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Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black
Harry Black is lost between the world of war and the land of myth in this illustrated novel that transports the tale of Orpheus to World War II-era London.
Brothers Marcus and Julian Sedgwick team up to pen this haunting tale of another pair of brothers, caught between life and death in World War II. Harry Black, a conscientious objector, artist, and firefighter battling the blazes of German bombing in London in 1944, wakes in the hospital to news that his soldier brother, Ellis, has been killed. In the delirium of his wounded state, Harry's mind begins to blur the distinctions between the reality of war-torn London, the fiction of his unpublished sci-fi novel, and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Driven by visions of Ellis still alive and a sense of poetic inevitability, Harry sets off on a search for his brother that will lead him deep into the city's Underworld. With otherworldly paintings by Alexis Deacon depicting Harry's surreal descent further into the depths of hell, this eerily beautiful blend of prose, verse, and illustration delves into love, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood as it builds to a fierce indictment of mechanized warfare.
Brothers Marcus and Julian Sedgwick team up to pen this haunting tale of another pair of brothers, caught between life and death in World War II. Harry Black, a conscientious objector, artist, and firefighter battling the blazes of German bombing in London in 1944, wakes in the hospital to news that his soldier brother, Ellis, has been killed. In the delirium of his wounded state, Harry's mind begins to blur the distinctions between the reality of war-torn London, the fiction of his unpublished sci-fi novel, and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Driven by visions of Ellis still alive and a sense of poetic inevitability, Harry sets off on a search for his brother that will lead him deep into the city's Underworld. With otherworldly paintings by Alexis Deacon depicting Harry's surreal descent further into the depths of hell, this eerily beautiful blend of prose, verse, and illustration delves into love, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood as it builds to a fierce indictment of mechanized warfare.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2019
19 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Sedgwick
107 books1,582 followersMarcus Sedgwickwas a British writer and illustrator. He authored several young adult and children's books and picture books, a work of nonfiction and several novels for adults, and illustrated a collection of myths and a book of folk tales for adults.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
June 5, 2019
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is one of those books that you are never fully sure on what is happening but you don’t want to put it down either. A storyline that both keeps you engaged and totally confuses you, plus it’s a little strange too.
Set in London during WWII, we begin our journey on Boxing Day 1944 at 4.15pm with National Fire Service Fireman Harry Black attending a warehouse fire. He’s not off fighting in the war like his brother Ellis, in fact, Harry is an objector of the war.
During the fire, Harry becomes trapped after mistaking some mannequins for people. He eventually makes it out but has a kind of epiphany, one in which he realises for the first time he is truly alive and he needs to start living, including going back to writing and drawing. Ellis is the better writer of the two and he wants them to pen a book together so he meets him at the White Horse pub to talk about the book and getting back to being brotherly to one another again.
Harry left the pub and got on the local bus, leaving Ellis in the pub, that’s when a V2 bomb struck flattering the building and knocking the bus over. Harry woke up in hospital delirious and confusing the ideas and drawings he has for his book and reality and soon the two begin to merge together and Harry confuses himself with a character called Orpheus Black.
The book is told from the point of view of Harry and Orpheus, they are but one and the same. The book captures the true essence of war as well as brotherly love and how vivid the imagination can be at times.
The illustrations throughout are dark and meaningful. They make you feel what the time period was like and the harrow and suffering that was felt by all in those years. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and these images are living proof of that.
Amongst the storyline and the illustrations are poems too, there are some very deep and thought-provoking poems throughout. At the back is a letter from Ellis which makes you wonder whether Marcus and Julian Sedgwick came up with the plot or whether there really was an Ellis Black, either way, it is a magnificent read and even in my confusion, the book was enjoyable.
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Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is one of those books that you are never fully sure on what is happening but you don’t want to put it down either. A storyline that both keeps you engaged and totally confuses you, plus it’s a little strange too.
Set in London during WWII, we begin our journey on Boxing Day 1944 at 4.15pm with National Fire Service Fireman Harry Black attending a warehouse fire. He’s not off fighting in the war like his brother Ellis, in fact, Harry is an objector of the war.
During the fire, Harry becomes trapped after mistaking some mannequins for people. He eventually makes it out but has a kind of epiphany, one in which he realises for the first time he is truly alive and he needs to start living, including going back to writing and drawing. Ellis is the better writer of the two and he wants them to pen a book together so he meets him at the White Horse pub to talk about the book and getting back to being brotherly to one another again.
Harry left the pub and got on the local bus, leaving Ellis in the pub, that’s when a V2 bomb struck flattering the building and knocking the bus over. Harry woke up in hospital delirious and confusing the ideas and drawings he has for his book and reality and soon the two begin to merge together and Harry confuses himself with a character called Orpheus Black.
The book is told from the point of view of Harry and Orpheus, they are but one and the same. The book captures the true essence of war as well as brotherly love and how vivid the imagination can be at times.
The illustrations throughout are dark and meaningful. They make you feel what the time period was like and the harrow and suffering that was felt by all in those years. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and these images are living proof of that.
Amongst the storyline and the illustrations are poems too, there are some very deep and thought-provoking poems throughout. At the back is a letter from Ellis which makes you wonder whether Marcus and Julian Sedgwick came up with the plot or whether there really was an Ellis Black, either way, it is a magnificent read and even in my confusion, the book was enjoyable.
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June 13, 2019
2.5 stars, I haven’t decided whether to round that up or down yet
ARC provided by publisher.
”Hell is different for everyone.
And everyone finds their own way in.
This was another thing I learned as the years turned,
as the leaves burned, as water dries up,
as the ground roasted, as trees died,
as time and time again, I made my way to the
Underworld.”
Part poetry, part graphic novel, centered around a retelling of the Ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, featuring brothers instead of lovers, all set against the backdrop of World War II.
When I heard that description, I was already sold. Greek myth retellings are my kryptonite and seeing one transported to a second world-war setting sounded like a story I could not pass up. Many thanks again to Candlewick Press for providing me with the ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, as much as I loved what the authors were trying to do with this novel, I was left with mixed feelings in the end.
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is takes place mostly from the perspective of Harry, a man who wakes up, wounded and disoriented, in a hospital after surviving a bombing, only to receive the news that his brother has been killed in action. Maddened with grief and posttraumatic delirium, he embarks on a fever dream-like journey, to retrieve his brother from the Underworld.
The style of the novel (for better or for worse) resembles the protagonists muddled state of mind, as throughout most of it I had not a single clue what was going on. Although it matches the story conceptually, I don’t think it does much favor to the reading experience in this case. Throughout the entire book I had to work quite hard to remain engaged and understand what I was reading, which I don’t mind as long as there is a good payoff in the end. That pay-off was missing a little for me.
It needs to be said that this had some brilliant passages and stunning art work. The cover illustration represents the art style quite well, and I can only tip my head to the illustrator for their beautiful work. Some of the panels by themselves were at a 4 to 5 star level, even if not all of them were finished in the ARC version yet.
In the end however, as a whole, I felt like this book may have been the victim of its own ambition. Both we as readers, as well as the authors seemingly had to put in very hard work to make this work. I loved what Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black sets out to do, and I think in parts it even succeeds, but it lacks the fluency and flow of a novel that is seemingly written with ease (and will therefore read as such).
This has been my third novel by Markus Sedgwick that has disappointed me recently. I always love his concepts, but I often feel his stories get lost in their ambition somewhere along the way. Maybe it’s just his writing and my taste that don’t align to well.
If you enjoyed his other works, I can see how this might be a great read for you. For me, it ended up somewhere in the middle with on a 2.5 star rating.
ARC provided by publisher.
”Hell is different for everyone.
And everyone finds their own way in.
This was another thing I learned as the years turned,
as the leaves burned, as water dries up,
as the ground roasted, as trees died,
as time and time again, I made my way to the
Underworld.”
Part poetry, part graphic novel, centered around a retelling of the Ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, featuring brothers instead of lovers, all set against the backdrop of World War II.
When I heard that description, I was already sold. Greek myth retellings are my kryptonite and seeing one transported to a second world-war setting sounded like a story I could not pass up. Many thanks again to Candlewick Press for providing me with the ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, as much as I loved what the authors were trying to do with this novel, I was left with mixed feelings in the end.
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is takes place mostly from the perspective of Harry, a man who wakes up, wounded and disoriented, in a hospital after surviving a bombing, only to receive the news that his brother has been killed in action. Maddened with grief and posttraumatic delirium, he embarks on a fever dream-like journey, to retrieve his brother from the Underworld.
The style of the novel (for better or for worse) resembles the protagonists muddled state of mind, as throughout most of it I had not a single clue what was going on. Although it matches the story conceptually, I don’t think it does much favor to the reading experience in this case. Throughout the entire book I had to work quite hard to remain engaged and understand what I was reading, which I don’t mind as long as there is a good payoff in the end. That pay-off was missing a little for me.
It needs to be said that this had some brilliant passages and stunning art work. The cover illustration represents the art style quite well, and I can only tip my head to the illustrator for their beautiful work. Some of the panels by themselves were at a 4 to 5 star level, even if not all of them were finished in the ARC version yet.
In the end however, as a whole, I felt like this book may have been the victim of its own ambition. Both we as readers, as well as the authors seemingly had to put in very hard work to make this work. I loved what Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black sets out to do, and I think in parts it even succeeds, but it lacks the fluency and flow of a novel that is seemingly written with ease (and will therefore read as such).
This has been my third novel by Markus Sedgwick that has disappointed me recently. I always love his concepts, but I often feel his stories get lost in their ambition somewhere along the way. Maybe it’s just his writing and my taste that don’t align to well.
If you enjoyed his other works, I can see how this might be a great read for you. For me, it ended up somewhere in the middle with on a 2.5 star rating.
dnf
July 2, 2019DNF @ 44%
Part graphic novel with poetry and a dash of Greek mythology, Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is set in WWII era England and follows the story of Harry Black, an English firefighter waking up in a hospital only to discover his brother, Julius Black was been killed in the London air strike.
I have a weakness for anything with Greek mythology so I was really excited to read this one. The premise sounded so intriguing but alas, I wasn't so fond of the novel's execution. This book is told through the perspective of Harry Black in his muddled state after a German bombing. I really liked this book's concept and liked the unique prose but what made me stop reading was how disjointed and hard to understand. While I realize that this was the authors' intention as it reflects the narrator's current state of mind, I was so confused reading this it made it difficult to fully appreciate the plotline.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing a free ARC
Part graphic novel with poetry and a dash of Greek mythology, Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is set in WWII era England and follows the story of Harry Black, an English firefighter waking up in a hospital only to discover his brother, Julius Black was been killed in the London air strike.
I have a weakness for anything with Greek mythology so I was really excited to read this one. The premise sounded so intriguing but alas, I wasn't so fond of the novel's execution. This book is told through the perspective of Harry Black in his muddled state after a German bombing. I really liked this book's concept and liked the unique prose but what made me stop reading was how disjointed and hard to understand. While I realize that this was the authors' intention as it reflects the narrator's current state of mind, I was so confused reading this it made it difficult to fully appreciate the plotline.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing a free ARC
April 7, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Candlewick Press. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book.
This was an odd but intriguing read. I really didn't know too much about it besides the fact that it was part graphic novel, part story covering World War II. It seemed like an interesting premise, plus add in mythology, and I was willing to give it a try. While it was slow and a bit confusing in parts, it was quite fascinating and not like anything that I've certainly ever read.
This story is a mix of journal entries, poetry from a different narrator, and drawings. I wasn't sure how well it would come together and work, but it actually worked quite well. Although the illustrations were pretty good, I didn't need them so much, and the story worked well without it. The poetry was narrated from an "Orpheus" character that was watching out for our Harry and would allow us glimpses into what was happening that wasn't covered in the journal entries, references to the original story of Orpheus in Greek mythology, and more.
The journal entries were definitely where the story shone for me. They are honestly some of the best journal/diary entries that I've ever read. They didn't go into too much detail that you wouldn't include had you not been writing it, and it was always interesting. It has a bit of an unreliable narrator aspect to it, which you could pick up on cues in Harry's writing for plot and what might not be real/what is real.
The plot was definitely a haze of questions - was this real? what was happening? what is gonna happen next? If you know the mythology of Orpheus - thank you recent Percy Jackon's Greek Heroes read for helping this gal out - you can definitely pick up some key elements on where the plot might go. However there are some twists and turns that pop up. The plot also created a dark, haunting mood that was pretty interesting.
The pacing was a little bit lacking. I was never fully invested in the story despite the intrigue, but it moves a bit slowly even though there is a lot of action. The poetry aspect definitely slowed me down and sometimes it would get stuck in talking about certain items such as the evils of war. It really dragged me a bit out of the story, and there were parts that did just get confusing with it.
The last issue that I had was the disconnect that I felt with it. I never really felt strongly for the story or the characters or the plot. They were all okay, but I never got fully in deep.
Overall, it wasn't a bad read and there are definitely some parts that will stay in my mind. It just wasn't the connection that I was looking for or wanted to have.
rating: 3 crowns and a Belle rating
representation: Jewish side character
content warnings: death, war, discrimination
This was an odd but intriguing read. I really didn't know too much about it besides the fact that it was part graphic novel, part story covering World War II. It seemed like an interesting premise, plus add in mythology, and I was willing to give it a try. While it was slow and a bit confusing in parts, it was quite fascinating and not like anything that I've certainly ever read.
This story is a mix of journal entries, poetry from a different narrator, and drawings. I wasn't sure how well it would come together and work, but it actually worked quite well. Although the illustrations were pretty good, I didn't need them so much, and the story worked well without it. The poetry was narrated from an "Orpheus" character that was watching out for our Harry and would allow us glimpses into what was happening that wasn't covered in the journal entries, references to the original story of Orpheus in Greek mythology, and more.
The journal entries were definitely where the story shone for me. They are honestly some of the best journal/diary entries that I've ever read. They didn't go into too much detail that you wouldn't include had you not been writing it, and it was always interesting. It has a bit of an unreliable narrator aspect to it, which you could pick up on cues in Harry's writing for plot and what might not be real/what is real.
The plot was definitely a haze of questions - was this real? what was happening? what is gonna happen next? If you know the mythology of Orpheus - thank you recent Percy Jackon's Greek Heroes read for helping this gal out - you can definitely pick up some key elements on where the plot might go. However there are some twists and turns that pop up. The plot also created a dark, haunting mood that was pretty interesting.
The pacing was a little bit lacking. I was never fully invested in the story despite the intrigue, but it moves a bit slowly even though there is a lot of action. The poetry aspect definitely slowed me down and sometimes it would get stuck in talking about certain items such as the evils of war. It really dragged me a bit out of the story, and there were parts that did just get confusing with it.
The last issue that I had was the disconnect that I felt with it. I never really felt strongly for the story or the characters or the plot. They were all okay, but I never got fully in deep.
Overall, it wasn't a bad read and there are definitely some parts that will stay in my mind. It just wasn't the connection that I was looking for or wanted to have.
rating: 3 crowns and a Belle rating
representation: Jewish side character
content warnings: death, war, discrimination
June 19, 2019
I was sent this ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An unfortunately dull book with beautiful art.
I understand this is a retelling of a myth but the plot was tedious and predictable, unlike other books of its type it fails to keep the interest of the reader.
The switch from a romantic pairing to that of a sibling relationship was, in my opinion, a creative misstep as although it could have been done much better and created an overall better book the relationship wasn't build up enough for me to care about the rescue attempt.
I think this may have made a more effective graphic novel.
An unfortunately dull book with beautiful art.
I understand this is a retelling of a myth but the plot was tedious and predictable, unlike other books of its type it fails to keep the interest of the reader.
The switch from a romantic pairing to that of a sibling relationship was, in my opinion, a creative misstep as although it could have been done much better and created an overall better book the relationship wasn't build up enough for me to care about the rescue attempt.
I think this may have made a more effective graphic novel.
May 19, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read early for an honest review.
This book gave me all the feels and I was reading it through tears for a good 2/3rds of it. The combination of illustrations, poetry, and prose worked well to blend this story of war, brotherly love, and myth.
I especially loved the poignant note at the end by Ellis and thought it rounded out the story nicely. I kept going back and forth on whether these things were really happening or were only in Harry's mind, and Ellis' note answered that nicely.
This book gave me all the feels and I was reading it through tears for a good 2/3rds of it. The combination of illustrations, poetry, and prose worked well to blend this story of war, brotherly love, and myth.
I especially loved the poignant note at the end by Ellis and thought it rounded out the story nicely. I kept going back and forth on whether these things were really happening or were only in Harry's mind, and Ellis' note answered that nicely.
May 31, 2019
I admire what the authors were trying to do with this novel. It was super ambitious and sadly, I think it got the better of them.
Told in poetry, prose, and illustrations, this is a re-telling of Orpheus set in London during WWII. It confuses reality with fantasy, which I usually love, but it didn’t work for me here.
Because this book was trying to do so much, it ended up just feeling messy and left me frustrated.
Told in poetry, prose, and illustrations, this is a re-telling of Orpheus set in London during WWII. It confuses reality with fantasy, which I usually love, but it didn’t work for me here.
Because this book was trying to do so much, it ended up just feeling messy and left me frustrated.
March 28, 2020
Fantastic, lyrical and moving interpretation of the myth of Orpheus and Euridice. Told in the form of a diary, poetry and beautiful illustrations, I was very moved at the end.
April 5, 2020
Not really sure what I just read but I enjoyed the ride!
September 3, 2019
It's December 1944 and since September, the Nazis have once again been bombing London with their newest weapon, the V2 rocket. Harry Black, a conscientious objector, has been working on the fire brigade with fellow objectors. His moral position has caused a rift in the Black household. His father refuses to have anything to do him, claiming Harry has blackened the family name. Older brother Ellis is a soldier, back in London to recuperate from wounds suffered on the battlefield, and waiting to be sent back into combat. He also feels that Harry is a coward, but agrees to meet him at a pub called the White Horse. The two talk about a few things, including about a possible book of poems that Ellis could write and Harry could illustrate.
After talking for a while, Ellis decides to remain at the pub and Harry boards a bus home. The pub then takes a direct hit from a V2 rocket and is completely demolished. The bus was also destroyed in the hit and Harry wakes up in a hospital, seriously injured. But a nagging feeling tells him that Ellis is still alive, buried in the debris of the destroyed pub and Harry decides he must venture underneath the rubble to find and save his brother. While still in hospital, Harry meets a 14-year-old girl named Agatha, who had been a Kindertransport child in 1939 and now wants to find her parents, whom she believes are now in London.
Together, a semi-delirious Harry and a determined Agatha venture forth through the bombed and burning streets of London to find the remains of the White Horse in order to rescue Ellis and reunite Agatha with her parents. Throughout their journey, Harry stops to take the time to document everything in his notebook, which already includes copious, detailed illustrations for a planned science-fiction book called Machines of War.
Harry's journey into London's underworld to reach his brother has parallels to the myth of Orpheus and his journey to the Underworld to bring his wife back from the dead. Not surprisingly, Harry's notebook entries are explained and made clear through free verse poems by a poet named Orpheus. But who Orpheus is here is a mystery (until the end, but even then, I questioned Orpheus' identity here).
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is not an easy book to read. It can feel confusing and muddled at times, but it is so worthwhile to stick with it to the end. This is clearly an anti-war story, catching all the particular horrors of World War II, and in fact, all wars. The Sedgwick brothers have created a hero in Harry Black, which is not surprising. Apparently, their father, a Quaker, was a conscientious objector during WWII and it is clear they consider him to be a hero for taking a stand against war that was seen as almost treasonous during WWII.
This is a carefully crafted story, part graphic novel, part verse novel, part prose novel, seemingly told from three different points of view - Harry, Orpheus, and, to a lesser degree, Ellis. Each part, each person ties into the other, adding to the story, and creating plenty of intrigue.
I found myself really caught up in Harry's first person narration, even at his most muddled, but I could have done with less of Orpheus and his songs. At times, I felt they interrupted the flow of the story too much. Also, it didn't take me long to figure out the mystery of Agatha, but maybe that was supposed to happen. After all, she pushed Harry along to act before it was too late to rescue Ellis.
Students will one day have a field day analyzing the meaning of this novel, the themes, the metaphors, the veiled references to reality contained in Harry's Machines of War work-in-progress, and the illustrations, which are so much a part of the story, don't gloss over them. The ones done in blues and whites are Harry's illustrations for his book, the black and white illustrations represent reality and belong to the story being told.
All told, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a harrowing journey to the end but it had the kind of very satisfying, emotional ending I find appealing in books like this. And since I don't find too many really good alternative histories that take place in WWII, this was a very welcome addition to that particular genre.
This book is recommended for readers age 13
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
After talking for a while, Ellis decides to remain at the pub and Harry boards a bus home. The pub then takes a direct hit from a V2 rocket and is completely demolished. The bus was also destroyed in the hit and Harry wakes up in a hospital, seriously injured. But a nagging feeling tells him that Ellis is still alive, buried in the debris of the destroyed pub and Harry decides he must venture underneath the rubble to find and save his brother. While still in hospital, Harry meets a 14-year-old girl named Agatha, who had been a Kindertransport child in 1939 and now wants to find her parents, whom she believes are now in London.
Together, a semi-delirious Harry and a determined Agatha venture forth through the bombed and burning streets of London to find the remains of the White Horse in order to rescue Ellis and reunite Agatha with her parents. Throughout their journey, Harry stops to take the time to document everything in his notebook, which already includes copious, detailed illustrations for a planned science-fiction book called Machines of War.
Harry's journey into London's underworld to reach his brother has parallels to the myth of Orpheus and his journey to the Underworld to bring his wife back from the dead. Not surprisingly, Harry's notebook entries are explained and made clear through free verse poems by a poet named Orpheus. But who Orpheus is here is a mystery (until the end, but even then, I questioned Orpheus' identity here).
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is not an easy book to read. It can feel confusing and muddled at times, but it is so worthwhile to stick with it to the end. This is clearly an anti-war story, catching all the particular horrors of World War II, and in fact, all wars. The Sedgwick brothers have created a hero in Harry Black, which is not surprising. Apparently, their father, a Quaker, was a conscientious objector during WWII and it is clear they consider him to be a hero for taking a stand against war that was seen as almost treasonous during WWII.
This is a carefully crafted story, part graphic novel, part verse novel, part prose novel, seemingly told from three different points of view - Harry, Orpheus, and, to a lesser degree, Ellis. Each part, each person ties into the other, adding to the story, and creating plenty of intrigue.
I found myself really caught up in Harry's first person narration, even at his most muddled, but I could have done with less of Orpheus and his songs. At times, I felt they interrupted the flow of the story too much. Also, it didn't take me long to figure out the mystery of Agatha, but maybe that was supposed to happen. After all, she pushed Harry along to act before it was too late to rescue Ellis.
Students will one day have a field day analyzing the meaning of this novel, the themes, the metaphors, the veiled references to reality contained in Harry's Machines of War work-in-progress, and the illustrations, which are so much a part of the story, don't gloss over them. The ones done in blues and whites are Harry's illustrations for his book, the black and white illustrations represent reality and belong to the story being told.
All told, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a harrowing journey to the end but it had the kind of very satisfying, emotional ending I find appealing in books like this. And since I don't find too many really good alternative histories that take place in WWII, this was a very welcome addition to that particular genre.
This book is recommended for readers age 13
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
August 21, 2019
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/yafict...
VOYAGES IN THE UNDERWORLD OF ORPHEUS BLACK is a story about brotherhood, war, and the power of art. Harry is a conscientious objector in World War II, a quality which has left him disowned by his father, a weapon’s manufacturer, and at a distance from his brother Ellis, a soldier in the war. In 1944 London, he is working as a firefighter to put out the fires often created by bombings.
After he meets with his brother to try to mend fences, he is traveling on a bus when bombs land, and he then wakes in the hospital. Once he gains consciousness, he learns that the pub in which he had met and left his brother was destroyed by the bombs, and there are believed to be no survivors. Harry is compelled to go there and see if he can learn the truth about his brother and save him- beginning an even more dangerous journey, accompanied by Orpheus Black who has joined with him and a younger girl whom he met in the hospital.
The book is told in three ways: journal entries from Harry’s perspective, poetry from the perspective of Orpheus Black, and artwork. The three combine to create something potentially more powerful than any of the three separately. Harry’s journey to save his brother seemingly takes him into the afterlife/underworld, and really captures the depth of brotherly love.
What I loved: The illustrations and poetry were really beautiful. The illustrations capture war and danger really well, and the poems have a great flow. The concept is also very interesting, and I enjoyed the theme of brotherly love. While there is some anti-war tones, there are also messages about why the war was necessary and the atrocities being committed; however, it would have been nice to get a little deeper into the debate, as it was difficult to go into much in this format/with the other main themes.
What left me wanting more: The book almost seemed too ambitious, and the end was a bit abrupt. It was difficult at times to join the three modes of storytelling together to get a complete picture. While some of this is explained by the ending documents, there are still a lot of things that were not very clear. This is more of a thought-provoking and mysterious book without really clear answers, and this will appeal to some readers.
While Orpheus is described and the mythology alluded to, it does help to google the story to get a full picture of what is going on and why this myth is being used (and once you do, this helps to understand the story better). As another small point, the dialogue was all described/written without quotations in the journal entries, which is probably more on point as to how it would be written, but it did make it a little harder to read.
Final verdict: For people who like mysterious books with magical realism type elements, this book will be a unique and engrossing read with images, text, and poems combining together to create an intriguing tale. While I think a little more length would have helped to flesh out the story further, the elements were each pretty well done and certainly keep the reader interested.
VOYAGES IN THE UNDERWORLD OF ORPHEUS BLACK is a story about brotherhood, war, and the power of art. Harry is a conscientious objector in World War II, a quality which has left him disowned by his father, a weapon’s manufacturer, and at a distance from his brother Ellis, a soldier in the war. In 1944 London, he is working as a firefighter to put out the fires often created by bombings.
After he meets with his brother to try to mend fences, he is traveling on a bus when bombs land, and he then wakes in the hospital. Once he gains consciousness, he learns that the pub in which he had met and left his brother was destroyed by the bombs, and there are believed to be no survivors. Harry is compelled to go there and see if he can learn the truth about his brother and save him- beginning an even more dangerous journey, accompanied by Orpheus Black who has joined with him and a younger girl whom he met in the hospital.
The book is told in three ways: journal entries from Harry’s perspective, poetry from the perspective of Orpheus Black, and artwork. The three combine to create something potentially more powerful than any of the three separately. Harry’s journey to save his brother seemingly takes him into the afterlife/underworld, and really captures the depth of brotherly love.
What I loved: The illustrations and poetry were really beautiful. The illustrations capture war and danger really well, and the poems have a great flow. The concept is also very interesting, and I enjoyed the theme of brotherly love. While there is some anti-war tones, there are also messages about why the war was necessary and the atrocities being committed; however, it would have been nice to get a little deeper into the debate, as it was difficult to go into much in this format/with the other main themes.
What left me wanting more: The book almost seemed too ambitious, and the end was a bit abrupt. It was difficult at times to join the three modes of storytelling together to get a complete picture. While some of this is explained by the ending documents, there are still a lot of things that were not very clear. This is more of a thought-provoking and mysterious book without really clear answers, and this will appeal to some readers.
While Orpheus is described and the mythology alluded to, it does help to google the story to get a full picture of what is going on and why this myth is being used (and once you do, this helps to understand the story better). As another small point, the dialogue was all described/written without quotations in the journal entries, which is probably more on point as to how it would be written, but it did make it a little harder to read.
Final verdict: For people who like mysterious books with magical realism type elements, this book will be a unique and engrossing read with images, text, and poems combining together to create an intriguing tale. While I think a little more length would have helped to flesh out the story further, the elements were each pretty well done and certainly keep the reader interested.
September 22, 2019
“I’ve a story to tell of Harry Black, / who went to the Underworld and how he came back; / of the love for his brother who’d pushed him away.”
Told through alternating prose, poetry, and illustrations, this book follows a young artist named Harry Black in 1944 London. When he wakes up in a hospital after being caught in the blast of a bomb, Harry is told that his brother is dead, but he doesn’t believe it. Gravely injured and accompanied by a mysterious young girl who calls him Orpheus, Harry sets off to venture underground in search of his brother.
This is the kind of book in which you never really know what’s reality and what’s not – it has an extremely unreliable narrator due to Harry’s head injury. For me, that really worked, but I can see how it wouldn’t for other readers. The storytelling style is unique and at times difficult to follow, creating a semi-lucid, dreamlike quality to the whole book. Even though I was confused a lot, I still enjoyed the experience a surprising amount!
I very much loved how this book used the Orpheus myth, essentially turning Orpheus into this ageless poet watching people relive his journey throughout history in different ways. The ways that the aspects of this classic Greek myth played out in a World War II setting were creative and fascinating, helping to drive home the anti-war message. Basically, this book managed to combine two things that I generally enjoy – WW2 historical fiction and Greek mythology – so I liked it a lot!
Content warnings: war, bombing, claustrophobia
Told through alternating prose, poetry, and illustrations, this book follows a young artist named Harry Black in 1944 London. When he wakes up in a hospital after being caught in the blast of a bomb, Harry is told that his brother is dead, but he doesn’t believe it. Gravely injured and accompanied by a mysterious young girl who calls him Orpheus, Harry sets off to venture underground in search of his brother.
This is the kind of book in which you never really know what’s reality and what’s not – it has an extremely unreliable narrator due to Harry’s head injury. For me, that really worked, but I can see how it wouldn’t for other readers. The storytelling style is unique and at times difficult to follow, creating a semi-lucid, dreamlike quality to the whole book. Even though I was confused a lot, I still enjoyed the experience a surprising amount!
I very much loved how this book used the Orpheus myth, essentially turning Orpheus into this ageless poet watching people relive his journey throughout history in different ways. The ways that the aspects of this classic Greek myth played out in a World War II setting were creative and fascinating, helping to drive home the anti-war message. Basically, this book managed to combine two things that I generally enjoy – WW2 historical fiction and Greek mythology – so I liked it a lot!
Content warnings: war, bombing, claustrophobia
November 9, 2024
Art- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Colours- ⭐⭐⭐
Writing- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pacing- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Logic- ⭐⭐⭐
Concept- ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Told with a mix of regular prose, poetry and illustrations. All were very well done, but my favourite was the poetry.
Was 5 stars up until about halfway were it lost me a bit and I was getting disconnected and bored, but the ending brought it back up to a 4.
This is definitely the kind of book where you really do need to be paying attention the whole time or u really won't understand what's going on, though even when you do understand what's going on you're still questioning if you actually do or not lol.
Twas a very interesting, thought-provoking, depressing, inspiring read.
I really liked Harry and how devoted he was to finding his brother and that no matter what or who got in his way, nothing was going to stop him completely, not until he knew for sure the fate of his brother.
Buzzwords:
Orpheus Myth
Underworld
Philosophical Adventure
Dark Secrets
Haunting
Existential Quest
Artistic Struggle
Otherworldly Realms
Twisted Reality
Fate vs. Free Will
Mysterious Protagonist
Grief and Loss
Cinematic Imagery
Dreamlike Atmosphere
Colours- ⭐⭐⭐
Writing- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pacing- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Logic- ⭐⭐⭐
Concept- ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Told with a mix of regular prose, poetry and illustrations. All were very well done, but my favourite was the poetry.
Was 5 stars up until about halfway were it lost me a bit and I was getting disconnected and bored, but the ending brought it back up to a 4.
This is definitely the kind of book where you really do need to be paying attention the whole time or u really won't understand what's going on, though even when you do understand what's going on you're still questioning if you actually do or not lol.
Twas a very interesting, thought-provoking, depressing, inspiring read.
I really liked Harry and how devoted he was to finding his brother and that no matter what or who got in his way, nothing was going to stop him completely, not until he knew for sure the fate of his brother.
Buzzwords:
Orpheus Myth
Underworld
Philosophical Adventure
Dark Secrets
Haunting
Existential Quest
Artistic Struggle
Otherworldly Realms
Twisted Reality
Fate vs. Free Will
Mysterious Protagonist
Grief and Loss
Cinematic Imagery
Dreamlike Atmosphere
November 12, 2023
Somewhere in these 320 pages is a 200-page tour de force of prose, art, and poetry. But what we have feels like an early draft of such a visionary work.
Several of the prose chapters are brilliant (though the story could be greatly compressed), and Alexis Deacon’s art is sublime and should really take center stage here.
The overlong sections of prose poetry feel redundant and extraneous. I can imagine a different, tighter book in which short passages of actual verse (written in skillful meter and rhyme) would add much to the story’s meaning and music. But that’s another book.
As it stands, I admire the authors’ ambition, Deacon’s artwork, and the many memorable passages.
Several of the prose chapters are brilliant (though the story could be greatly compressed), and Alexis Deacon’s art is sublime and should really take center stage here.
The overlong sections of prose poetry feel redundant and extraneous. I can imagine a different, tighter book in which short passages of actual verse (written in skillful meter and rhyme) would add much to the story’s meaning and music. But that’s another book.
As it stands, I admire the authors’ ambition, Deacon’s artwork, and the many memorable passages.
December 9, 2019
This wasn’t my favorite book. I think I needed to be more familiar with the mythology to fully appreciate the story. However, the artwork was worth the time it took to read it. (Honestly, I don’t even want to type the super-long title because it just isn’t worth my time.)
October 7, 2019
This one was hard to put down. It was very enchanting!
June 22, 2020
Storyline was a bit unclear and at times i got quite confused.
August 12, 2023
Breaking News: Goofy Little London Boy gets traumatized and then possessed by a ghost…? but he draws funky stuff too so it’s chill.
Mmmmmmm it was so good. Great! This book was just beautiful all the way through. It was like watching a philosopher talk, paint, sing, play the cello, and feed you grapes all at the same time.
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is the story of a deeply unsettled dude coping with grief of all kinds who’s driven by an intense compassion and whimsy to defy all the insults thrown at him and go on an adventure that makes him completely lose his grip on reality and gain a newer understanding for the most valuable things in life.
Three stories are told at the same time. One from the perspective of a concussed and delirious fireman, one from the perspective of an ancient and romantic ghost, and one told through pictures drawn by the fireman in his least lucid states as he blurs the lines between reality and his horrifying visions of an apocalyptic future.
This book is equal parts excellent prose, mesmerizing poetry, and just mmm lovely artwork. The authors and illustrator did truly an amazing job at using changes in medium? to tell the story in its truest and more holistic form. It was a work of art.
The way the main character’s narration is written so perfectly blurs the truth with his imagination and sometimes tells the reader things even the character doesn’t realize. His thoughts as he responds to the world around him are just so beautiful in content and realistic in process. The narration of his thoughts betray what a pure and admirable person he is at all points throughout the story, even if he’s a little stupid sometimes and a little ill in the head all the time, and his character is just written so that all of his changes and developments in his personality, values, awareness, and goals are smooth as butter.
At no point in this story did I really know what was going on because the two characters giving me information were either confused or confusing respectively, but the writing itself was lovely to read. It was like a Dali painting. You never really know what’s going on but you’re happy to observe it anyway. Some of the best poetry I’ve read to date.
I just love the overwhelming sense of beauty in this book. Despite how many bombings and deaths are present, it is 100% a feel good story.
Mmmmmmm it was so good. Great! This book was just beautiful all the way through. It was like watching a philosopher talk, paint, sing, play the cello, and feed you grapes all at the same time.
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is the story of a deeply unsettled dude coping with grief of all kinds who’s driven by an intense compassion and whimsy to defy all the insults thrown at him and go on an adventure that makes him completely lose his grip on reality and gain a newer understanding for the most valuable things in life.
Three stories are told at the same time. One from the perspective of a concussed and delirious fireman, one from the perspective of an ancient and romantic ghost, and one told through pictures drawn by the fireman in his least lucid states as he blurs the lines between reality and his horrifying visions of an apocalyptic future.
This book is equal parts excellent prose, mesmerizing poetry, and just mmm lovely artwork. The authors and illustrator did truly an amazing job at using changes in medium? to tell the story in its truest and more holistic form. It was a work of art.
The way the main character’s narration is written so perfectly blurs the truth with his imagination and sometimes tells the reader things even the character doesn’t realize. His thoughts as he responds to the world around him are just so beautiful in content and realistic in process. The narration of his thoughts betray what a pure and admirable person he is at all points throughout the story, even if he’s a little stupid sometimes and a little ill in the head all the time, and his character is just written so that all of his changes and developments in his personality, values, awareness, and goals are smooth as butter.
At no point in this story did I really know what was going on because the two characters giving me information were either confused or confusing respectively, but the writing itself was lovely to read. It was like a Dali painting. You never really know what’s going on but you’re happy to observe it anyway. Some of the best poetry I’ve read to date.
I just love the overwhelming sense of beauty in this book. Despite how many bombings and deaths are present, it is 100% a feel good story.
December 17, 2020
Gave this book 3 stars but not really sure how to rate this book. I've seen a lot of reviews by people who did not finish it, and I can see why. It didn't feel like much was happening until the last 50 or so pages. Personally, I'm not sure I would have finished it if it hadn't been written by Marcus Sedgwick. Nevertheless, by the end I did enjoy the idea of the story and and I'm glad that I finished reading it.
The story is about two brothers in the London Blitz and how their relationship is strained because Harry decides to declare himself a pacifist. Through a combination of diary entries, poems and pictures this book captures the ups and downs of that relationship and is beautifully crafted.
The story is about two brothers in the London Blitz and how their relationship is strained because Harry decides to declare himself a pacifist. Through a combination of diary entries, poems and pictures this book captures the ups and downs of that relationship and is beautifully crafted.
June 14, 2019
I am a total sucker for 20th century retellings of ancient myths, so the moment I read the description I knew I had to read this book. It's a kind-of-somewhat retelling of the myth of Orpheus, set in London during the Blitz. Told in a combination of verse, prose, and illustrations, Voyages is primarily the story of two brothers: Harry and Ellis Black. Harry, the younger, created a rift between himself and his family when he registered as a conscientious objector - instead of putting on a uniform to fight the Germans, he fights fires during the Blitz (why being a goddamn firefighter who risks life and limb to protect civilians on the home front is not considered as honorable as throwing yourself into the meat-grinder that was the European theater in 1944, I have no idea. People are illogical and weird). Harry wants desperately to repair his relationship with Ellis, but Ellis is still stuck on the whole conscientious objector thing. They meet up one night at a pub to talk, but Harry leaves, and Ellis stays. The pub is hit by a German bomb - Harry is badly injured, and the pub is destroyed.
If this sounds like a regular story to you, don't worry, it's already pretty weird and at this point, it gets weirder. I do love it when things get weird.
While in the hospital with a very, very bad head wound, Harry meets a little German refugee girl named Agatha, who calls Harry "Orpheus." Then Harry becomes convinced that Ellis is still alive, trapped in the underground network cellars beneath the pub. Agatha wants to go underground to find her parents. So she and Harry do the smartest thing a little girl and a man with a traumatic brain injury could do: they run off into war-torn London to try and find a way into the underworld.
Also, Orpheus himself is there, filling in bits of the story with poetry. And Harry is an aspiring sci-fi writer/illustrator who has a bunch of glass eyes he stole from a burning factory that he puts in various places and gives to people.
I loved this book - it has a peculiar, fever-dream like quality to it that can be a bit confusing at first, but you get used to fairly quickly. This is a Greek myth retelling set in WWII, after all, it's not going to be your average straightforward tale. I loved the story of Harry and Ellis - it will definitely strike a cord with anyone who has siblings that they love but also fight and disagree with. And yeah, I cried. This book made me cry my own tears. I can't wait for the final copy with the finished illustrations.
Really my only complaints was that it was far too short and it made me cry. How dare you make me feel things, Sedgwicks!
If this sounds like a regular story to you, don't worry, it's already pretty weird and at this point, it gets weirder. I do love it when things get weird.
While in the hospital with a very, very bad head wound, Harry meets a little German refugee girl named Agatha, who calls Harry "Orpheus." Then Harry becomes convinced that Ellis is still alive, trapped in the underground network cellars beneath the pub. Agatha wants to go underground to find her parents. So she and Harry do the smartest thing a little girl and a man with a traumatic brain injury could do: they run off into war-torn London to try and find a way into the underworld.
Also, Orpheus himself is there, filling in bits of the story with poetry. And Harry is an aspiring sci-fi writer/illustrator who has a bunch of glass eyes he stole from a burning factory that he puts in various places and gives to people.
I loved this book - it has a peculiar, fever-dream like quality to it that can be a bit confusing at first, but you get used to fairly quickly. This is a Greek myth retelling set in WWII, after all, it's not going to be your average straightforward tale. I loved the story of Harry and Ellis - it will definitely strike a cord with anyone who has siblings that they love but also fight and disagree with. And yeah, I cried. This book made me cry my own tears. I can't wait for the final copy with the finished illustrations.
Really my only complaints was that it was far too short and it made me cry. How dare you make me feel things, Sedgwicks!
April 25, 2020
I loved this. I loved the different points of view from the story is told. I loved the poetry/rhyme sections. I loved the artwork. I loved the concept. Was I confused? Yes. Did I understand everything? No. Would I have liked more clarity? Yes. BUT, this doesn't stop me giving the novel 5 stars because I don't think I needed to understand each and every word to get the feeling that was being conveyed.
There was a slow build of emotion and climax about Harry finding Ellis...or not, and I truly appreciated that. I really like that the poetry spoken by Orpheus cut through Harry's story because it gave a pause and allowed me to reflect on where Harry was at that point. It also allowed the story to move from the personal tale of Harry to the wider context of an anti-war story and the intertwining of the two makes both stronger. I appreciated Agatha, what struck me was that the German word for child is kinder and Harry shows such kindness to her. It's a clever use of words. There are so many interesting characters who cross Harry's path and they each bring something to his journey. He ultimately chooses to move on from them and search for Ellis. I love that he makes conscious choices after listening to what they add to his life.
The illustrations are remarkable. They don't add to the story, they are just as integral as the words. They are compelling. I am guilty of sometimes just glancing over illustrations but they demand your attention. They also make you take a break from Harry's story so you can reflect on where he is. It stops you rushing on just to find out what happens to Harry, which is clever.
My paternal grandfather was going to become a conscientious objector but when he was drafted into the Royal Army Medical Corps he accepted that was the kind of service that sat well with his conscience and Methodist faith. He was a psychiatric nurse and his skills were called upon on D-Day 2 and then in Burma, working with soldiers who had been turned loose from Japanese prisoner of war camps and had gone feral. He worked to bring them back from the madness they'd embraced living wild in the jungle. This book spoke to me about what thoughts and repercussions he may have faced.
There was a slow build of emotion and climax about Harry finding Ellis...or not, and I truly appreciated that. I really like that the poetry spoken by Orpheus cut through Harry's story because it gave a pause and allowed me to reflect on where Harry was at that point. It also allowed the story to move from the personal tale of Harry to the wider context of an anti-war story and the intertwining of the two makes both stronger. I appreciated Agatha, what struck me was that the German word for child is kinder and Harry shows such kindness to her. It's a clever use of words. There are so many interesting characters who cross Harry's path and they each bring something to his journey. He ultimately chooses to move on from them and search for Ellis. I love that he makes conscious choices after listening to what they add to his life.
The illustrations are remarkable. They don't add to the story, they are just as integral as the words. They are compelling. I am guilty of sometimes just glancing over illustrations but they demand your attention. They also make you take a break from Harry's story so you can reflect on where he is. It stops you rushing on just to find out what happens to Harry, which is clever.
My paternal grandfather was going to become a conscientious objector but when he was drafted into the Royal Army Medical Corps he accepted that was the kind of service that sat well with his conscience and Methodist faith. He was a psychiatric nurse and his skills were called upon on D-Day 2 and then in Burma, working with soldiers who had been turned loose from Japanese prisoner of war camps and had gone feral. He worked to bring them back from the madness they'd embraced living wild in the jungle. This book spoke to me about what thoughts and repercussions he may have faced.
September 1, 2019
London, 1944. 19 year old Harry Black has fallen out with his brother and father due to his stance as a conscientious objector. Harry does his bit for the war effort by working as a firefighter, as well as documenting the horrors and banalities of war through his writing and drawing - trying to make sense of a world gone mad. Ellis, his older brother, has been injured on duty and is in London to recuperate before, he hopes, getting back out there to fight. Shortly after meeting with Ellis, Harry is on the bus home when a bomb falls and destroys the pub with Ellis still in it. Harry himself suffers a severe head wound and is taken to hospital, where he meets fellow patient Agatha, a 14 year old German Jewish refugee looking for her parents. Convinced that his brother is still alive, Harry and Agatha strike up a friendship and agree to help each other find their missing relatives. But to do so they must risk everything and, under a heavily bombed London, find a way into the Underworld - with a little help from Orpheus.
Written by brothers Marcus and Julian Sedgwick and illustrated by Alexis Deacon, Voyages In The Underworld of Orpheus Black is heartbreaking, surreal and sumptuous to look at. It is a beautiful, haunting and unusual novel blending prose, verse and illustration. Told through Harry’s journal entries (words and pictures) interspersed with poetic narration from Orpheus, the story is a reflection on the horrors of war and of the power of art, told through the lens of Greek mythology. There is a lot here for readers to unpick - mythology, war, life and death, love and hate, family, poetry and art.
The book is not always an easy read. The poetry has an oblique and dreamlike quality to it, and Harry’s fevered state makes him an increasingly unreliable narrator, but the interplay between the poetry and the journal entries helps build a mythic atmosphere. And that ending - oh, my heart! This is definitely one I will be thinking about for a long time to come.
Written by brothers Marcus and Julian Sedgwick and illustrated by Alexis Deacon, Voyages In The Underworld of Orpheus Black is heartbreaking, surreal and sumptuous to look at. It is a beautiful, haunting and unusual novel blending prose, verse and illustration. Told through Harry’s journal entries (words and pictures) interspersed with poetic narration from Orpheus, the story is a reflection on the horrors of war and of the power of art, told through the lens of Greek mythology. There is a lot here for readers to unpick - mythology, war, life and death, love and hate, family, poetry and art.
The book is not always an easy read. The poetry has an oblique and dreamlike quality to it, and Harry’s fevered state makes him an increasingly unreliable narrator, but the interplay between the poetry and the journal entries helps build a mythic atmosphere. And that ending - oh, my heart! This is definitely one I will be thinking about for a long time to come.
November 2, 2019
** Full disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review**
Harry Black is lost between the world of war and the land of myth in this illustrated novel that transports the tale of Orpheus to World War II-era London.
The story of Harry Black as he searches for his brother is told in a mixture of prose, poetry and if you are at all familiar with the myth of Orpheus there aren't too many surprises here.
The book starts out strong as the story starts with Harry's art and we are introduced to Harry's himself and his experiences defending London from the fires caused by The Blitz and even from the very beginning there is a bit of a surreal feel to his story. However after Harry's injuries and introduction to the character of Agatha things begin to slow down and drag on, to get repetitive with no real forward momentum to the story.
The art is very effective, and after the story gets started it is used randomly to enhance the story instead of being like a graphic novel where it tells the story. My copy is an early review copy so all the art was in black and white, the official release will have some color art apparently, but I actually feel the art and its part in the story is made stronger by being black and white.
Mixed in with all that are breaks into the poetry. I enjoyed most of them, they had such a different voice to them it felt like it was written by someone else. Towards the end though, they got a bit less clear and effective I feel.
The ending is where things really fell apart, after dragging on for so long it felt as though the author realized he had to finish his story and began to rush and cram things in and things began to lose cohesion.
There was a lot to like here, and I am glad I read this book but overall it needed some serious tightening up and clarity to give it a stronger ending. A last note, I found it worth reading for the imagery of the eyes, both visually and with words, and for the scene where he finds them.
Harry Black is lost between the world of war and the land of myth in this illustrated novel that transports the tale of Orpheus to World War II-era London.
The story of Harry Black as he searches for his brother is told in a mixture of prose, poetry and if you are at all familiar with the myth of Orpheus there aren't too many surprises here.
The book starts out strong as the story starts with Harry's art and we are introduced to Harry's himself and his experiences defending London from the fires caused by The Blitz and even from the very beginning there is a bit of a surreal feel to his story. However after Harry's injuries and introduction to the character of Agatha things begin to slow down and drag on, to get repetitive with no real forward momentum to the story.
The art is very effective, and after the story gets started it is used randomly to enhance the story instead of being like a graphic novel where it tells the story. My copy is an early review copy so all the art was in black and white, the official release will have some color art apparently, but I actually feel the art and its part in the story is made stronger by being black and white.
Mixed in with all that are breaks into the poetry. I enjoyed most of them, they had such a different voice to them it felt like it was written by someone else. Towards the end though, they got a bit less clear and effective I feel.
The ending is where things really fell apart, after dragging on for so long it felt as though the author realized he had to finish his story and began to rush and cram things in and things began to lose cohesion.
There was a lot to like here, and I am glad I read this book but overall it needed some serious tightening up and clarity to give it a stronger ending. A last note, I found it worth reading for the imagery of the eyes, both visually and with words, and for the scene where he finds them.
June 23, 2019
Being a conscientious objector has made Harry a non-combatant for the duration of WW2; he tried to become a war artist, but is instead a fireman. His brother Ellis, hating the 'cowardice' that has seen his sibling disowned by their father, is recovering from head surgery so he can go back to the front. Harry wants to get things right with Ellis, and perhaps work on a book together, but the war itself prevents that from happening. Harry is therefore stuck – stuck with a Jewish German girl he meets in hospital, stuck with a strangely musical man shadowing him around London, and stuck with the invasive spirit of Orpheus and a similar journey to be made into the Underworld to fetch someone back.
Unfortunately, those sticking points are just that for us, as well. Throughout the book is sort of narrated in verse – partly-rhymed lyrics that come from the Orpheus character and drag the reader from here to there and back again. I never got to enjoy those pages, even if the verse did make the book a much shorter read than I'd expected. Elsewhere, there's a little bit of an oddity in a book where two cultured and clever siblings write about the respect and admiration two cultured and clever siblings might have had for each other in peacetime. But the biggest problem is the narrative's woosiness, drifting from Harry's battered existence to the potential future he has of crossing the boundary of the living and the dead. A lot of the book is intelligently leaving a lot for the reader to intuit – there is much reading between the lines to be done, but I think too much. Add in the verse – heinously bad in places for the work of an ageless godlike expert – and what you end up with is surprisingly, and most disappointingly, a pretentious mess.
Unfortunately, those sticking points are just that for us, as well. Throughout the book is sort of narrated in verse – partly-rhymed lyrics that come from the Orpheus character and drag the reader from here to there and back again. I never got to enjoy those pages, even if the verse did make the book a much shorter read than I'd expected. Elsewhere, there's a little bit of an oddity in a book where two cultured and clever siblings write about the respect and admiration two cultured and clever siblings might have had for each other in peacetime. But the biggest problem is the narrative's woosiness, drifting from Harry's battered existence to the potential future he has of crossing the boundary of the living and the dead. A lot of the book is intelligently leaving a lot for the reader to intuit – there is much reading between the lines to be done, but I think too much. Add in the verse – heinously bad in places for the work of an ageless godlike expert – and what you end up with is surprisingly, and most disappointingly, a pretentious mess.
November 22, 2019
This is a beautiful book. Alexis Deacon's artwork is powerful, at times frightening and otherworldly. Harry Black is an artist and conscientious objector in England during World War II. His brother Ellis is in the military. Their German mother is dead, and their father owns a major munitions company. Harry's father is no longer speaking to his pacifist son. Harry asks Ellis to meet him on Christmas Eve at a pub so they can try to reconcile and recreate the closeness they had before the war. The brothers still aren't able to completely come together but they do connect again. Harry leaves on a bus, and Ellis stays to flirt with a girl. A direct hit by a bomb destroys the pub Ellis is still in, apparently killing everyone, and the blowback crashes the bus Harry is on, landing him in the hospital with a serious head wound. Harry, certain that Ellis is still alive, escapes the hospital and attempts to find him and dig him out. Harry's first person illustrated account is intermixed with poems purportedly from Orpehus, the musician who nearly led his wife out of the Underworld.
It's a little confusing, and I don't know how many YA readers would stick with it. The message is very heavy handed. I have to give credit to the authors though for giving me a "double take" moment at the end by creating documents that appear to indicate that Harry did save Ellis and that Ellis used Harry's journal to create the book. Of course that is still part of the story, but the Sedgwicks got me there for a moment. It is a gorgeously put together volume though not one that many people will have the temperament to untangle.
It's a little confusing, and I don't know how many YA readers would stick with it. The message is very heavy handed. I have to give credit to the authors though for giving me a "double take" moment at the end by creating documents that appear to indicate that Harry did save Ellis and that Ellis used Harry's journal to create the book. Of course that is still part of the story, but the Sedgwicks got me there for a moment. It is a gorgeously put together volume though not one that many people will have the temperament to untangle.
July 16, 2020
While I appreciate what this book was trying to do, I think it did such a good job that it was near unreadable.
Set again a backdrop of WWII, Voyages in the Underworld is told through the drawings and rambling inner thoughts of a firefighter in the war and the poems of a fictional Orpheus who is also our firefighter as their stories are on in the same. Crazy unique and the brother writing duo has said there goal was to translate the rattled, confused mindset of our protagonist into his narration and it certainly showed. I felt like it was everywhere all at once and Orpheus' poems were the one place where you finally got a chance to guess at what was going on, but I found the poems to be rather annoying so it didn't really serve as a plus for me.
Such a creative concept, but this definitely wasn't for me.
Set again a backdrop of WWII, Voyages in the Underworld is told through the drawings and rambling inner thoughts of a firefighter in the war and the poems of a fictional Orpheus who is also our firefighter as their stories are on in the same. Crazy unique and the brother writing duo has said there goal was to translate the rattled, confused mindset of our protagonist into his narration and it certainly showed. I felt like it was everywhere all at once and Orpheus' poems were the one place where you finally got a chance to guess at what was going on, but I found the poems to be rather annoying so it didn't really serve as a plus for me.
Such a creative concept, but this definitely wasn't for me.
June 16, 2019
Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black by Marcus Sedgwick and Julian Sedgwick is quite a journey. This book is not only beautiful with the drawings and poetry but also engaging and touching as the prose takes the reader on a journey.
Harry is a conscientious objector, wanted to be a war artist and is a firefighter. Harry’s brother, Ellis is on the front lines and a wedge is driven between the brothers because of their beliefs.
Always hoping for reconciliation with his brother, Harry meets with Ellis at a local pub. The pub is bombed later in the evening, injuring Harry. When Harry awakes, it’s to the news that his brother has been killed even though his body hasn’t been found. Harry begins his journey to try and find his brother, refusing to give up on him.
Harry’s commitment to finding his brother made my heart ache. He’s steadfast in spite of the fact that he’s injured, weak and losing touch with reality.
Perhaps because he’s injured, Harry begins to merge the plot of a story he’s writing, with his desperate hunt for his brother and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. I was only vaguely familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice but I found that didn’t matter as I made my way through this book.
The art in this book captures the stark reality of the way, with a strange intimacy that I didn’t expect. The drawings are detailed, sometimes tragic and very poignant.
Harry is a conscientious objector, wanted to be a war artist and is a firefighter. Harry’s brother, Ellis is on the front lines and a wedge is driven between the brothers because of their beliefs.
Always hoping for reconciliation with his brother, Harry meets with Ellis at a local pub. The pub is bombed later in the evening, injuring Harry. When Harry awakes, it’s to the news that his brother has been killed even though his body hasn’t been found. Harry begins his journey to try and find his brother, refusing to give up on him.
Harry’s commitment to finding his brother made my heart ache. He’s steadfast in spite of the fact that he’s injured, weak and losing touch with reality.
Perhaps because he’s injured, Harry begins to merge the plot of a story he’s writing, with his desperate hunt for his brother and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. I was only vaguely familiar with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice but I found that didn’t matter as I made my way through this book.
The art in this book captures the stark reality of the way, with a strange intimacy that I didn’t expect. The drawings are detailed, sometimes tragic and very poignant.
August 7, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Mix of poetry, story and illustration Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is the story of Harry Black that is part mythology and also a story of a brother who just really wants to find and save his brother.
Set in World War II Harry Black is a conscientious objector to the war going on and serves on the fire department in London. Harry has a strained relationship with his beloved brother Ellis, who he deeply admires as a writer and wants to try and connect with again. Harry and Ellis get together for drinks and after Harry leaves the bar is bombed and Harry is caught in the blast of another one. Upon waking in a hospital and finding out his brother is dead Harry is convinced that Ellis is still alive despite being told the blast was a direct hit, no one could survive. Harry begins a journey to find and bring back Ellis. His injured head gets stuck between the story he’s been working to tell, war torn London and the mythology of Orpheus and Eurydice.
The story is weird, bizarre, magical, and beautiful and so gosh darned slow. It seems to drag a bit but it is still quite enjoyable.
This is both a sweet story of discovery and longing and a sad story of loss and letting go.
***
Mix of poetry, story and illustration Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black is the story of Harry Black that is part mythology and also a story of a brother who just really wants to find and save his brother.
Set in World War II Harry Black is a conscientious objector to the war going on and serves on the fire department in London. Harry has a strained relationship with his beloved brother Ellis, who he deeply admires as a writer and wants to try and connect with again. Harry and Ellis get together for drinks and after Harry leaves the bar is bombed and Harry is caught in the blast of another one. Upon waking in a hospital and finding out his brother is dead Harry is convinced that Ellis is still alive despite being told the blast was a direct hit, no one could survive. Harry begins a journey to find and bring back Ellis. His injured head gets stuck between the story he’s been working to tell, war torn London and the mythology of Orpheus and Eurydice.
The story is weird, bizarre, magical, and beautiful and so gosh darned slow. It seems to drag a bit but it is still quite enjoyable.
This is both a sweet story of discovery and longing and a sad story of loss and letting go.
October 27, 2019
This lovely book is a sort of retelling of the legend of Orpheus set in London during World War II. Harry Black is a conscientious objector, and he's doing his war service by putting out fires from the German bombs that fall on London every night. Because Harry isn't fighting in the war, his father disowned him and his relationship with his brother Ellis is strained.
After a bombing raid, Harry is injured and hospitalized and his brother is apparently killed. In his concussed state, Harry is convinced that his brother is alive, so he escapes the hospital with a young girl named Anna in tow, and they begin a bizarre journey into the underworld of London.
The journey is weird and wonderful and moving. Orpheus himself is a character in the book commenting on the action. The story is told partly in verse. The book has beautiful and slightly creepy illustrations by Alexis Deacon, which add to the eerie feeling of the story. The fraught relationship between the brothers was very well done, and Harry's journey is quite moving. I enjoyed never quite knowing what was going on; it's sort of the way a head injury or a near-death experience might feel. London during the Blitz is evoked quite vividly. It's sort of but not quite a retelling, and a passing familiarity with the myth of Orpheus may help the reader.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
After a bombing raid, Harry is injured and hospitalized and his brother is apparently killed. In his concussed state, Harry is convinced that his brother is alive, so he escapes the hospital with a young girl named Anna in tow, and they begin a bizarre journey into the underworld of London.
The journey is weird and wonderful and moving. Orpheus himself is a character in the book commenting on the action. The story is told partly in verse. The book has beautiful and slightly creepy illustrations by Alexis Deacon, which add to the eerie feeling of the story. The fraught relationship between the brothers was very well done, and Harry's journey is quite moving. I enjoyed never quite knowing what was going on; it's sort of the way a head injury or a near-death experience might feel. London during the Blitz is evoked quite vividly. It's sort of but not quite a retelling, and a passing familiarity with the myth of Orpheus may help the reader.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 8, 2019
I received a copy of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The format that I read this in wasn’t exactly the best so I don’t feel like I got the full benefit of the illustrations and it was a bit confusing. However, that being said, the story, the words, the poetry, the images, and most importantly, the message, were beautiful.
This is a story about 2 brothers during WWII in England. They have different opinions on the war and this has driven them, and their family apart. In an effort to reconcile, Harry goes to meet his brother, Ellis at a pub to discuss collaborating on a book together; Ellis would write the prose and poetry and Harry would illustrate. Unfortunately, after agreeing to disagree on the matter, Harry leaves the pub and shortly after, the pub is bombed. Harry is injured in the blast and he ends up in the hospital where he meets Agatha, a young German Jew who has managed to escape.
Together they embark on a mission through hell in order to find Ellis and Agatha’s parents They encounter quite a number of delays and obstacles, but in the end, everything works out as it should. It’s quite a beautiful ending actually.
My advice, stick with it even though it does get confusing. The Orpheus passages were my favourite and the language was very pretty and moving.
The format that I read this in wasn’t exactly the best so I don’t feel like I got the full benefit of the illustrations and it was a bit confusing. However, that being said, the story, the words, the poetry, the images, and most importantly, the message, were beautiful.
This is a story about 2 brothers during WWII in England. They have different opinions on the war and this has driven them, and their family apart. In an effort to reconcile, Harry goes to meet his brother, Ellis at a pub to discuss collaborating on a book together; Ellis would write the prose and poetry and Harry would illustrate. Unfortunately, after agreeing to disagree on the matter, Harry leaves the pub and shortly after, the pub is bombed. Harry is injured in the blast and he ends up in the hospital where he meets Agatha, a young German Jew who has managed to escape.
Together they embark on a mission through hell in order to find Ellis and Agatha’s parents They encounter quite a number of delays and obstacles, but in the end, everything works out as it should. It’s quite a beautiful ending actually.
My advice, stick with it even though it does get confusing. The Orpheus passages were my favourite and the language was very pretty and moving.
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