Nightsong: The Legend of Orpheus and Eurydice

by Michael Cadnum

A poet journeys into the underworld to rescue his bride 

His name is Orpheus, and he is the greatest poet on Earth. With his lyre, he can make music so beautiful it causes the gods to weep, but they are not who he wants to impress. Orpheus has been in love with Eurydice ever since the first time he heard her voice, and to win her love he sings the most beautiful songs in history. On the day of their wedding, when Orpheus feels happiness just within his grasp, Eurydice is bitten by a snake and dies. The groom is heartbroken, but undaunted. He will rescue his beloved—even if he must battle death itself.
 
Orpheus’s path is fraught with untold dangers, but he presses on—and a tragic yet beautiful love story emerges from this radical reworking of an ancient tale.

Genres: Mythology, Retellings, Fiction, Greek Mythology, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Classics

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Michael Cadnum has had a number of jobs over the course of his life, including pick-and-shoveler for the York Archaeological Trust, in York, England, and substitute teacher in Oakland, California, but his true calling is writing. He is the author of thirty-five books, including the National Book Award finalist The Book of the Lion. His Calling Home and Breaking the Fall were both nominated for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award. He is a former Creative Writing Fellow of the National Endowment for the Arts. Also a poet, he has received several awards, including Poetry Northwest's Helen Bullis Prize and the Owl Creek Book Award. Michael lives in Albany, California, with his wife Sherina.

Reviews

[Zanela · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the bottom drops out I hope my love was someone else’s solid ground.

[James Publius]

In Nightsong by Michael Cadnum, a ton of action is packed in this book from the first page to the last. The plot in this book is for Orpheus has to find his dear love, Eurydice, who was sadly lost because a snake bit her in the leg. Orpheus is the grandson of the god of Apollo, to when gave a lyre that would never break or go out of tune. Orpheus is an adventurous gentleman that does not give up if something goes wrong. When his love died he decided to travel to the underworld, the land of the dead. Orpheus had travels days and nights to reach his beloved Eurydice. Orpheus is a kind, heroic, and adventurous. His slave Biton is more of a careful person who looks out for his master, for example, go to the underworld, the land of the dead! I liked this book because it was action packed. Every time that I flipped the page it was exciting since I had almost no idea what Orpheus would have done. These are the reasons why I like this book.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short chapter book version of the story. Orpheus is an extremely polite young man, not at all proud of his prowess at poetry and singing. He looks back to check on Eurydice's safety as they crossed a stream, and so he loses her again. He is plunged into despair and does not touch his lyre for months. When he finally does, he can hear Eurydice's voice as he plays. A very romantic and bittersweet ending.

[Basil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a Greek tragedy

[Kristen Fort · Rating 4 out of 5]

I... must have read this before I had a Goodreads account because I'm positive I read this and enjoyed it. I love me some good mythology stories and I love me those mythology stories I can use in a middle school or high school classroom.

[Nels🖤✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

May the way Orpheus loved Eurydice please find and attack me someday 😔

[Danna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad to see the ancient myths are still alive and well thanks to authors like Cadnum. This is a lovely retelling of the legend, appealing to a broad range of ages. If I were still a school librarian, I'd add Cadnum to the top of my list of must-buy for the library.

[Audrey Hacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. It was a little rushed and not a lot of charcter growth. It was a good retelling but i guess i expected it to be more.

[Anna Olivia Burkholder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is a wonderful Greek myth filled with love and sorrow. I appreciate the overall simplicity, which definitely makes for a calming story to read. However, I am not a fan of this book in particular. The writing style of the author is fairly boring and I honestly do not think I would have finished the book if it was not so short. The descriptions and characters are so vague that I really had no strong emotions and did not feel truly connected while reading. There is no artistic twist on the writing, which is disappointing because this Greek myth has so much room for potential. I definitely feel like this is one of those books that just "gets the job done." Have I learned the story of Orpheus and Eurydice? Yes. Did I genuinely enjoy the book I learned the story from? Not really. That being said, if you are just interested in learning about the Greek myth for the sake of knowing, then this is a very easy and short book to read. If you are interested in reading to learn about the story but also connect deeply with your experience, then I highly recommend searching for another retelling of this story.

[Sadaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never particularly cared about Eurydice and Orpheus’ story all that much until I saw a modern version of it performed at a fringe festival where I cried my eyes out in front of dozens of people so naturally I had to pick this one up— this was cute and captured the gist of original myth but somehow felt a little flat.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely tale. I think this is a great book if you want to read the story for the first time. It is easily understood. I don't think it added anything to the original story, but I don't think it was really trying to. Such a tragic tale!

[Reed Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

watched portrait of a lady on fire like twelve times and it sent me into depression every time.
then I decided it was a good idea to read the story it was based on. I am ill

I will now be going into deep dives on this story and opinions of it ttyl

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short version of this myth, especially for those just getting into Greek mythology (I'm talking about myself here). Quite easy to read and grasp, but that doesn't mean it lacks depth. To me Orpheus and Eurydice are like Romeo and Juliet, but so much better.

[Inés · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the underworld and its ambience was an absolute delight to read, the rest of the book was quite forgettable and rushed, without too many emotions. So, 50/50.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

so tender!!! i might say i was enchanted by everything. how i truly felt like a child listening to a tale whispered by someone, some paper.

it's the one that doesnt set up many emotions, you know? but only the characters and their struggle, and the own myth of orpheus and eurydice is enough – i don't know if eurydice would truly has lived through the lyre on ovid's original poem, thou i would cry by only thinking about the significance of it all on this version. usually i don't quite like greek myths and its worlds, but i understand now how it takes space on the hearts and idealistic glances of people's eyes.

[Ghada Laabidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the fact that that the story didn't end as sad as the original one, the end was so heartwarming.It's perfect for bedtime stories.

[Victoria Ernst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short + stunning. Came here after The Song of Achilles and it did not disappoint.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous, accessible re-telling of Orpheus & Eurydice, which is such an unbelievably moving story to me.

[Cadence Boudreaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

what was there to complain of other than she had been loved

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What is day,
what is night,
your footstep so close.“

such a beautiful yet tragic story…. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it, thank you to Tobias and his song “Lucifer & Lucia“ which is inspired by the story of Orpheus and Eurydice! <3

“From that day, and throughout the era of Orpheus’s journeys that followed, into distant lands, each time he placed his hand on the lyre, he heard the voice of Eurydice. And every day of the poet’s life he sang with her.“

[Ruhama · Rating 5 out of 5]

A retelling of part of Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Orpheus is a singing poet, grandson of Jupiter, and has a gift that never seems to fade. But he is lonely, and that loneliness vanishes when he meets the beautiful and charming Eurydice. She is a princess and easily swayed by men, so she guards her heart carefully with Orpheus until she learns he is an honorable man. They agree to marry, but she dies from a snake bite on their wedding night. Orpheus is determined to get her back and travels to the underworld to get her.

This is a very accessible rendition of a classic tale. Cadnum has captured the emotions, characters and whims of the gods, the humans and their interactions. The story is tragic, but has a happy ending, and is satisfying. Anyone that enjoys the Greek or Roman myths will enjoy this short tale.

[Jordan Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always love reading re-fashionings of Greek myths, and was intrigued when I heard that Michael Cadnum had written one about Orpheus and Eurydice, or, the story of "Metamorphoses" originally written by Ovid.
In case you are unfamiliar with the famous storyline, it is the tale of Orpheus, a blessed musician and poet, and Eurydice, a beautiful princess. The two fall deeply in love, but on their wedding day Eurydice is tragically killed by a viper. Orpheus decides to venture to the Underworld and attempt to bring his bride back from the dead.
I love this story, but I have to say that this brief little book does not do the epic story any justice. The characters are flat and un-interesting, the story is ordinary. There is certainly no passion or undying love that we see in the characters, only where it should exist in the plot itself.
Just read the original.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, since I usually adore mythology inspired stories. However, I was left disappointed by it. I didn't feel like there was much character development. Perhaps if it was fifty or so pages longer than that could have been fixed. I also didn't understand why the book said that Persephone used to be a mortal before she was Queen of the Underworld because in everything I've read she was Zeus' and Demeter's daughter and a goddess even before she was kidnapped.

Despite this book's flaws, it was still fun to read. Just not as fun as I hoped.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Orpheus is a traveler, out to explore the world. With him, he carries a lyre made and gifted by Apollo, to sing and amuse his hosts during his travels.

Orpheus hears of Eurydice's beauty and seeks out her home. On the day of the wedding, Orpheus finds Eurydice killed by a viper and swears to get her back from the dead. So he travels to the underworld.

This is a beautiful retelling of a classic love story - one Cadnum doesn't alter in way of action but embellishes in detail.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I knew the myth, the strong writing in this book made me keep hoping that this time the story would have a happy ending. We feel Orpheus's grief, not because the author tells us to, but because the author shows us. The final chapters are beautifully written and the ending would make a good discussion. We will always have our memories of those who have crossed the river Styx.

[Rainheart · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was really sad. i really almost did cry. but i would have enjoyed it if they had explained a bit more about the baby Orpheas found. it was also a romance. nothing better then a tragic romance. ((not really.))

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one better than the Phaeton book - maybe partly because there was a note at the end explaining the rationale for using the Roman names (respect to Ovid).
It's got some nice twists on the original myth, and develops the story well.

[Brianna Steinman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasing, quick read that managed to pack a lot into so few pages. All the relationships surrounding Orpheus --> yaaaaas. Biton = Amazing secondary character. I especially LOVED the scene with Persephone & Hades. Did it go in-depth and cover every single detail? No. Did I love it anyway? Yes.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice legend.

[Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, kind of sad....very unlike me to read, but I enjoyed it. Good writing.