Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Song of Orpheus” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Song of Orpheus

Tracy Barrett (Goodreads Author)

4.03 · Rating details · 40 ratings · 21 reviews

The Song of Orpheus: The Greatest Greek Myths You Never Heard is a funny, adventure-filled collection of wonderfully weird "new" Greek myths. This unforgettable collection spins tales of love and loss, hilariously vain superheroes, ancient robots, untrappable giant foxes, men reborn after being torn apart by dragons, and even the world's first monkeys. A few of these tales ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for $4.99

Paperback, 114 pages

Published August 1st 2016 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Song of Orpheus, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about The Song of Orpheus

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.03 ·

Rating details

· 40 ratings · 21 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Song of Orpheus

Aug 10, 2016 Fadwa (Word Wonders) rated it liked it

Full Colorful review on my blog : Word Wonders

*I received an eARC of this book from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*

3.5 stars

First of all, the writing sucked me in immediately. It is interactive as Orpheus is directly talking to the reader, conversing, commenting on the stories and pointing out ridiculous situations and inconsistencies, but what made it even cooler to me is personal, the way the author wrote the myths felt like how a family friend used t Full Colorful review on my blog : Word Wonders

*I received an eARC of this book from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*

3.5 stars

First of all, the writing sucked me in immediately. It is interactive as Orpheus is directly talking to the reader, conversing, commenting on the stories and pointing out ridiculous situations and inconsistencies, but what made it even cooler to me is personal, the way the author wrote the myths felt like how a family friend used to tell me urban legends when I was a kid so it had a familiar and nostalgic vibe to it. Also, what I really appreciated were the little notes and charts at the end of every chapters -as well as at the very end of the book- helping with the understanding of the different people, gods and species because let’s face it there are way too many not to get confused.

The way the myths are recounted is very unique and interesting. The narrator is Orpheus who has a myth of his own, a pretty known one that is. So, in a way, this anthology is 17 myths within a myth because Orpheus has to tell stories to break a curse that was put on him. As much as he is witty and funny, I have a love-hate relationship with him because he just kept wining about missing Eurydice (his wife) and regretting what he did to her, he even sometimes stopped in the middle of myth just to start talking about this again, all I wanted to do is yell “I GET IT! Can we move on now, please” and this took a little from my enjoyment of the myths.

But don’t get me wrong, I loved them! Especially because they were these less known myths so I learnt a lot of new things about Ancient Greece, I didn’t know any of them but one, which was Dionysos’ myth AND it’s one of my favorites so I really didn’t mind finding it in this anthology. All the myths were fun, weird and quick to read, but here’s the thing, they were TOO quick. I would’ve liked more depth and detail because I didn’t get time to immerse properly in the myth before it got cut short and the ending got revealed.

This was a really good read that I would recommend to any Greek Mythology lover. It will succeed in surprising you with new myths, alternate endings, open endings as well as links between different myths that will bring new things to light about stories you already knew, and those lightbulb moments were kind of my favorites as they had me beaming like a stupid person over new pieces added to the never ending Greek Mythology puzzle.
...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 16, 2016 Cindy rated it really liked it

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"You're in the middle of a dark wood, not sure how you got there or even exactly where you are." - first sentence of the prologue.

Before you're going to read this review, I have to say this:
Thanks, Fadwa! Why? You ask. Well, because we did a double read! However, due to circumstances, we decided to post this review separately and mention each other in the review :) So, after supporting each other and keeping in touch of cou I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"You're in the middle of a dark wood, not sure how you got there or even exactly where you are." - first sentence of the prologue.

Before you're going to read this review, I have to say this:
Thanks, Fadwa! Why? You ask. Well, because we did a double read! However, due to circumstances, we decided to post this review separately and mention each other in the review :) So, after supporting each other and keeping in touch of course, we finished the book within about two days! *claps for self and Fadwa*

Okay, here we go!
First things first, this is probably going to be a short review. Why? Well, this book is more like an anthology of unfamiliar ('new') myths, than an actual novel. (If you read the blurb at the start, you'll already know that). So there's no actual need for discussion setting, characters or development and so on. This is because the myths are what is left from an ancient civilisation and so I'm not going to be the one to judge about all those things (not that there is a lot to judge about because, lets face it, Greek myths are just awesome in their weirdness).

I didn't know any of these myths beforehand, so in that way the book was really successful. The myths that were told were awesome (as always), weird (like most) and absolutely genius. Did I have a favourite? No, not really. I enjoyed reading them all and had a good time reading this book.

There is one small thing that I want to point out though. Between the myths there is a tale about Orpheus (you know him right? If not, it'll be explained in the books). Since Orpheus is the narrator, the myths are all written to form one great whole, including some pieces where Orpheus is speaking about himself. Those parts were my least favourite parts, only because of the fact that (after reading three times) Orpheus keeps telling how he misses Eurydice and how he wishes she will forgive him. I understand that he longs to be reunited with her, but reading it all over again didn't make me feel any better.

The writing was well done. Since Orpheus himself is the narrator, there is a different view on the myths. There is not the 'looking back' point of view that you get when you usually read the myths, the narrator is from that time period. Yes, not all Greeks believed these myths and of those myths even got mixed up, but to him it's just normal.

Overall, I did like this book. The fact that I didn't know any of these myths really made it more interesting for me to read. Ignoring that what I didn't like, it was a good read. I also really liked the additional information in the introduction and the end, that might be because I'm really into the language stuff, but I liked it nonetheless. I give this book 3.5 stars :) ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 12, 2016 Marjolein rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, children-ya, read-in-english, mythology, short-stories

3.5 Stars

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

The Song of Orpheus has a fun way of connecting a number of lesser known Greek myths together through the story of Orpheus, who has to tell a lot of stories before the sun sets.

For those readers that are rather unfamiliar with Greek mythology, but would like to read some of the lesser known stories, this is a wonderful book. For those, who like myself, took some classes into Classic Greek -- well, let's just say that Orpheus w ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 26, 2016 Izabella (Pages Full of Stars) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-review-copy, 2016, 2016-favourites, fantasy, humour, magical-creatures, mythology, mythology-greek, netgalley, period-ancient-history

The Song of Orpheus is a fun take on Greek mythology, which is going to appeal to everyone who loves Greek myths, as well as readers who just start their adventures with them!

The Song of Orpheus: The Greatest Greek Myths You Never Heard is a collection of 17 stories, less known Greek myths. They're told in a very interesting way, by Orpheus himself and I absolutely loved how the narration draws the reader in and seems interactive, in a way. I believe that it will be a very engaging read for read ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2020 Sharon Pegram rated it it was amazing

A really fun story collection for Greek myth fans. The voice is engaging and makes the myths accessible without sacrificing any of their strangeness. Fast-paced and yet full of well-researched details about the ancient world.

flag Like · see review

Aug 19, 2016 Hilary rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lol, arc, children

*I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Song of Orpheus is a book full of lesser known Greek mythology written for children. It is a fun and fast read as the tales are very short.

In the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Orpheus, who has been turned into a rock and we, as the readers, have to listen to 17 stories in order to help him reunite with the love of his life, Eurydice. All 17 myths are stories of gods, demi-gods, and heroes who do not get mention *I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Song of Orpheus is a book full of lesser known Greek mythology written for children. It is a fun and fast read as the tales are very short.

In the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Orpheus, who has been turned into a rock and we, as the readers, have to listen to 17 stories in order to help him reunite with the love of his life, Eurydice. All 17 myths are stories of gods, demi-gods, and heroes who do not get mentioned in the popular tales.

Can't you see how interesting this book is?

I think The Song of Orpheus would make a great audiobook. Orpheus is a fun storyteller, and the whole book is written in easy English so children can understand what the myths are about and the lessons we can learn from them. I also like how Orpheus often relates the myths to his own story (which makes him sound so real) and to our world. When relating the stories to modern times, he will also state the differences between the ancient society and the modern one. For example, in the stories which involve marriage, Orpheus states how marriage was arranged by parents in the ancient world, but we can have the freedom to marry the ones we love nowadays.

In the myth about Zagreus, Orpheus tells readers that Zagreus was to be Zeus's heir, but then points out how unreasonable it is: "Zeus is immortal - what's the point of being his heir if he's never going to die?" Truth be told, many of the Greek mythology do no make any sense at all, and we never know which one is real but which one we wants to believe. I like how the author didn't choose to delete this implausible tale but instead included it to remind us myth is just...myth.

My favourites out of the 17 stories are "Don't Mess with a Superhero", "But Does She Really Love You?", "Be Careful What You Wish For", and "An Oread Scorned". The appendix is gem. You get to know Greek alphabets and pronunciation, plus a little bit of the differences between Greek, Roman, and Latin.

The only thing I don't like about this book is the repetitive transitions from one story to another. Orpheus is always mentioning about the sun setting, or counting how many stories he has told or not yet told. This really annoys me. I would prefer him jumping to the next tale right away.

I hope more people know about this book because it is really fun even if you do not know many Greek myths (like me). I would definitely recommend it to anyone with children interested in Greek mythology. Also, I hope there will be a volume 2 since there are still many stories left untold in this one.

Rating: 4/5 ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 14, 2016 Leonie Hinch rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mythology, retellings

What a wonderful little book. I love Greek myths and infact I'll be studying them this year at university. So when I saw The Song of Orpheus I thought well why not give it a try.

This book isn't a collection of any old Greek myths. It's mostly aimed at children I think but I found it amusing and sentimental enough to be enjoyed by adults as well. The great thing about it is that it has a lot of myths that even I hadn't heard! Some familiar characters with a new spin and also some stories which w ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 07, 2017 Joey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Good for Bedtime

A young reader would give a better rating. I'm rating as an adult who has been reading these stories to my infant son. They're short, entertaining for me, and they help him to sleep. I've studied and taught Classics, so I've read many of these before. I really like the framework that pulls together disparate narratives and has a happy ending for Orpheus and Eurydice. I recommend this book to children and parents who like mythology. ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 20, 2016 Andy N rated it it was amazing

This review was originally posted on NetGalley.

Greek history and mythology is one of my favorite fields not only to study, but also to explore in my free-time. This is the main reason I wanted to read this book, and the promise of ""new" Greek myths". It didn't disappoint at all.

This book contains 17 myths and stories of ancient Greece, written in a way that will grab the attention and the heart of its readers, no matter the age. There a few myths that I never really heard of or read about and t ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 04, 2016 Laura rated it it was amazing

I got my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's an original book which tells some Greek myths that are not very well-known. The narrator is Orpheus that at last is going to be reunited with Eurydice, but you have to help him. It's fast-paced, and even if the stories are not the typical mythological stories we all know, it's worth reading, if you do like mythology.

...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 22, 2016 Ehholmes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Mythology lovers will like this a lot

It is fun that the author acknowledges the evolution of these tales and reconciles the many variations that exist. Without being ponderously detailed, she mentions where tales diverge in their plot and/or motivation, giving the reader amusing and thoughtful ways of understanding these myths as well as of our ancient forbearers. The appendices while short, are very helpful.

flag Like · see review

Jul 25, 2016 Chelsea rated it it was amazing

Fun, fascinating, and a tremendous resource for young readers and educators (and indeed, anyone who loves Greek mythology!). This will give even the most die-hard myth lover a run for their money--and I'm speaking to myself here! I love Greek mythology, but I'd never heard of a few of these, and it was so fun to read!! ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 07, 2016 Sarah rated it liked it

"The Song of Orpheus" was mildly entertaining with some fun never-heard before myths, but there wasn't really substance to any of them. I liked the general idea, but the frame narrative fell flat for me and the different tales just weren't as intriguing as, for example, Ovid's tales from the "Metamorphosis". ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 25, 2016 Jenna Smith rated it it was amazing

I love Greek mythology, so naturally I loved this book! The stories are definitely new and intriguing, and written in a way that's appealing to both children and adults. If you think you've heard of all the Greek myths, you haven't - check out this book!! ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 22, 2016 Patsi Trollinger rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction-for-young-readers

I've wanted to learn more about Greek mythology but hated the thought of slogging through an encyclopedic set of entries. This book has been perfect, revealing myths and characters as part of a larger story, which is told with dry wit and a touch of drama. Well done! ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 26, 2016 Angelle Barbazon rated it it was amazing

I love reading about Greek mythology growing up, so diving into The Song of Orpheus was a real treat! Tracy Barrett is a fabulously colorful writer, and I could see her book being a great fit for a book club or discussion group.

flag Like · see review

Aug 22, 2016 Melissa Craven rated it really liked it

An amusing collection of Greek myths like you’ve never seen
See my full review at
http://www.yabookscentral.com/explore-indie-books/latest-ya-indie/discussions/review?id=38041 ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 25, 2016 Sydney rated it it was amazing

This is an awesome way to introduce your kids (or yourself!) to Greek mythology. These stories are fascinating, and this book is a great tool for caretakers and educators alike!

flag Like · see review

Aug 08, 2016 Sue Poduska rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Myths I'd Never Heard

It's just plain fun to tell stories that may have been forgotten. Those who enjoy Percy Jackson and 300 inevitably want more. ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 25, 2016 Lauren added it

This is a quick, fun, and educational read that will definitely appeal to middle grade and young adult readers, but also any adults that enjoy a humorous take on mythology.

flag Like · see review

Marquise rated it liked it
May 02, 2020

Teresa rated it liked it
Dec 27, 2019

Jennifer rated it it was ok
Aug 03, 2016

Maria rated it really liked it
Oct 27, 2016

Bobbie rated it really liked it
Oct 20, 2020

S. rated it liked it
Mar 21, 2018

Shadz rated it liked it
Dec 08, 2019

Jul 25, 2016 Marissa DeCuir rated it it was amazing

Fun, fresh spins on ancient Greek myths that children (and adults!!) will enjoy!

flag Like · see review

Snake rated it it was amazing
Apr 17, 2017

Anj Mac rated it really liked it
Aug 14, 2020

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy > Mythology

6 users

Fantasy

4 users

Short Stories

4 users

Retellings

2 users

See top shelves…

About Tracy Barrett

Tracy Barrett

131 followers

Tracy Barrett has written more than twenty books for children and young adults. She’s much too interested in too many things to stick to one genre, and has published nonfiction as well as historical fiction, mysteries, fantasy, time travel, myth and fairy-tale retellings, and contemporary realistic novels. She knows more about ancient Greece and Rome and the European Middle Ages than anyone really ...more