- Paperback: 342 pages
- Publisher: WW Norton; Reprint edition (Mar 29 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0393322831
- ISBN-13: 978-0393322835
- Product Dimensions: 21 x 14.2 x 2.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 313 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #436,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Provocative and subversive, Unsworth's new novel rewrites ancient history to show how a wily, ambitious and power-hungry man can distort the truth, convince the masses to support him and incite his country to wage war. It's an audacious blending of myth with sharp contemporary resonance. The setting is Aulis in 1260 B.C., where unfavorable winds are keeping the fleet of the Greek expeditionary force (actually a motley assemblage of hostile and predatory tribes loosely united under Agamemnon) from setting out to capture Troy. The pretext is revenge for the "rape" of Helen by Paris, but Agamemnon and such tribal leaders as Achilles and Odysseus are, in fact, lusting for the fabled treasures of Troy, spoils of war that each man, down to the most common soldier, yearns to possess. Unsworth (Sacred Hunger) reveals this complex intrigue slowly as he explores the critical situation on which the narrative hinges: the omens that explain Zeus's wrath and the prophecy that only the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter, Iphigeneia, will reverse the contrary winds. We know of this event from Homer, of course, and he appears here as the Singer, a far from noble figure who is influenced by the conspirators to fashion the version fed to him by Odysseus. It is the hero of The Odyssey who gradually emerges as the chief villain, cynically manipulating his cohorts as he exploits the prophecy to serve his own ends. And it is Iphigeneia, lured to Aulis by false promises, who shows more moral courage than the king, his enemies or any of the court sycophants who seek only their own advantage. Unsworth's narrative method is as daring as his message; his prose is a mixture of classic cadences and contemporary vernacular, animated by beautifully descriptive vignettes and bawdy humor. He uses a minor figure, Calchas the diviner, as the means through which the reader understands the political machinations that create the illusion of a just war. "People intent on war always need a story, and the singers always provide one.... What [this] is really about is gold and copper and cinnamon and jade and slaves and timber," Calchas says. "It is the stories told by the strong, the songs of kings, that are believed in the end..-- is really about is gold and copper and cinnamon and jade and slaves and timber," Calchas says. "It is the stories told by the strong, the songs of kings, that are believed in the end."
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Join Booker Prize winner Unsworth on another one of his greatly atmospheric visits to times past, in this case, ancient Greece on the eve of the Trojan War. Adverse winds are keeping the allied forces of King Agamemnon from sailing across the Aegean Sea in their planned siege of Troy, wherein inhabits Paris, who stole the beautiful Helen, wife of Agamemnon's brother, Menelaus. The Greeks cannot enjoy revenge unless the atmosphere shifts, and what god in the first place is so angered that contradictory winds are the manifestation of divine ire? Agamemnon's advisors plot a way for the king to seem to be in full command of the winds and thus retain the undisputed command of the increasingly fractious invasion coalition; their plot involves the sacrifice to Zeus of the king's own daughter, Iphigenia. This classical time when history and myth intersect provides ample opportunity for the distinguished novelist to accomplish his usual gracious exploration of the unique textures of past cultures, and his many fans will not be disappointed. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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First Sentence
This was the sixth night. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
This was the sixth night. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible book!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Songs Of The Kings (Paperback)
I am sorry I ever read this novel. The story itself is fascinating, but his writing style is awful. The modern language does not fit the story--it's disconcerting. Only a few of the characters are fleshed out, and very few of them are likable. I forced myself to finish this book, because I bought it, and I hoped it might improve by the end. But I was sadly disappointed.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The price of leadership,
By
This review is from: Songs Of The Kings (Paperback)
Barry Unsworth is clever. He tells the story of the sacrifice of Iphigeneia but his commentary is relevant to all times, especially our own. His insertion of contemporary expressions added wry humor. Agamemnon, however, remained a puzzle, motivated by greed and power, determined to unite the Greeks and destroy the Trojans, he is manipulated into a cul de sac by his chief scribe, Odysseus, and the priests of Zeus. He must sacrifice his beloved daughter to appease Zeus and thus change the winds in favor of the Greek fleet. Odysseus, the scribe, and the priests continue to support this course of action openly to build consensus among hte Greeks and maintain the unity of the Greek troops. The one false note here is that when a powerful leader is forced into making such a sacrifice by his counselors, his resentment later erupts to destroy those who manipulated him into a corner. Odysseus was too clever not to recognize that Agamemnon's resentment would eventually erupt and be aimed at those who restricted his previous course of action.Homosexuality was dealt with in the novel as an ordinary daily occurance, both in the relationship between the priest of Apollo, Calchas and his beautiful acolyte and then in the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, his cousin and lover. Achilles had the cruelty and arrogance of the beautiful and athletic demi-god, cutting of the head of a thief for a petty crime. Unsworth reveals the desires for power and wealth that motivated the Greeks, using the seduction/kidnapping of Helen by Paris as a pretext. The wronged husband Menelaus is a fool, rapist, bore that surely was disgusting to Helen. In the same way that Agamemnon's revenge was never fully developed, Iphigenia's agreement to her own sacrificial death was not fully developed either. Unsworth states that the father did not have enough sense of duty and the daughter had too much of a sense of duty. Thus he is pressured by Odyssus to assume leadership including making any sacrifice to unite his troops. Iphigenia is also pressured by Odyssus to make her ultimate sacrifice to her father and the nations of Greece as they move toward triumph. I have to give Unsworth credit for writing a page turner, even knowing the end, I was compelled to read faster and faster as the Princess moved toward her doom. In her arrogance, Iphigenia was not a sympathetic victim. But the stupidity and manipulative world of men made her a victim and worthy of some sympathy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hooray for Barry Unsworth,
By Greg Baird (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Songs Of The Kings (Paperback)
In 'The Songs of the Kings' Barry Unsworth proves that sometimes the best way to make social commentary and really get people to listen is to disguise it. Coming out of his amazing story you find yourself pondering questions that are quite relevant in today's world (especially in the political arena). How far are we willing to go? Who is, ultimately, capable of deciding between what is right and what is wrong? Who should be responsible for decisions like that when the outcome will effect countless numbers of people? Regardless of where you fall in the political spectrum these questions are crucial to the world today, and Barry Unsworth does an excellent job of steering you toward them without trying to answer them for you. Through the re-telling of Greek myth Unsworth has crafted a relevant, thoughtful piece of literature which will remain with you long after you turn the last page.
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