Richard Powers

An experimental composer becomes a fugitive after his home microbiology lab, set up to find music in surprising patterns, results in a Homeland Security raid in this new novel from the award-winning author of Generosity.

A Novel

Orfeo

Jeremy Wang

oh richard.

here's another sprawling novel filled with paranoia of the government, deification of nature, and pride in children. it feels like richard powers just can't keep his thoughts in any sort of order, and in orfeo he lets them spool out in a rich, sometimes pretentious tangle. i liked parts of it! the dan brown-esque "bioterrorist bach" plot was intriguing, peter's relationship with sara was a precursor to robin, and of course i learned a few very fascinating stories about music (what is it with world war ii prisons and artistic masterpieces?) there're also some interesting musings on humanity's intellectual achievement crumbling under its own bulk.

but there's just so much! you'll have to talk with me in-person about this mess if you want to hear all of it. at the end of the day, i was mostly just confused. for my own future reference: richard bonner is a bat, clara and maddy, the dizzy freedom of old age.

"let's make something. make what? something good. good: ___"

Orfeo A Novel

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