Upon coming across the cover of "Glorious Exploits" by Ferdia Lennon and reading the blurb, I was initially filled with excitement. The combination of Theatre and Greek History, two subjects close to my heart, instantly caught my attention.

In the book, Lennon transports us to the backdrop of Syracuse, where the main characters Gelon and Lampo find themselves facing unemployment and financial instability. Determined not to lose hope, they come up with an unconventional idea of staging Greek Tragedy shows in the city's quarries, housing Athenian prisoners. Despite their limited resources and lack of theatre experience, Gelon and Lampo courageously embark on bringing their ambitious dream to life, presenting "Medea" and Euripides' lesser-known play, "The Trojan Women."

Lennon's writing style weaves elements of dark humour and humanity into the narrative, offering glimpses of ancient Syracuse and the arduous journey of Gelon and Lampo. Their friendship becomes the heart of the story, providing a relatable anchor amidst the challenges they face. While tragedy, tenderness, and comedy are skilfully blended, there were moments when Lampo's perspective felt slightly disconnected, and the romance plot lacked excitement.

"Glory Exploits" does a commendable job of depicting the struggles of Gelon and Lampo as they navigate a world of inequality. Their relentless pursuit of art through Greek Tragedy serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the profound impact of artistic expression. However, there are instances where the novel contradicts its own message about finding dignity in the face of adversity.

As a debut novel, Ferdia Lennon's "Glorious Exploits" may not receive the highest accolades, but its honest portrayal of friendship and human aspiration makes it a worthwhile read.

One for the ancient history & theatre fans... Or indeed fans of great books in general! 🏛️✨

🏺 'Glorious Exploits' by Ferdia Lennon is set in ancient Sicily in the 5th Century BC. It's about Lampo and Gelon, who have lost their jobs at the pottery factory. They do what any sane blokes would do in this situation: decide to put on a theatrical production of 'Medea' using some Athenian prisoners as their actors.

✨ I absolutely loved this! Lampo narrates it and he's so funny (often you're laughing at him rather than with him)! He's not particularly successful or clever, and is fully aware of both of these facts. Sometimes you're reading his observations and just internally screaming 'LAMPO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!'

🎭 It felt like a love letter to the power of theatre. Even though the Syracusans HATE the Athenians, they're still desperate to see & hear poetry - so desperate that they'll use prisoners of war to act out what they remember of the plays of their hometown. The plays they put on (Euripedes' Medea & The Trojan Women) feature heavily, but you don't need to have read the originals to enjoy it.

🍷 The stand out feature of 'Glorious Exploits' was how timeless & relatable Lampo's character was. Through him, the ancient world is brought vividly to life - he adores his best mate but is terrible at communicating it, he can't get the girl he likes, he spends all his money on crap, he's still living at home with his mum, he loves drinking rubbish wine at the local pub & chatting nonsense with his friends.

🌟 Overall, I'd highly recommend this to anyone, regardless of whether you're interested in ancient theatre or not! Honestly I would have read a whole SERIES of books just following Lampo & Gelon around on their ridiculous errands. Can't wait to see what Ferdia Lennon writes next.

🗓️ 'Glorious Exploits' publishes on 18th Jan 24.

🎁 Thank you for this advance copy!

- Katie

(Review posted to Instagram on @katiespencebooks)

..as we listen, something happens. The words and voice blend so that what he is blends, and he becomes two things at once, a starving Athenian, yes, but something else, hidden, then rising. He's Medea, poor princess Medea from Colchis...[loc. 345]
Sicily, 414BC: two out-of-work potters, Gelon and Lampo, are on their way to the quarry with bread and olives. They'll feed the imprisoned Athenians, recently defeated at the Second Battle of Syracuse -- but only if said Athenians can manage a quotation or two, preferably from Euripides. Some of them do better than others, and after a while Gelon and Lampo hatch a plan to produce Euripides' Medea and The Trojan Women, right there in the quarry where the Athenians are surrounded by the tombs of their dead fellow soldiers; with Athenians playing all the roles, and full costume and scenery provided by our two heroes. They may be penniless potters, but they're avid theatre-goers -- and they have connections, including the delightfully sinister Tuireann, from 'the tin islands ... near Atlantis', who funds the production and who may have a god imprisoned on his ship.

The plays are produced; there's tension between Gelon and Lampo; there's a shockingly sudden act of vengeance; there's a daring escape. All fitting neatly into the historical context (which is backdrop rather than foreground: Lampo, for instance, berates a tour guide who's waxing eloquent about the death of Nicias, but barely mentions Nicias otherwise), and all exploring the multifarious shades of tragedy, from the theatrical to the personal. Happily, this is leavened by friendship, love and respect: I think the core of the novel is the friendship between Gelon and Lampo, and the things that make that friendship waver.

Glorious Exploits is the debut novel of Irish author Ferdia Lennon: I confess I was surprised (and initially irritated) by his rendition of colloquial speech as idiomatically Irish, but why not? I'd much rather read working-class characters speaking informally ("Ah, easy there now," says I. "There's plenty of fun to be had without mauling the staff. Right, lads?") than the stilted, grammatically correct dialogue found in some historical novels. Lennon's narrator, Lampo, may be a common man, but he's not immune to the magic of poetry or myth: and his and Gelon's shared passion for Euripides is a joy and an inspiration, however dark the denouement may be.

I'm reminded that I recently read another novel that featured the Sicilian Expedition: Mary Renault's The Last of the Wine. It's easy to imagine Myron, Alexias' father, as one of the Athenians who survives the quarries, who finally makes it home to tell of the Athenians' defeat.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy, in exchange for this honest review: UK publication date is 18 JAN 2024).

This superb book embodies everything I love about modern interpretations around stories of ancient Greece. Set in Syracuse during the Peloponnesian Wars, we meet Lambo and his best friend Gelon as they search through the local quarry, which is serving as a prison for the Athenians who were captured following their failed attack on the city. Gelon wants to find any Athenian who can quote the plays of Euripides and, having found some who know the poet’s works, decides to put on a play bribing the captive Athenians with extra rations.

This receives a mixed reaction from the townsfolk of Syracuse, many of whom harbour huge resentments against the Athenians who they hold responsible for the deaths of so many of their loved ones. Lambo, as co-director, uses his own unique blend of humour and humanity to strike a balance between the people around him in an effort to put on a play which becomes about so much more than a mere play. Indeed, this book covers so much of what it means to be human. It looks at humanity, friendship, love, loss, hope, and more, but with absolute compassion and humour at its heart. The writing is sublime, and the plot and pacing are pretty much perfect in my eyes.

I loved everything about this book and hope to read more by this author soon. I heartily recommend it to anyone who loves classical retellings or historical fiction.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Wow wow wow.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for allowing me to read this proof of Glorious Exploits because I think you may have just spoiled 2024 for the rest of my TBR. I’m not sure anyone else will grab the top spot, and it’s my first read of the year!

This ancient story of betrayal, war and humanity completely wowed me. The first time I picked it up, I read a couple pages, and actually didn’t go much on it. I was heavily thinking of not picking it back up again. I left myself to stew on it, and came back having let go of the preconceived ideas of what I thought this book would be or how it would read.

Lampo is a main character I never thought I’d have a soft spot for. To begin with he is completely unlikeable, says the wrong thing persistently and is selfish (though even he is self aware enough to reflect on this). Lampo’s personal journery, from one of selfishness to sacrifice is an honour to witness. As well as Gelon’s journey with grief and anger. This book is a complete masterclass on character building and development.

This book is also a love letter to theatre and art alike. In every chapter there is praise. From the work of ancient playwrights, of course specifically Euripides, to the prop design in theatre. From appreciating clothing to art of song. As someone who has always leaned heavily into the creative side of my brain, this connected with me on a deep level.

I would truly love to pick this book apart chapter by chapter, and write essays on it. I have highlighted so many quotes it’s unbelievable. I just simply adore Lennon’s writing. At times simple sentences conjure such strong imagery- I am still thinking about the cat with the gold tongue mentioned only once- it seems odd Lennon did not spend paragraphs building the imagery up slowly to form such clear ideas.

Simply put, it feels wrong to say I loved such a book. One highlighting the brutality and suffering of war, the utter loss both sides accrue in fighting for their own lives whilst purging others of their own. But it has such humanity. Truly identifying just how far humans will go for one another, in both anger and empathy.

Glorious Exploits is balanced wonderfully in steady paced writing with quick events, with fables interspersed either in song or character action. I could not read this book quick enough. Without giving spoilers, if you’re looking for a book that is profound and heartbreaking, tied up all neatly with a bow at the end, this one is for you. It might not be an ending you foresee, or even want for Lampo, but it is still a satisfying one.

All together 5 stars from me: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Again, thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the proof copy, I am beyond thankful for it! If Ferdia Lennon publishes anything else, I will be first in line.

Oh my gosh I loved this book. I picked it up expecting a little light entertainment and, within a couple of pages, was overwhelmed by how brutal and humane it was. Taking its starting point as the disastrous invasion of Sicily by Athens in 415BCE, Glorious Exploits goes on to explore grief, loss, suffering, and the transformative power of art and love within a narrative that contains a lot of violence and death but somehow remains weirdly joyful. I really hope a lot of people read this and then pick up some Euripides!

In Syracuse, Sicily, during the Peloponessian War (412 BC) two unemployed potters (Gelon and Lampos) have aspirations to direct plays by the great playwright Euripides.

For the cast the enlist the beleaguered Athenians, captured and imprisoned in the quarry following their defeat.

They plan to stage not only Medea, but also The Trojan Women, but how can malnourished prisoners of war and poor potters pull off such a feat?

This is a great little read and a brilliant debut. Lovely snippets of classics, humour, and a dash of tragedy and drama set this little book alight.

A 4.5* read for me and a great one to kick off 2024!

I have reviewed Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon for book recommendation and selling site LoveReading.co.uk. I’ve chosen Glorious Exploits as a Liz Robinson pick of the month. See link for full review.

Glorious Exploits is sensational! What an amazing read; bursting with life and action and I couldn’t put it down. Difficult to believe this is a debut. The writing is assured and the characters are superb. I know very little about Ancient Greece but this story has a real feel for the time and place. I could sense the brutality of the stone working and the plight of the prisoners. The dust and heat were, at times, almost tangible,

Ferdina Lennon has woven a very entertaining story into this setting, bringing together opposing factions in an outrageous plan to stage two plays by Euripides. It’s a story for our times; one where hope and expectation is a way to lift life from the dismal reality. It’s a difficult book to describe. It’s laugh out loud funny as the personality of the two central characters is captured to perfection. Their interactions just flow. There’s also a darker side which gives balance and the plotting and pace as the outrageous scheme takes shape is spot on. A very different read and one which should have wide appeal and a book that’s going to be talked about. Loved it.

What an unusual book. A wonderful, idiosyncratic take on the Ancient Greek world of Euripides, Aristophanes, and the city state of Athen's hubris in its war with Syracuse, the principal city of Sicily.

Our two heroes aren't the usual aristocratic, wealthy, well-educated types. No, they're two unemployed, Syracusan potters with scarcely an obol to their name. And yet, they.ve a yearning to put on a play by Euripides no less.

It's difficult to over-estimate the hold theatre had over the Hellenic world at this period. Plays formed the bedrock of what we'd recognise as culture. Theatre then as now has the power to move people, transport them, give them hope. And sometimes, that power also enrages.

What starts off as a comedy of some kind quickly acquires layers, serious, thought-provoking layers with many parallels to our current world. I started off not quite sure where this book was taking me. I finished it taking larger and larger bites, eager to experience everything Ferdia Lennon was throwing at me.

A novel well worthy of our times, Glorious Exploits blinded me with its brilliance. Transported back to 412BC Syracuse where Athenian would-be-invaders, now prisoners of war, are kept in a quarry to die slowly of starvation. Enter Lampo and Gelon, potters by trade (out of work at the mo), and full of love for poetry written by Euripides. What, they wonder, would it mean if Athens was destroyed bringing an end to Euripides and his plays? Keen to keep the poetry of their enemy alive, they decide to put on a play of Medea and Trojan Women starring Athenian prisoners who are willing to trade their knowledge of these plays for food and wine.

On the face of things this is equal parts hilarity and cruelty, kindness and greed, genius and foolhardy. I laughed out loud, I shed a few tears. I was touched by the humanity of this Greek tragedy. I loved the casual Irish dialogue which worked surprisingly well in this context. A truly inspired novel that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, I look forward to many more novels by this ingeniously talented writer.

Beautiful, funny and poignant. A wonderful blend of Irish witticism and Ancient Greek grandiosity, with a cast of wonderfully fleshed out characters.

5th century BC Syracuse recently fought off an attack by the Athenians and hundreds of Athenian prisoners are kept in a disused quarry. where they are slowly starving to death. Two unemployed potters, friends and drinking companions amuse themselves occasionally by taking scraps of food to the quarry to throw to the men. They take it into their heads, discovering that some of the poisoners are familiar with Euripides, to put on a production of Medea, acted by them. How to feed the actors enough so they don't die? How to fund masks and costumes? Its ancient and modern, captivating and funny, beautifully written - Brilliant!

The idea of loving Athenian poetry while resenting the invasion adds a layer of complexity to the narrative. The courage and determination of the characters in the face of adversity are inspiring. The story beautifully explores the blurred lines between enemies and friends, making you question loyalties. While "Glorious Exploits" offers a unique perspective on ancient history, it's the human resilience and artistic pursuit that make it a must-read. The anticipation of their performance and the challenges they face keep you engaged from start to finish.

This is a strange book. It's sort of like Flann O'Brien meets Euripides and I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. Set in 412BC, the Athenians have just been handed their behinds by the people of Syracuse (modern Sicily) and the prisoners of war are all being kept in a quarry where they are slowly starving to death. Two, out of work potters, Lampo and Gelon, visit the quarry out of curiosity when they are taken with the idea of putting on two of Euripides plays, Medea and The Trojan Woman. It is a hare brained idea that takes the pair on a merry and sometimes not so merry dance. I found myself impatient with it for the first quarter of the book and then I was hooked. I had to know how it ended. I can't say I warmed to the characters and the whole conceit was weird, but it was compelling.

I was really grateful to be asked to review this ARC and I can totally see a version of this book that would be amazing, unfortunately I just didn't think this one stuck the landing.

‘𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨,’ 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴. ‘𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺.’

Glorious Exploits tells the story of Lampo and Gelon, Sicilian potters who are out of work shortly after Athens' attempted invasion of Sicily. The surviving invading Athenian soldiers are held captive in the quarries of Syracuse, being kept alive but slowly starving, and Lampo and Gelon have taken to visiting them, demanding lines of poetry in exchange for bread. Gelon is obsessed with Athenian tragedy and having so many Athenians at his disposal... well he gets an idea. Gelon convinces Lampo to stage Euripides' Medea and The Trojan Women in the quarries using the starving soldiers as actors, but can this plan really mean anything good for anyone involved?

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴. 𝘈𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦

The tone of the book is clearly striving for sardonic wit, trying to utilise the same kind of satirical sensibility as Catch-22 but in this book it can come across as really basic and bland (such as lines like "𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘶𝘱, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩. 𝘎𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘶𝘱, 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩.") or otherwise really mean spirited and cruel. I do believe that the balance the author is trying to make between gruesome gallows humour and morally nuanced commentary is possible but I don't think he quite managed it, partly because of how unbearable his main character, Lampo, is. So much of the book is also slowed down by Lampo's love subplot with a slave woman which honestly added nothing to the story at all.

I can see a great novel in here, but it just isn't quite there yet. I think trying so hard to make the book funny, which largely failed, was a mistake as it actually undermines the parts that are really powerful and touching. Gelon's character, in particular, is brilliant. The way his portrayal hints at the overwhelming grief he keeps hidden, which provides context for some of his more stubborn and callous actions was really well thought out. But Lampo was such a boring Everyman, that instead of being a foil to Gelon or an interesting contrast, you just wish he would shut up and go talk to Gelon instead.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵. 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦 – 𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘴 – 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴.

412BC in Syracuse. Athenians are being held prisoner in an old quarry, exposed to blazing sun during the day and plagued by rats at night. The Syracusans despise them, but two Syracusans decide to get them to put on a performance of Medea.

A rich trader arrives in Syracuse. His origins and motives are unclear, but he agrees to finance the performance. With his backing, they can afford to feed the Athenian performers, keeping them from death in the harsh conditions in the quarry.

The scheme is not popular with others in Syracuse - will the performance go ahead, and what will happen to the actors and the backers...

A good read.

Despite the occasional dark bits (but you expect that from this era) I found this a fun and lighthearted read. But there was more to it than that, as it deals with emotional fallout, friendship and values that aren't what they seem. I was disappointed by the ending though.

A great look at period of history that is dark, interesting and insightful told in a comical tone in surprisingly Irish dialect, works really well doesn’t seem out of place at all.
A book of friendship and making the right choices…a tale as old of time.
Not your usual historical read and it’s all the better for that

I loved this book! Glorious Exploits explores the fallout of the Sicilian Expedition during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. The protagonists are two normal men from Syracuse whom, on a whim, decide to use the Athenian prisoners to put on a play by Euripides. I read a lot of fiction about ancient Greece but rarely military fiction - as I read for research I usually read Greek myth retellings, but Glorious Exploits does very well what a lot of myth retellings lack. In particular, slavery is dealt with very thoughtfully, and at the forefront of the novel is always the humanity of the imprisoned soldiers from the losing side. Despite its serious topic, the novel is very funny and wonderfully written. A fantastic novel that I will definitely read again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.