Glorious Exploits: A Novel

I never imagined myself saying this, but I have now read a book that reminded me of Ted Lasso. It has nothing to do with soccer; it takes place in ancient Syracuse after the defeat of the invading Athenian army, and it’s about putting on a production of Medea and The Trojan Women. But the similarities are there - humor, flawed but sympathetic characters, and an overarching warmth and sweetness that suffuses the book from the first page to the last. I suppose there is one similarity, which is that the characters speak in what I gather is modern English with an Irish overlay. I know that may sound weird, but it works, and brilliantly so.The plot is weird. Two more or less out-of-work potters who are lifelong friends decide that they are going to mount a production of Euripides’ Medea and The Trojan Women using Athenian prisoners who are basically being starved to death in an abandoned quarry. How they accomplish their goal is bizarre, but their adventures are full of dumb luck. Pathos and romance are there along the way.The production has unanticipated consequences, but the book doesn’t end there - it describes the aftermath and what the two ne’er-do-well heroes do to remedy some of the consequences. I’ll leave it he plot there rather than risk any spoilers.It’s hard to believe that this is a first novel. Lennon is clearly a gifted, maybe a brilliant, writer. In his acknowledgments he says that while it took him a long time to finish writing the book, he was compelled to do so. I hope he is more than a one-hit wonder, because I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Great Read

A very enjoyable debut novel. I’ll definitely look out for the author’s next book.

Seriously though, there’s not enough humorous books and there aren’t nearly enough historical fiction out there and this book knocks it out the park. Accent really works for the characters

I LOVED Ferdia Lennon's Glorious Exploits and never wanted it to end. It's a stunning debut novel and has become one of my all-time favorites. Lennon's writing is overflowing with empathy, nuance, originality, and humor. The storytelling is pure genius, the pacing perfect. Every few pages could stand on their own as a short story and win awards. (Bonus poignancy to those who read Euripides's Medea and The Trojan Women as background to the setting, but it's certainly not required.) For context, if you love Susanna Clarke's Piranesi and Madeline Miller's Circe and Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red as I do, you should absolutely read this book.