Ancient Sicily. Enter GELON: visionary, dreamer, theatre lover. Enter LAMPO: lovesick, jobless, in need of a distraction.
Imprisoned in the quarries of Syracuse, thousands of defeated Athenians hang on by the thinnest of threads.
They’re fading in the baking heat, but not everything is lost: they can still recite lines from Greek tragedy when tempted by Lampo and Gelon with goatskins of wine and scraps of food.
And so an idea is born. Because, after all, you can hate the invaders but still love their poetry.
It’s audacious. It might even be dangerous. But like all the best things in life – love, friendship, art itself – it will reveal the very worst, and the very best, of what humans are capable of.
What could possibly go wrong?
What did I think?
Wow! Glorious Exploits has to be one of the most original and brilliant debuts I have ever read. It's like nothing I have read before nor expect to read again and I absolutely loved it.
The quarries are home to prisoners of war from Athens and if they don't starve to death they will be baked alive by the sun. Syracusians Gelon and his friend Lampo come up with a get rich quick scheme to put on a play starring the Athenians, if they survive long enough to perform. What follows is a heartwarming tale of humanity with a comedic edge that had me rooting for the characters and chuckling at their escapades.
It's almost impossible to describe this book. It's almost a retelling of Greek myth in the style of Monty Python with an Irish slant. It also feels like an homage to a few of my favourite comedies. Imagine the Life of Brian with Del Boy and Rodney mixed with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and a bit of Father Ted. There is a lot of subtle humour and I couldn't help but laugh out loud on a few occasions.
Highly original, humourous and heartfelt, Glorious Exploits is a magnificent debut and a veritable feast for the eyes. I devoured it and loved every minute of it. An easy five stars and a highly recommended read.
Glorious Exploits is longlisted for Swansea University's Dylan Thomas Prize with the shortlist to be announced on 20th March. Good luck to Ferdia Lennon - I have my fingers crossed that I have read the winning book.
I received a gifted ARC to celebrate the Dylan Thomas Prize longlist and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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