Description

Book Synopsis

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2014

''A magnificent and moving novel'' LOS ANGELES TIMES


Seventy-year-old avant-garde composer Peter Els opens the door one evening to find the police on his doorstep. His home microbiology lab - where he is conducting the latest experiment in his lifelong attempt to find musical patterns in surprising places - has aroused the suspicions of Homeland Security.

Panicked by the raid, Els turns fugitive, earning him the moniker ''Bioterrorist Bach''. He hatches a daring plan to transform this disastrous collision with the security state into an unforgettable work of art that will reawaken its audience to the sounds all around it.

A gripping escape narrative filled with lyrical wonder, Orfeo is both a portrait of a creative, obsessive man, and a reflection on finding melodies in everyday life.

Orfeo

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Mon 8 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback by Richard Powers

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      View other formats and editions of Orfeo by Richard Powers

      Publisher: Cornerstone
      Publication Date: 6/12/2025
      ISBN13: 9781804951767, 978-1804951767
      ISBN10: 1804951765

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2014

      ''A magnificent and moving novel'' LOS ANGELES TIMES


      Seventy-year-old avant-garde composer Peter Els opens the door one evening to find the police on his doorstep. His home microbiology lab - where he is conducting the latest experiment in his lifelong attempt to find musical patterns in surprising places - has aroused the suspicions of Homeland Security.

      Panicked by the raid, Els turns fugitive, earning him the moniker ''Bioterrorist Bach''. He hatches a daring plan to transform this disastrous collision with the security state into an unforgettable work of art that will reawaken its audience to the sounds all around it.

      A gripping escape narrative filled with lyrical wonder, Orfeo is both a portrait of a creative, obsessive man, and a reflection on finding melodies in everyday life.

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