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Revision as of 09:11, 6 October 2020
, 09:11, 6 October 2020no edit summary
{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=The Descent of the Lyre
|sort=Descent of the Lyre, The
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-9380905075
|pages=250
|publisher=Roman Books
|date=August 2012
|website=http://willbuckingham.com
|summary=A novel that's exciting, touching and historically fascinating for all, mixed with greater depths for those who want to delve further. Ivan Gelski may be fictional but he's someone you won't forget in a hurry.
|cover=9380905076
|aznuk=9380905076
|aznus=9380905076
}}
Seventeen -year -old Ivan Gelski, the much -loved son of Bulgarian peasant parents, has his bride to be and future snatched from him brutally just before his wedding. Full of rage and vengeance, he leaves his close -knit village to join the haiduti, a savage band of outlaws who kill mercilessly in order to acquire food and survival. Years later, on one of these killing sprees, Ivan encounters Solomon Kuretic, a Viennese Jew and guitar virtuoso on his way to play for the Sultan in Constantinople. Solomon must play for his life but, by doing so, he sends Ivan on a journey of his own spreading across Europe and into saintly veneration.
Having read ''The Descent of the Lyre'' I'm grateful for Will Buckingham's integrity, as it was written to fulfil a promise. It's seasoned with his knowledge of philosophy and storytelling as well as a deft touch and lyrical beauty. This isn't an airy fairy gentle ramble through theories of life and higher consciousness though but a gritty, earthy collection of the fictional Ivan's adventures as his humanity is stolen from him and then returned unexpectedly. Its basis may be the legend of Orpheus, whose wife was kidnapped and who suffered under those who misunderstood him but it feels totally original.
A special thank you to Roman Books for sending us a copy of this book for review.
If you've enjoyed this and would like another historic read that gives you something else to ponder, we suggest [[Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding]] or the short but poetic [[The Conception of Zachary Muse by Jason Hinojosa]]. {{amazontext|amazon=9380905076}}{{amazonUStext|amazon=9380905076}}
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