It is the early nineteenth century, and the Bulgarian village of Gela, the legendary home of Orpheus, is suffering under the heavy taxation and arbitrary justice of Ottoman rule. When his bride-to-be is abducted the night before his wedding, Ivan Gelski takes to the hills and turns to banditry to seek revenge. But a chance encounter with a travelling guitarist, and the bloodshed that follows, set him on a musical journey through fame, martyrdom and legend. In this remarkable reinvention of the tale of Orpheus, Will Buckingham plunges us into the music and folklore of Bulgaria, in a parable about storytelling, sainthood and myth-making.
The Descent of the Lyre
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'A powerful literary novel' The Sunday Telegraph 'Blends history and myth ... lyrical and well-written' The Bookseller 'This is a book that is memorable for all the right reasons. The story is gripping and highly original, and it is beautifully written.' Louis de Bernieres 'A highly memorable tale' Vulpes Libris 'It's different from anything you've read in ages, and a fine, humane, intelligent work.' Jean Morris 'Seasoned with knowledge of philosophy ... it feels totally original' TheBookBag.co.uk 'A really fascinating story ... a really lovely, glorious piece of fiction' Jonathan Davidson, Writing West Midlands and author of Early Train 'Beautiful ... a wonderfully conceived piece of work' Maria Taylor, author of Melanchrini 'Really thrilling reading material' Radio Bulgaria 20130308
About the Author
Will Buckingham is the author of 'Cargo Fever' (2007, Tindal Street Press) and 'Finding Our Sea-Legs' (2009, Kingston University Press). He is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the De Montfort University, Leicester. In 2010 he was awarded the British Academy funding to undertake research for his next novel in China.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
You can't fault Will Buckingham for unusual stories. His previous novel, Cargo Fever, was set around a semi-imaginary island near contemporary Indonesia so of course his new novel, The Descent of the Lyre, is set about as far away from Indonesia as possible, in the mountains of Bulgaria in the early 19th Century. It draws on the myth of Orpheus but to my mind is more interesting as a tale of betrayal and adventure. It starts with a young man's bride being brutally snatched from him on the eve of his wedding (by the Turks, then occupying Bulgaria) and ends, well, I won't say how it ends. But the journey taken by our young man, Ivan Gelski, brings him into the heart of sophisticated Paris at a time when the guitar was conquering the known world.
The world of the mountains and woods of Bulgaria is completely convincing; simple and honourable at times, but also violent and vengeful. That happiness and misery are triggered by the cut and thrust of fate is chillingly described and both in Bulgaria and elsewhere in the book there are moments of complete savagery. And in contrast to this savagery there is music, the music of the `Spanish' or classical guitar, still seen as something mysterious and possible intemperate by polite society. And here, real life comes into play, with the guitarist and composer Ferdernand Sor. His life would be source enough for a novel but he is called upon to play only a modest, although vital, role here. He is also all that is left of our story when it is finished, unless, that is, you believe the accounts still told in certain parts of Bulgaria of a man with healing powers, returned from Paris.
And as well as having a really fascinating story, throwing off all sorts of questions and ideas, is also extremely well written. You feel the cold, you taste the raw spirit, you fear the guns and knives and you believe in the love, the lost-love, that haunts Ivan Gelski. I read it in a weekend because each of its short chapters just asked to be read immediately. The learning - of which I suspect there is much - is lightly worn, but you come away with a sense of an extraordinary place at an extraordinary time. It is a really lovely, glorious piece of fiction. Do get the hardback if you can, as it is a very pleasing artefact in its own right.
The world of the mountains and woods of Bulgaria is completely convincing; simple and honourable at times, but also violent and vengeful. That happiness and misery are triggered by the cut and thrust of fate is chillingly described and both in Bulgaria and elsewhere in the book there are moments of complete savagery. And in contrast to this savagery there is music, the music of the `Spanish' or classical guitar, still seen as something mysterious and possible intemperate by polite society. And here, real life comes into play, with the guitarist and composer Ferdernand Sor. His life would be source enough for a novel but he is called upon to play only a modest, although vital, role here. He is also all that is left of our story when it is finished, unless, that is, you believe the accounts still told in certain parts of Bulgaria of a man with healing powers, returned from Paris.
And as well as having a really fascinating story, throwing off all sorts of questions and ideas, is also extremely well written. You feel the cold, you taste the raw spirit, you fear the guns and knives and you believe in the love, the lost-love, that haunts Ivan Gelski. I read it in a weekend because each of its short chapters just asked to be read immediately. The learning - of which I suspect there is much - is lightly worn, but you come away with a sense of an extraordinary place at an extraordinary time. It is a really lovely, glorious piece of fiction. Do get the hardback if you can, as it is a very pleasing artefact in its own right.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By M. Taylor
Format:Hardcover
Will Buckingham has written a very special novel set in an often brutal and yet enchanted world. The main character, Ivan, is a lost soul cheated out of his destiny on his own wedding day. He is forced to retreat to the mountains where he must live as a criminal to survive. When music enters his life he makes a success of his gift for playing, but he is always a detached figure as well as a fascinating character. I really enjoyed reading this novel, beautifully written.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Al B
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Beautifully written. I love the short chapters, easy to read, but thoughtful Historically , interesting with rare insights into the culture and customs of Bulgaria. The author has a love of music and manages to convey this to the reader. Buy it.
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