whole avian play is influenced by the larger powers that dominant a society whose lives depend on each other, their attitudes and behaviors. But if there is a God of Birds, benevolently looking down and gently guiding, there is also a devil. In any organized society, there are those who will follow or lead, use more than they give, destroy more than they build. These characters are fleshed out so well, you'll forget they possess feathers. Scenes are built so carefully, you can visualize the construction of the nest. Yes, they are birds, and they migrate to prove it, unfortunately, not always with storm warnings. I was given this book in exchange for a fair review. Very unique, powerful and sweet, and... tragic. Recommended literary fiction.

[Sage Nestler · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Telemachus and looking at the book on Amazon, I was surprised to see how many high ratings it has. Unfortunately, my review is not as stellar. Telemachus is a beautiful premise for its story, but the writing fails to translate the message well.

Telemachus is an unusual love story mixed with tribal-esque spirituality and a sense of fate. I loved the way that Peter Gray made Tom and Sally fight for their love through an incredibly adventurous plot, and I thought that his twists and turns were intriguing. His vision of Tom and Sally as birds was also unique in the way that no racial issues were crossed. The love story between Tom and Sally was exciting and I think that it would satisfy a wide audience.

However, I was disappointed in Gray’s writing style. His spacing between dialogue and narration was odd and a chore to get through. I felt as though he was telling me the story instead of showing me, and I skipped a lot of his descriptions. The brilliance of his idea was lost in blocks of dull writing and had I not been interested in the idea of his story, I wouldn’t have finished Telemachus.

Due to the odd writing style, I have to give Telemachus 3/5 stars. I gave it three because I felt that the story redeemed the writing a bit. You might enjoy this book if you like fast-paced romances, but be aware that it is a slow reader.

[Mr. Bohemian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello, I'm Heaven's heavenly Doctor 2. You may recognize my rugged phrenology from my scattered modeling and acting gigs. In my office, I arrange appointments for indie books. The patient's essence took me by surprise. What started out as a simple story turned into a masterpiece that turned the prism of my perceptions permanently. The characters are nonfiction-esque birds that enjoy a simple society. The drama is substantial, even with the minimalism of basic bird life. Although there is a split narrative, the plot's concentration is on the protagonist, Tom. The theme is man vs. leadership, and all the content was relevant to my own life at the moment, increasing my reflection. To all ye unfaithful, the story loses power with the secularization of the animal gods, but still has impact past that. I can only thank the author for their winged wisdom with a sticker, lollipop, and five star health rating.

Fresh patients every week! Click the banner to explore previous appointments.

[Danilo DiPietro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proxy for Book I of Joyce's ULYSSES where we meet Steohen/Telemachus. Themes introduced: his role in his mother's death, British imperalism (Maetello Tower, Haynes), Irish independence, Irish paralysis (the old woman).

[Russell Bittner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having only recently read and reviewed (5/11/16) Peter Gray’s memoir, Premonition – A Story of Ireland, I now choose to interpret Telemachus as an allegory—an extended metaphor. Premonition gave me an insight into his personal life with all of its various trials and tribulations. Telemachus moves much of that same narrative—with necessary and therefore obvious variations—into the life of a colony of birds.


While we’re never told exactly what species of bird comprises this colony, I’m not sure it really matters to the story. They learn to fly, build nests, choose mates and raise families (broods) of chicks, hunt for food, migrate south in winter. As was the case with many of the impoverished Irish in Gray’s Premonition, their families/broods are not small in number. Like those same Irish families, many of the chicks also succumb to calamity—and ultimately, to death.


I’d rather not reveal any of the plot in this review—other than to say that, with one exception, it’s solid, consistent, eminently readable. That—at least to my way of thinking—is a commendable achievement. To put the thoughts, words and actions of a colony of birds into a 186-page story and never conflate the nature and behavior of birds with that of humans is worthy of kudos. The one exception occurs when actual humans enter the story. In trying frantically to locate a fledgling they’ve rescued and nurtured, and which has now—literally speaking—flown the coop, we read “‘George, George,’ their sad voices are calling” (p. 178) and “‘George, George,’ they shout” (p. 179).


Am I being picayunish in calling attention to this trivial point? Well, the fact is ‘George’ was the name given to the chick by its parents. Since birds and humans don’t speak the same language, there’s no way in either world—human or avian—that these humans could’ve known the fledgling’s given avian name.


That objection notwithstanding, I did find some of the thoughts and words Gray puts into the minds and beaks of his birds to be quite entertaining—not so different from my own, I’ll have to concede, and likely not so different from his own. One of these occurs to Tom, our male avian protagonist, on p. 148, in reflecting upon hens: “(h)e wonders if, for them, love is simply a means to an end, a road to security and breeding.” I, myself, am guilty of suggesting to the odd younger human male whose thoughts are warming to the notion of matrimony that his role in married life can, in most instances, be reduced to two roles: “sperm-bank and bank-bank.” Once the first obligation is fulfilled, he can forget sex. Should he lose his job and not be able to find a quick replacement, he can forget domesticity altogether. His “hen” is far more likely to look for a more comfortable nest elsewhere—and to take her “brood” with her.


Allied to the above is an exchange on p. 159 between Sally (the chief hen in the story) and Simon, another—and younger—(Lothario-type) male who aspires to Sally’s, uh, favors:

“‘All chicks need two parents,’ he had said then.

‘I don’t know if I agree.’

‘It’s always been so. You can’t just change things to suit yourself, the rules don’t allow it.’

‘Rules, rules! I think you’ll find I can(,) as no one has taken away the right to free movement. Unfortunately, you males never see reality. You make foolish decisions for your chicks and cause hens much heartache. Most chicks, anyway, are brought up by only the hen.’”


And finally, while I can hardly criticize the author for his Eurocentric perspective (given that we Colonists inherited and implemented the same perspective in “heroic” form), some of my more recent non-fiction reading has enlightened me on the following point. In writing about the deliberations of the wise Council of birds on p. 150, we find: “(t)hen the property question, which has been asked by Raymond, has to be considered. He wants to know ‘who owns the sky’, ‘who owns the right to build on the face of a house’, and ‘who owns a hen’.”


In truth, Native Americans never asked themselves these questions. No one person or single tribe owned any part of the natural world. They shared it.


But who knows? Maybe Native Americans were a breed completely apart—while birds and all other species, including Homines sapientes, lived and live by the credo “Good fences build good neighbors.”

Oh, and the Telemachus of the title of this allegory? I’ll let you figure that out, since I never could.


RRB
05/14/16
Brooklyn, NY

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Telemachus.’ ‘The big red eagle, the colour of all the blood he’s drunk?’

Irish author Peter Gray is a horse veterinarian and has published ten books on the nurturing, care and physiology and psychology of horses. He also has written a penetrating and meaningful memoir PREMONITION that is one of the more beautifully written books about Ireland and its effects on its people and on the author. Now he turns to a romance, very tied to nature as we would expect from his career as a veterinarian, and the result is a love story with a lovely scope of feelings.

One may wonder why the choice of title (it is the name of the red eagle of the story) – it relates to the highly regarded blank verse poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses first published in 1842 and here quoted with brief lines that open each chapter. But it is more the dignity of the great bird that supplies the tension in this story that is important.

The surprise of the rather short novel is the fact that the characters are all birds. ‘Tom John-Mary looks out on the valley and has a feeling life is passing him by. All about, birds are hunting for breakfast. Some are parents, chasing flies for babies lying hungry in their nests. Others, free of care, duck and swoop, thrill on the joy of flight. He envies them. Close by, sheep graze a field now bare of grass and, further on, freshly ploughed soil is blackened by rain: signs of approaching autumn. When the sun breaks, he can see swifts and swallows, his near cousins; their presence means the season still has time to run. It reassures him, as he’s chicks to rear – but no hen to help care for them. Tom is Locutor of the colony, its leader. It’s his duty to provide protection in times of conflict, to read the weather, to know when the heat is on the wane. Ultimately, it’s he who decides when it’s time to come and time to go. Before long, the flies will die here and there’ll be nothing left to eat. The swifts will go first, followed by the swallows. While these are simple things even chicks might know, there has to be one who sees, who acts and leads the way. Yet, at this moment, none of this matters, as his heart is broken. Sally, the hen of his dreams, has gone and he can’t understand why. Together, they’ve produced many broods, have suffered hardships, shared pains and tragedies. But, missing too, is Simon, a young bird she’s been seen with. It looks ominous and Tom doesn’t know if he can continue without her.’

And we turn to Peter’s synopsis of the plot: ‘Told through the medium of a colony of migrating birds, this is essentially a love story which explores the meaning of the word ‘love’ to different individuals. It’s about pain and joy, illusion and reality. It’s also about the fragility of love and the way it can be destroyed so easily for some, while for others, it’s the immutable spine of their very existence. Tom John-Mary has two contradictory anticipations in his early days, both about females who will have a future influence on his life. Daisy, an unwelcome intruder, and Sally, the love of his life. Daisy inserts herself into his respected family and Tom’s belief that Sally is to be his gift from Aves, God of Birds, is shattered. Meantime, Sally becomes paired with Jacob who, at an early stage, mistreats her and absconds. Telemachus is the big red eagle at the end of the northern valley and from whose talons none return. Tom doesn’t know if he’s real or an illusion, as none ever return to say they’ve seen him. He’s the threat that’s there in the face of all life, the danger that’s met around any corner. In some ways, he’s the existential response to illogical teaching and distorted reasoning - the storms, twists, turns, tragedies and migrations that Tom and Sally have to endure before love can really start to soar.’

Peter makes us feel as though we are at the armchair of the village storyteller, so enthralling is this love tale.

[Kay Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very unique story with hidden meanings throughout

This was a very complex and intricately-written story. This story is told about a community of birds, though the meaning behind the story sounds as if it is actually more about human beings. The main male bird is torn between two female birds. He feels he has a responsibility toward the female bird Daisy, whom he is not attracted to nor does he want to be with and raise a family with. But, she bullies her way into his life and starts to manipulate the relationship.

The main male bird has different female bird that he believes is supposed to be his. She ends up choosing a different male bird as a mate who seems to be a prime choice, but turns out to be drunken and abusive. The actual Telemachus is believed to be a huge male bird that hunts and kills the birds who stray too far from the community. even after reading the book, I still felt that Telemachus represented more than just a huge bird with killer claws, though.

In order to completely grasp and appreciate a story like this one, you should have a pretty open mind and be somewhat of a deep thinker. All in all, though, it's a very good read.

[Julius Blitzy]

it's interesting that after I finished reading this book, I still don't know how to categorize it.

The story is about a community of birds and their daily life, the protagonist male bird is caught in a

dilemma, he have to choose between two female birds and start a family. Things get complicated when

one of the female birds start manipulating the male one to choose her over the other one, and she

succeeds it but only after he asks the other female bird to be with him, but she rejects him and choose

another male bird instead. Her decision wans't the best one either because her male bird is mean to her

and doesn't respect her... Do your see where I'm going with this explanation? Everything could be

related to real-life drama and the consequences of choosing a person who doesn't love you.

The whole story is like a big metaphore for us to learn and do our best to make the right choice, I think

the 'Telemachus' is the book trying to say to us that no matter what nothing should make you change

who you are, don't lose yourself. But hey that's just me, still, give ir a try, your won't regret it.

[Payal Sinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Telemachus is an incredible story based on love. The medium is through birds who are projected just as human beings. In fact, the story acts like a moral guide that teaches as many words of wisdom in an entertaining manner. Peter Gray shows us the correct way of raising our kids so that they grow up becoming empathetic human beings. In fact, in today's world there are many parents with single kids and these kids face the danger of turning into spoiled and self-centered creatures. It is only when the parents take extra care to instill all the values in life that the children grown up becoming responsible citizens of the world. Similarly, the author states that love is a fragile emotion which could easily break. So, we must take care to cherish this love in our lives to increase their longevity. Tom and Sally suffer much in life before they finally meet with one another and are able to build a nest together.
Apart from the story I loved the writing style of the author as it brought to life rich and vivid images of wild life.I highly recommend this book to everyone both for its entertaining value and also for the moral teachings

[Caprice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Telemachus by Peter Grey is an interesting and unique story of love and life told through the viewpoint of birds. Since there have been many reviews summarizing the plot, I am not going to do so. I will say that the life of Tom John-Mary is filled with the same challenges and rewards as any human life could be.

I enjoyed reading this book. As a bird lover, I found the thought that they may have some of the same concerns as people to be intriguing. Just think about it for a moment; they are concerned with falling in love, building a nest, and raising a family, in addition to providing for and protecting their chicks. Sound familiar? The way Tom handles his problems reminds me very much of how an immature, only child would act. He's more concerned with what he wants and his own comfort than he is with living up to his responsibility. I found that to be an accurate representation of the youth of today. This book is an eye opening commentary of the morals and standards of the twenty first century. I would be very interested in reading more work from this author.

I requested a free copy of this book with the intention of writing an honest review, which I have done.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short, beautiful tale about love was unexpectedly tender for me. Tom is torn between two loves, Sally, the love of his life and Daisy, the unexpected intruder who storms into his family and makes herself at home. Through all this we are treated to the infinite definitions of love, how other people view it and how it affects their decisions in their daily life. After being banished from their village, Tom and Sally make a perilous journey to find a new life away from the troubles in their past and eventually are able to make a new home.
This was a endearing tale for me, I liked the flow of the story and the progression of characters as they entered the story and grew. The author is clearly talented and even though this book is about birds, it is easy to envision the characters as humans, going through these trials and dealing with insecurities and love and triumphs. A very good book.

[Renee Spicuzza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Gray’s, “Telemachus,” is like a new revival of Richard Bach’s, “Jonathan Livingston Seagull,” in the way that it is written. It focuses in on a community aspect of birds and how their lives all inter connect and manipulate one another, so truly, this book is one giant metaphor for humanity. I found it interesting how he was able to capture a human like quality with the birds, but still maintain their animalistic principles at the same time. It is definitely book that you cannot skim through, you have to take the time to see how this relates into your own life, which I appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed. The writing wasn’t difficult, (in my opinion), but still enticing in terms of the dramatic flair that was given to the avian culture. The book as a whole was very entertaining and thought-provoking to read, so I would highly recommend it to others.

[Chiek Er · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant, whimsical, and philosophical

Though less than 200 pages, this beautiful anthropomorphic tale of migratory birds covered thousands of miles taking us readers on life's journey of struggles and tribulations mixed with the triumphant moments of parental love and blissful courtships.

[Jc Er · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful anthropomorphic tale of migratory birds. The lives of these birds are watched and manipulated by the bird God, Father Aves with His chief minion Patraeus executing the challenging but mostly good benign orders. Unfortunately Patraeus unintentionally mess up and created havoc in the lives of our beloved birds.