num_pages: 250
description: It is the early nineteenth century and the Bulgarian village of Gela the legendary home of Orpheus is suffering under the heavy taxation and arbitrary justice of Ottoman rule. When his bride-to-be is abducted the night before his wedding Ivan Gelski takes to the hills and turns to banditry to seek revenge. But a chance encounter with a travelling guitarist and the bloodshed that follows set him on a musical journey through fame martyrdom and legend. In this remarkable reinvention of the tale of Orpheus Will Buckingham plunges us into the music and folklore of Bulgaria in a parable about storytelling sainthood and myth-making.
language: English
title: The Descent of the Lyre
publisher: Roman Books