Orpheus

The Song of Life

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Folklore & Mythology, History, Ancient History, Greece
Cover of the book Orpheus by Ann Wroe, ABRAMS (Ignition)
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ann Wroe ISBN: 9781468301816
Publisher: ABRAMS (Ignition) Publication: May 24, 2012
Imprint: ABRAMS Press Language: English
Author: Ann Wroe
ISBN: 9781468301816
Publisher: ABRAMS (Ignition)
Publication: May 24, 2012
Imprint: ABRAMS Press
Language: English

“[A] startlingly original history that traces the obscure origins and tangled relationships of the Orpheus myth from ancient times through today” (Library Journal).
 
For at least two and a half millennia, the figure of Orpheus has haunted humanity. Half-man, half-god, musician, magician, theologian, poet, and lover, his story never leaves us. He may be myth, but his lyre still sounds, entrancing everything that hears it: animals, trees, water, stones, and men.
 
In this extraordinary work, Ann Wroe goes in search of Orpheus, tracing the man and the power he represents through the myriad versions of a fantastical life: his birth in Thrace, his studies in Egypt, his voyage with the Argonauts to fetch the Golden Fleece, his love for Eurydice and the journey to Hades, and his terrible death. We see him tantalizing Cicero and Plato, and breathing new music into Gluck and Monteverdi; occupying the mind of Jung and the surreal dreams of Cocteau; scandalizing the fathers of the early Church, and filling Rilke with poems like a whirlwind. He emerges as not simply another mythical figure but the force of creation itself, singing the song of light out of darkness and life out of death.
 
“Did Orpheus exist? Wroe thinks he did, and still does, and dedicates this lyrical biography to doubters.” —The New Yorker
 
“This insightful and visionary study, treading a perfect line between imagination and scholarship, is as readable and necessary as a fine novel. Ted Hughes, another mythographer, would have loved it.” —The Independent
 
“A book to make readers laugh, sing and weep.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
“[Orpheus] will leave you dancing.” —New Statesman

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“[A] startlingly original history that traces the obscure origins and tangled relationships of the Orpheus myth from ancient times through today” (Library Journal).
 
For at least two and a half millennia, the figure of Orpheus has haunted humanity. Half-man, half-god, musician, magician, theologian, poet, and lover, his story never leaves us. He may be myth, but his lyre still sounds, entrancing everything that hears it: animals, trees, water, stones, and men.
 
In this extraordinary work, Ann Wroe goes in search of Orpheus, tracing the man and the power he represents through the myriad versions of a fantastical life: his birth in Thrace, his studies in Egypt, his voyage with the Argonauts to fetch the Golden Fleece, his love for Eurydice and the journey to Hades, and his terrible death. We see him tantalizing Cicero and Plato, and breathing new music into Gluck and Monteverdi; occupying the mind of Jung and the surreal dreams of Cocteau; scandalizing the fathers of the early Church, and filling Rilke with poems like a whirlwind. He emerges as not simply another mythical figure but the force of creation itself, singing the song of light out of darkness and life out of death.
 
“Did Orpheus exist? Wroe thinks he did, and still does, and dedicates this lyrical biography to doubters.” —The New Yorker
 
“This insightful and visionary study, treading a perfect line between imagination and scholarship, is as readable and necessary as a fine novel. Ted Hughes, another mythographer, would have loved it.” —The Independent
 
“A book to make readers laugh, sing and weep.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
“[Orpheus] will leave you dancing.” —New Statesman

More books from ABRAMS (Ignition)

Cover of the book Gascoyne by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book Orange Is the New Black Presents by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book Pie Love by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book Mr. Doyle & Dr. Bell by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book Like My Mother Always Said . . . by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book Wacky Packages by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book The Limits of Vision by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book The Peculiars by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book Celebrating a Life by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book Who Shot the Water Buffalo? by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book My Italian Kitchen by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book A Dangerous Liaison by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book A Guide for the Perplexed by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book The Crown Maple Guide to Maple Syrup by Ann Wroe
Cover of the book In Tasmania by Ann Wroe
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy