Orfeo: A Novel
Orfeo: A Novel by Richard Powers, published by W. W. Norton on January 20, 2014, is a first edition work comprising 384 pages. This novel draws inspiration from the myth of Orpheus and follows composer Peter Els as he navigates a crisis triggered by a police raid on his home microbiology lab. As Els becomes a fugitive, he reflects on his past and the relationships that have shaped his musical journey, all while grappling with the implications of his situation in a world marked by heightened security concerns.
Readers will find a narrative that intertwines themes of music, art, and the complexities of contemporary life. As Els seeks to transform his predicament into a work of art, he reconnects with significant figures from his past, including his ex-wife and daughter. The story explores the intersection of creativity and societal pressures, offering a rich tapestry of experiences that resonate with those interested in the interplay between personal history and broader cultural dynamics.
Official synopsis Publisher
A Chicago Tribune ‘Best Books of 2014’
New York Times Bestseller
Longlisted for The Man Booker Prize
Longlisted for the National Book Award
The National Book Award–winning author of The Echo Maker delivers his most emotionally charged novel to date, inspired by the myth of Orpheus.
“If Powers were an American writer of the nineteenth century…he’d probably be the Herman Melville of Moby-Dick. His picture is that big,” wrote Margaret Atwood (New York Review of Books). Indeed, since his debut in 1985 with Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance, Richard Powers has been astonishing readers with novels that are sweeping in range, dazzling in technique, and rich in their explorations of music, art, literature, and technology.
In Orfeo, Powers tells the story of a man journeying into his past as he desperately flees the present. Composer Peter Els opens the door one evening to find the police on his doorstep. His home microbiology lab—the latest experiment in his lifelong attempt to find music in surprising patterns—has aroused the suspicions of Homeland Security. Panicked by the raid, Els turns fugitive. As an Internet-fueled hysteria erupts, Els—the “Bioterrorist Bach”—pays a final visit to the people he loves, those who shaped his musical journey. Through the help of his ex-wife, his daughter, and his longtime collaborator, Els hatches a plan to turn this disastrous collision with the security state into a work of art that will reawaken its audience to the sounds all around them. The result is a novel that soars in spirit and language by a writer who “may be America’s most ambitious novelist” (Kevin Berger, San Francisco Chronicle).
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