LoveReading Says
Oh my word, a unique slant in this debut historical novel ensures a fresh and contemporary feel. This take works successfully as the author, Ferdia Lennon, obviously knows his Greek history. It is 412BC, and thousands of Athenian soldiers are being held prisoner in the quarries of Syracuse after a failed attack. Two young local men decide to hold a performance with the Athenians centre stage. Lampo’s voice will offer an immediate resonance to some, and an unexpected note to others while thoroughly immersing you in the life of this Sicilian man. There is a certain irreverence on offer which only serves to highlight the brutality of war and man. I felt as though I was bearing witness, as though I was in the moment and very much a part of the tale. The sense of place is jaw-droppingly immense, the quarries achingly alive with the near-death state of the men being held there. Friendship is a key component to this story, along with the beauty, power, and transportive nature of art. Glorious Exploits is a thoroughly provocative read full of heartbreaking energy, which is why I’ve chosen this novel as a Liz Pick of the Month.
Liz Robinson
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Glorious Exploits Synopsis
'One of the most original and brilliant debuts in years' Irish Times
'Bold and totally unexpected, I loved this book' Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain
'A very special, very clever, very entertaining novel' Roddy Doyle, author of Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha
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So Gelon says to me, 'Let's go down and feed the Athenians. The weather's perfect for feeding Athenians.'
It's 412 BC, and Athens' invasion of Sicily has failed catastrophically. Thousands of Athenian soldiers are held captive in the quarries of Syracuse, starving, dejected and hanging on by the slimmest of threads.
Lampo and Gelon are local potters, young men with no work and barely two obols to rub together. With not much to fill their time, they take to visiting the nearby quarry, where they discover prisoners who will, in desperation, recite lines from the plays of Euripides in return for scraps of bread and a scattering of olives.
And so an idea is born: the men will put on Medea in the quarry. A proper performance to be sung of down the ages. Because after all, you can hate the Athenians for invading your territory, but still love their poetry.
But as the performance draws near and the audacity of their enterprise dawns on them, it becomes difficult to distinguish between enemies and friends. And Lampo, whose ambitions have never stretched beyond having enough coin for the next jug of wine, finds his aspirations elevated, his heart entangled and his courage tested in ways he could never have imagined.
Glorious Exploits is an exhilarating and fiercely original story of brotherhood, war and art; and - in the face of the Gods' apparent indifference - of daring to dream of something bigger than ourselves.
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'Madly ambitious, cathartic like all great tragedy, but shockingly funny too, Ferdia Lennon's outstandingly original début is just glorious' Emma Donoghue, author of Room
'The debut novelist to watch ... Remarkable' The i
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9780241998007 |
Publication date: |
23rd January 2025 |
Author: |
Ferdia Lennon |
Publisher: |
Penguin Books an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd |
Format: |
Paperback |
Pagination: |
304 pages |
Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
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Other Genres: |
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Recommendations: |
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