On the Overgrown Path (The First Republic trilogy Book 1)

On the Overgrown Path

---

Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review.

Editorial Reviews

Showing of 1 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. A novella that feels very much like a fairy tale for grown-ups. He indulges his habit of recording sounds he hears in musical notation in a small notebook, and becomes obsessed with a particular song sung out of sight by a woman's voice "a vivid contralto He is put up in large empty housealmost a Castlewhere he is cared for by the housekeeper and her husband. He makes forays into the nearby Woods searching for that tune, which proves very elusive.

Soon he begins to feel that Something does not wish him to capture these essential sounds, and yet he cannot give up the quest. There is an atmosphere to this compelling story that is reminiscent of Tolkien. A brilliant evocation of Eastern Europe between the wars, when Magic both dark and bright seemed to infuse the very trees and snowflakes, and mysterious forces were abroad in the land. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers.

Learn more about Amazon Giveaway. Set up a giveaway.

Buy for others

Like a siren from the forest the song lures him from his seat on the train. Every sound is a song to him. The wind, vibrations, blood moving through veins, and the various tones and timbers of the human voice all call out to him as notes in a new song. He finds the source of the song.

Between her breasts, the outflung cavity is planted with roses. The drear red of their petals is all that she sings now. Needless to say he missing his train and finds himself in the unexpected position of investigating a murder, a murder of which he is the primary suspect. After all, he found the body.

His gift is music and he must solve the murder through the notes and cadences of his craft. The world is encapsulated in those scribblings. A composer of the future, even if the blue sphere has disappeared, could recreate the essence of who we are from the symphony of those notes. It takes my breath away at even the thought of it.

Native Americans feared that when they allowed these White Invaders to take their picture that their soul was being stolen. He is hearing things beyond their hearing. He makes connections that seem supernatural to them. When he jots down notes that capture their voices, like the Native Americans, they fear he is taking their soul with him between the leaves of that notebook.

I bought four of his books, rather impulsively, based more than anything on the fact that three of the books are part of a Prague trilogy.

I did do some research on Herter, read some excerpts, and felt comfortable investing my money. I am so glad I did. The atmosphere of this book is mystical with a character so lost in his own gifts he truly needs to be reminded to sleep, to eat. Even walking is a song: View all 20 comments. Dec 18, Richard Derus rated it liked it.

Attempting to solve a bizarre murder in which he himself is suspect — and whose perpetrator might be a wild animal, a jealous lover, or Nature unhinged — he br Rating: Attempting to solve a bizarre murder in which he himself is suspect — and whose perpetrator might be a wild animal, a jealous lover, or Nature unhinged — he brings to bear his singular skills of observation and poetic insight, and most importantly, his belief in the truthfulness of the "little melodies" heard in everyday life: What he uncovers is a many-stranded aria of ravenous Nature and mischievous Time, threatening to consume his world.

What a beautiful little package this book is! I love the Millais cover image, Ophelia , and particularly like the way it resonates with the dark, supernatural story Herter is telling here. This little beauty was very pleasant to read.

It's a supernatural fantasy set in Czechoslovakia, featuring the composer Janacek as its main character. The evocative language, and the use of Janacek's known habit of recording every sound in musical notation wherever he was, were very nice features of the book.

The dialogue was, in a word, wooden; some of it was intentional, and I could completely see that the author was attempting a 19th-century cadence with sterling success; but then, but then, but then As thought this year-old man of a certain dignified station in life was a Valley Girl! That made the unnaturalness I felt was a hallmark of Janacek's dialogue all the more evident!

Search This Blog

The supernatural-death-dealer elements were fine, and well-handled; the story path of the isolated village with dark secrets and darker customs is well-worn, but nonetheless enjoyable to tread; yet the whole, which I began wit every expectation of adoring, ended up in the "glad I read it, but won't re-read" category. I would cheerfully recommend the book to anyone who likes dark fantasy tales, and would equally recommend it to anyone interested in moody, atmospheric fiction.

Just don't pin your socks to your pants, they are in no danger of getting blown off by On the Overgrown Path. The novel contains a lot of great details about the composer, his work and composition technique, weaved into a tale that becomes an odd mystic experience, nothing to do with his biography anymore. If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support? Attempting to solve a bizarre murder in which he himself is suspect - and whose perpetrator might be a wild animal, a jealous lover, or Nature unhinged - he brings to bear his singular skills of observation and poetic insight, and most importantly, his belief in the truthfulness of the "little melodies" heard in everyday life: Newly revised and expanded, On the Overgrown Path inaugurates David Herter's First Republic trilogy, an epic tale of death and rebirth set in the hinterlands of Europe between the World Wars, featuring a group of real-life artists who clash with the clockwork of Time.

Read more Read less. Don't have a Kindle?

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Showing of 1 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews.

Follow the Author

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. A novella that feels very much like a fairy tale for grown-ups.

• Lo scandalo di una notte (Italian Edition)
• Apprenez pas à pas les règles de base de la comptabilité - Partie 1 sur 3 (French Edition)
• Greek Painted Pottery
• The Book of IT
• A Falling Knife: An Evan Adair Mystery