4.5??

Set in 412 BC, in Syracuse, Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon follows the exploits of two unemployed potters Lampo and Gelon in the aftermath of the Athenian invasion of Syracuse. As the vanquished Athenians lay imprisoned in one of the old quarries in the city, starved and kept in horrific living conditions and easy targets for those seeking revenge against the invaders, Gelon and Lampo devise a plan to direct a production of Euripides’s Medea with those captives who remember the lines from the plays. Gelon is motivated by his love for Greek plays and his fear that the defeat of the Athenians would ultimately result in their famous literary works being lost to time. Lampo, the loyal friend that he is, goes along with his friend’s plans, though he does not share his friend’s fascination for Greek tragedies. The Athenians who know the lines of the play are offered extra rations as an incentive to participate. The narrative follows the friends as try to organize the resources (casting, funding, venue, costumes and of course, an audience who would need to be convinced to attend a play featuring the Athenians who the Sicilians hate with a vengeance) they would require for staging Medea and Euripides’ new play The Trojan Women which Gelon only recently heard about and the events that follow.

I was intrigued by the unique and original premise of this novel and was not disappointed. The narrative is presented from the perspective of Lampo in the first person. While Gelon is brooding and intense with a literary bent of mind, and having experienced much personal loss in his lifetime, in contrast, Lampo is more easygoing, impulsive, compassionate and loyal to a fault as is evidenced through his friendship with Gelon, his interactions with the captives in the quarry and his feelings for Lyra. There are quite a few sub-plots woven into the primary narrative that flow well, without ever becoming overwhelming despite the large cast of supporting characters and the multiple threads of the story. The supporting characters are equally well thought out and each has a distinct role to play in the story. The writing is elegant with contemporary dialect interspersed throughout the narrative, which works surprisingly well. The author strikes a perfect balance between the dry humor and light-hearted humorous elements in the first half of the story and the heartbreaking shocking events later in the narrative that alter the direction of the story altogether culminating in an emotionally satisfying yet bittersweet ending. The story touches upon themes of friendship, loyalty, the horrors of war, love and loss, grief and how an appreciation of art and literature can be a unifying force for people all across the world, despite their differences otherwise. Well-written, with a vividly described setting and well-thought-out characters, this novel is an engaging, entertaining read.

Many thanks to Henry Holt and Co. for the gifted ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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‘Gelon says that’s what the best plays do. If they’re true enough you’ll recognize it even if it all seems mad at first, and this is why we give a shit about Troy, though for all we know, it was just some dream of Homer’s’

Gosh this was fun. At first it felt sort of Monty Python’s Life of Brian except Irish and set during the Peloponnesian War. Complete with Irish vernacular: It’s Sicily, 412 BCE and we’ve got Syracusans calling each other ‘gobshite’ while coercing Athenian POWs into performing Euripides’ Medea.

Glorious Exploits nails the comedy, but it turns out to be more than just a cheeky premise and dry Irish humour — the story that unfolds has a lot of heart and depth to it too. There’s a message here about brotherhood, and art piercing the veil of propaganda, but it’s delivered with a light touch. Exploits? Yes. Glorious? YES.
2024-releases read-in-202439 s4 comments Tom Mooney701 223

The book you never knew you needed in your life. Glorious Exploits is madness. Nothing about it should work. It's Kevin Barry-meets-Homer.

And yet. And yet. It is absolutely brilliant. So enjoyable. So funny and satisfying. So sad and brutal and glorious.

It is about war and art and literature and friendship and love and family and community. I loved it fully and hope it finds many readers.32 s Sara1,229 382

I have no idea how this book came to my attention, but it had such a brilliant premise I couldn't resist reading. Two out of work Sicilian potters attempt to put on Euripides plays in the quarry that is currently holding the remains of an Athenian army during the Peloponnesian war. In doing so explore how art can bridge a gap between enemies and evoke emotions buried deep. Add in a distinct Irish dialect to the whole thing, and it's utterly bonkers.

Lampo in particular is a stand out character, the light relief to Gelon's somber moods, at the start of the book he's really just there because he has nothing better to do. Riding on Gelon's love for theatre and his passion to show his local community how evocative plays can be, Lampo learns and grows such much as a character by seeing first hand what putting on these plays, as some respite from the brutalities of war, can do.

This gets 3 stars for me mainly due to the pacing. For such a short book it's a bit all of the place in terms of developing the story, with a slow meandering pace to start followed by a rather frantic ending. I also wanted more world building, and to see more of a juxtaposition between the quiet village life with the horrors of the recent wars. However overall, this was such a unique read that was made all the more special by having the characters be so obviously Irish, yet stuck in 431BC Sicily. An absurd concept, but one that really made the characters that bit more realistic and endearing.fiction historical library-loan16 s Claire FullerAuthor 14 books2,261 Read

Set in Syracuse, Sicily, during the Peloponnesian War (412 BC) Lennon's debut is dark and funny. A load of Athenians have been defeated and imprisoned in an abandoned quarry just outside the city when the narrator, Lampo and his friend Galon decide to use the prisoners to stage a play. It's mad, and horrific, and hilarious. But it's Lampo's voice that comes shining off the page to make it feel utterly real and in an odd way, contemporary.
Thanks to Penguin Fig Tree for the proof. author-irish country-italy debut ...more14 s Nancy1,582 394

If I told you this book was set at the end of the Peloponnesian war, with thousands of Atheneans imprisoned in a Syracusan quarry to die, and that it is a joyful, hilarious, uplifting story, will you believe me?

The Athenians are walking skeletons, shackled, left to the elements, hated for murdering and sacking Sciliy. One man with a club descends into the quarry to avenge his loss, murdering indiscreetly. It is all too gruesome sounding.

Enter two Syracusan men, unemployed potters. Lampo tells their story in an Irish lilt, of how Gelon’s mad love of the Greek plays, specifically those by Euripides, led them to a wild dream: they would find Atheneans who remembered lines from Medea, feed them, and put on the play in the quarry. When Gelon learns of a new play by Euripides, The Trojan Women, he is determined to present that play as well. For Gelon is aware that with the fall of Athens, the plays may be lost to time.

The pair find backing, obtain sets and costumes, bring the prisoner actors to health, all to experience the marvel of story. With twists of fate, they met both success and horror, and endeavor the heroic.

In the end, the novel left me deeply affected. It is a homage to the power of story to alter individual lives and connect even enemies.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.netgalley11 s John Caleb Grenn152 10

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