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The Songs of the Kings Barry Unsworth

The Songs of the Kings By Barry Unsworth

The Songs of the Kings by Barry Unsworth


Condition - Very Good
Out of stock

Summary

Pure gold....One of the best books by this most versatile of writers.-Penelope Lively

The Songs of the Kings Summary

The Songs of the Kings: A Novel by Barry Unsworth

Troy meant one thing only to the men gathered here, as it did to their commanders. Troy was a dream of wealth; and if the wind continued the dream would crumble. As the harsh wind holds the Greek fleet trapped in the straits at Aulis, frustration and political impotence turn into a desire for the blood of a young and innocent woman-blood that will appease the gods and allow the troops to set sail. And when Iphigeneia, Agamemnon's beloved daughter, is brought to the coast under false pretences, and when a knife is fashioned out of the finest and most precious of materials, it looks as if the ships will soon be on their way. But can a father really go to these lengths to secure political victory, and can a daughter willingly give up her life for the worldly ambitions of her father?

Throwing off the heroic values we expect of them, Barry Unsworth's mythic characters embrace the political ethos of the twenty-first century and speak in words we recognize as our own. The blowhard Odysseus warns the men to not marginalize Agamemnon and to strike while the bronze is hot. High-sounding principles clash with private motives, and dark comedy ensues. Here is a novel that stands the world on its head.

The Songs of the Kings Reviews

Detail so precise you can almost smell the cook fires....Almost magical capacity for literary time travel. -- Neil Gordon - New York Times Book Review
Intellectually agile, thrillingly stylish...The Songs of the Kings effortlessly proves that modern life is the stuff of ancient myth. -- The Guardian
A beautifully measured entertainment given gravity by how accurately it reflects the present political zeal to control the media. -- The Independent
Brilliantly told. This short, sharp tale deserves to be on the shelves of revisionists and purists alike. -- The List

About Barry Unsworth

Barry Unsworth (1930-2012), who won the Booker Prize for Sacred Hunger, was a Booker Prize finalist for Morality Play and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize for The Ruby in Her Navel.

Additional information

CIN0393322831VG
9780393322835
0393322831
The Songs of the Kings: A Novel by Barry Unsworth
Used - Very Good
Paperback
WW Norton & Co
20040330
352
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - The Songs of the Kings