Reviewed by Ian Lipke
A description of a novel, set in an Australian town, the story described as an “unputdownable, supernatural thriller about a mysterious global event” contains more than enough emotive terms to get the blood of the most jaded reader surging. This is the case with Chris Flynn’s Orpheus Nine, a publication of Hachette Australia.
The cover blurb keeps the pressure on both the reader’s emotions and his wallet. It began in every town and every city at the same time, in every dark and twisted corner of our world. At exactly the same time every nine-year-old child in the world suddenly stops still, begins to sing in unison a Latin verse from King Lear, and swells with a massive overdose of sodium, resulting in kidney failure and a fatal heart attack. This is Orpheus Nine.
Chris Flynn, author of Mammoth, is not unfamiliar with the oddball story. When he remains with his development of this Covid-19 story, he is on firm ground. The minimal pathological descriptions he allows his characters to make are not so outlandish as to be rejected by the readers of this book.
However, it is important to keep the feet firmly on the ground as reviewers are required to do with any book, no matter how ostensibly attractive. The reviewer who described Orpheus Nine as “mysterious, comedic, terrifying and unexpectedly moving, creating the rare novel that penetrates both the heart and mind at the same time …massively satisfying, and absolutely unforgettable” can only have been describing some other book.
Most of the characters are well drawn. The tiresome, noisy women of the village, who have so much to say about just about everything, are convincing creations. Their menfolk appear less rounded. With the exception of two or three prominent citizens, the men exist for the benefit of ‘the pub’. Those who pursue public office are disposed of in a regular, laconic style e.g. the Australian Prime Minister had stepped down. His replacement, a party man with a bellyful of empty promises, only lasted eighteen days (181).
The female teenage cohort requires special mention. While the men are noted for particular activities with their penises, their popularity judged against their skill in employing this organ, and their reputation as lovers, the women are the matchmakers for their daughters. In this particular town the women gossip and, in general, drive the social momentum, during which reputations are made and broken.
The daughters, who are a replica of their mothers, accept the way of life that has been spelled out for them. Despite her parents, eighteen-year-old Skye is an exception. She is an organiser and leader, qualities which are recognised by the younger children and her own cohort. Under her leadership a dangerous plot is averted. This leads into the surprising climax of the story.
Orpheus Nine has the ability to cause debate, even disagreement. Readers will have to decide for themselves.
Orpheus Nine
(2025)
by Chris Flynn
Hachette Australia
ISBN:978-0-7336-5227-1
$32.99; 304pp