The Songs of the Kings - Softcover

Unsworth, Barry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140260927 ISBN 13: 9780140260922

Publisher: Penguin, 2003

Synopsis

A thoroughly modern tale of politics, spin-doctoring, and media manipulation.

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, 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?

About this title

Review:

"Elegant, profound, and wonder-provoking.... Unsworth's writing is unrivaled, he gets better and better, and his versatility is breathtaking. His novels are close to perfect in an imperfect literary world."

Unsworth's story never falters.

Intellectually agile, thrillingly stylish...The Songs of the Kings effortlessly proves that modern life is the stuff of ancient myth.

Incandescent....One of the three most important British novelists at work today....It is impossible to read [this novel] without feeling an immediacy both unbearable and profound, as if this week's headlines were being incised into the conscience and the heart....Unsworth has combined several versions of the Iphigenia myth to set up an entrancing, frightening mystery. --Richard Eder"

Elegant, profound, and wonder-provoking....Unsworth's writing is unrivaled, he gets better and better, and his versatility is breathtaking. His novels are close to perfect in an imperfect literary world. --Ruth Rendell"

Intellectually agile, thrillingly stylish..."The Songs of the Kings" effortlessly proves that modern life is the stuff of ancient myth. "

Unsworth's story never falters. "

Detail so precise you can almost smell the cook fires....Almost magical capacity for literary time travel.--Neil Gordon

A beautifully measured entertainment given gravity by how accurately it reflects the present political zeal to control the media.

Brilliantly told. This short, sharp tale deserves to be on the shelves of revisionists and purists alike.

About the Author:

Barry Unsworth is the author of many novels, including PASCALI'S ISLAND, MORALITY PLAY, SACRED HUNGER and LOSING NELSON. He lives in Italy.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0140260927
• ISBN 13: 9780140260922
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256