- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Abacus (17 Jan 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0349113866
- ISBN-13: 978-0349113869
- Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 13.4 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,167,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
A brilliantly sketched historical mystery, The Athenian Murders is a marvellous literary conundrum that evokes such other delights as Imberto Eco's The Name of the Rose and Arturo Perez-Reverte' s The Dumas Club. The novel revolves around two intertwined riddles and is the first to be translated into English by an award winning Cuban author, now resident in Spain.
In Athens, a pupil of Plato's Academy is found dead and his teacher suspects this was no accident. He asks Heracles, the "Decipherer of Enigmas", to investigate the case and the murky cult that surrounds it. The second plot unfolds in parallel through the footnotes of the translator of the original Greek text and soon leads the reader to suspect the author of the tale has something to hide too. Plot within plot, meaning inside meaning, the story develops in a fascinating manner that will enchant both mystery fans and scholars as reality is shown to be somewhat untrustworthy. This is a delight of intellectual prowess and sheer fun. --Maxim Jakubowski
Review
A delightfully paranoic read on both ancient and modern planes with enough literary cunning to satisfy fans of Nabokov's PALE FIRE as well as THE NAME OF THE ROSE (INDEPENDENT )
Extremely subtle and intelligent...totally absorbing (EVENING STANDARD )
It works, superbly (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
This is both a riveting historical novel and a subtle, unpretentious investigation of what happens when writers write and readers read. (SUNDAY TIMES )
Extremely subtle and intelligent...totally absorbing (EVENING STANDARD )
It works, superbly (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY )
This is both a riveting historical novel and a subtle, unpretentious investigation of what happens when writers write and readers read. (SUNDAY TIMES )
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First Sentence
The corpse lay on a fragile birchwood litter. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
The corpse lay on a fragile birchwood litter. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Don't buy this book if you're looking for something like Lindsey Davis' Falco mysteries. This isn't a generic detective novel with an unusual setting. It's in the tradition of Umberto Eco and Jorge Luis Borges and will be most enjoyed by readers who enjoy their work. Have a look at the other reviews here and see what you think...
If you're in that category, you're in for a treat. Somoza plays intertextual games with the perfunctory murder mystery (our portly Athenian detective is called Heracles Pontor) and pulls off an audacious and entirely unexpected twist at the end.
Great, original stuff this, and I look forward to reading more of Somoza's books. If only someone would translate them!
If you're in that category, you're in for a treat. Somoza plays intertextual games with the perfunctory murder mystery (our portly Athenian detective is called Heracles Pontor) and pulls off an audacious and entirely unexpected twist at the end.
Great, original stuff this, and I look forward to reading more of Somoza's books. If only someone would translate them!
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I can honestly say I have never read a book like this before. The plot device was extremely unusual, (although I believe it is similar to the one used by Umberto Eco in "The name of the rose"). The murders of the title take place in Ancient Athens at the time of Plato, but the twist is that the story of the murders is actually being translated from Ancient Scrolls by a modern day scholar. His story is told in the form of footnotes throughout the book, and becomes closely entwined with text he is translating.
As someone with experience of classics professors and scholars, the translators attitudes towards those who disagreed with his interpretation of events in the text made me laugh out loud.
The story of the murders themselves bring Ancient Athens to life. The imagery is fantastic - you can see the philosphers and athletes in the academy, and taste the figs the "decipherer of enigmas" eats. This is the first book Jose Carlos Somoza has written that has been translated into English, and if his others are only half as good then I hope that they too will be translated and published over here.
As someone with experience of classics professors and scholars, the translators attitudes towards those who disagreed with his interpretation of events in the text made me laugh out loud.
The story of the murders themselves bring Ancient Athens to life. The imagery is fantastic - you can see the philosphers and athletes in the academy, and taste the figs the "decipherer of enigmas" eats. This is the first book Jose Carlos Somoza has written that has been translated into English, and if his others are only half as good then I hope that they too will be translated and published over here.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you read the other reviews you'll get an idea of the plot - what you need to know to get a fuller understanding of the work is the connection to the works of Euripides - especially the Bachae play.
The text mixes the rational and the irrational - on one side you have a combined investigation by Agatha Christie and Plato: On the other the dark forces of the irrational and a vision of existence worthy of Mr de Sade! The God of wine and riot is firmly in control by the end of the story.
The false trails set by the translator (who has the wrong myth!) are masterful and revealing (paradoxically).
Comparisons with 'Name of the Rose' are not false - it isn't an easy read, but is quite entertaining and sustains multiple readings.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
very good
This book was in very good condition and despatched within the promised time. I AM VERY SATISFIED WITH THIS SERVICE.
Published 8 months ago by BOOKWORM
Brave attempt at a literary novel
I read this novel when it first appeared in English and have just re-read it. I was disappointed with it the first time around and wanted to give it another go because I remembered... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mike Davey
More than an historical novel
The unusual structure of this novel has been set out in other reviews with footnotes often longer than the text. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Officer Dibble
My friends keep stealing it!!!
(NO SPOILERS)
How many more times must I buy this book?
I first read it years ago. Read more
How many more times must I buy this book?
I first read it years ago. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2010 by J. Scott
Postmodern classical
This book received the 2002 Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award but it is unfortunate it has been so pigeonholed since it is actually a postmodern tour de force and the... Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2010 by Martin White
I'd like my money back
The CWA gold dagger award is usually a pointer to the highest standard of writing in the genre of crime writing (CWA does mean Crime Writers of America). Read more
Published on 26 May 2009 by M. Jones
Not what it seems
Being a fan of the light-hearted, character-driven murder mystery novels, such as the Falco series, I picked up The Athenian Murders expecting more of the same: shady goings on and... Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2008 by Magdabat
So disappointing!
I had been looking forward to reading this. I'm interested in Ancient Greece and love mysteries too, so thought I'd be in for a treat. Read more
Published on 25 July 2008 by Patience
Deeply Irritating and Unengaging
It sounds very promising: a combination of mystery story and literary puzzle set in ancient greece. It came with admiring reviews. I had high hopes for it. Read more
Published on 4 April 2008 by wolf
clever, original, intriguing
This is a stunningly original novel, self-conscious about it's own artificiality, and intellectual in an Umberto Eco kind of way. Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2007 by Roman Clodia
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