I think firstly I should point out just what this books is actually all about, It is infact the second volume of the ``Walled Orchard'' series (Goatsong being the first). Eupolis, Athenian comic playwright and rival of Aristophanes, continues relating the story he began in Goatsong. Joining the ill-fated expedition to Sicily, Eupolis is one of the few combatants to escape from the walled orchard where the troops have taken refuge.

So, With a hero thats cynical,weary and believing only in Comedy and a heroine (or two) that`s at the height of her schizophrenic glory, I really did wonder what Tom Holt could pull out of the bag, I took a deep breath and read on..

3 hours later (wouldn`t have been so long but as I get older the tea breaks get longer) I finish, and the wash of emotions is a complex one, This isn't the flip, clever but often rather puerile Holt that you might have read before (especially if you`ve been following my reviews) this is "the other side" of Tom Holt, where his academic background shines through.. The Walled Orchard is a mix of hillarious comedy and deep tragedy but as this is a holt they just can`t be seperate enterties they are twisted and entwined, your laughing, your crying, your feeling, and that`s what makes this book superb, it`ll touch you, it`ll open your mind, it`ll make you stop and think, and you`ll ultimately be glad of the experience..

We are treated to an evocation of life in Ancient Greece in the fifth century BC, it's important to remember that this is indeed a historical novel, and as such the factual side of things might not be to everyone's liking, but there's humour here to make it all so much fun, it`s like being back at nursery with your favourite teacher, learning and not even knowing it..

It is Eupolis (the cynical, weary one I mentioned earlier) that guides us through this book, taking us on a personal journey through his life and times, on this journ
e
y you can`t help feeling sorry for our champion, through the jokes you can feel the deep emotion, the barely hidden pain, the sorrows that moulded one of the greatest comic playwrights.

His rambling style is sure to have you enthralled in his description of Athenian life, and you`ll find yourself wanting less of the about the great Peloponnesian War being waged outside "the walled orchard", and more about the gossip and scandals of the Athens Eupolis and Aristophanes write about in their plays that said the great tragedy of the war, and the foolishness of an imperial power that fails to recognise its own limitations, are handled admirably, including the confusion and herd mentality thats still so often seen in international politics today (mentioning no names, or useless wars in particular).

I often find it easier to write a review when I`m not particularly impressed by the book in question, there's only so many times you can say how great something is, but truly this is a work of great skill, with an attention to detail that's second to none as Holt takes the classical world off its pedestal, revealing the Greek psyche to be an amalgam of logic and irrationality, passion and superstition.

The Vibrancy of the Characters, and the humourous pace make this a delight, I`ve read many times, and know I will read again many more... So, If you're stuck for a read, read this, and then come back and thank me...