Telémachus - by Michael Daley (Paperback)

About the Book

"Telemachus, archetype of the boy left behind, is portrayed in this novel by Bobby Bacca, whose father, M.M.Bacca, the famous poet, has died. Bobby, an artist, has gone in search of his father's past and travels within the memories of M.M.Bacca's closest friends while his own memories intersect with the effects of trauma still pervading the adult lives of his contemporaries. This "sidebar of an odyssey" modernizes the abandonment and allure for might that Simone Weil takes as her foundation for declaring Homer a pacifist poet. Though Mac Bacca is no hero, nor is he a Leopold Bloom, his aberrant and twisted personality takes us on a ride over some strange country along the neglected yet familiar path of the male soul"--

Book Synopsis

Telémachus, archetype of the boy left behind, is portrayed in this novel by Bobby Bacca, whose father, M.M.Bacca, the famous poet, has died. Bobby, an artist who has gone in search of his father's past, revisits the Bacca legend through stories told by those who knew him best, while his own memories intersect with the effects of trauma pervading the adult lives of his contemporaries. This "sidebar of an odyssey" modernizes the abandonment and allure for might that 20th-century French philosopher Simone Weil takes as her foundation for declaring Homer the first and greatest pacifist poet. Though Mac Bacca is no hero, nor is he a Leopold Bloom, his aberrant and twisted personality takes us on a ride over some strange country along the neglected yet familiar path of the male soul.

Review Quotes

"In Michael Daley's novel Telémachus, a painter seeks to learn about Mac, the father who abandoned him... Bobby hopes to understand his father's transformation from a famous poet and literary critic into a man who left his son behind... The prose is captivating, with powerful descriptive and reflective passages and striking metaphors, as of "the warehouse of my veins," used to describe Bobby's obsession with his 'one art'... With its deep insights into the human condition, the book takes on universal questions of inheritance and the duties of fathers and sons. Bobby wonders if he's destined to be like his father. At the same time, he wonders how much attention a father owes to his son, and how much forgiveness a son owes to his father. Piecing together information about his father's secret remorse, Bobby begins to understand how random events can change people forever." -MICHELE SHARPE, Foreword Review

"Father: Famous poet and vicious critic of contemporary poetry and politics found dead, seated on a subway platform bench.

Son: Famous painter of miniature, imaginary landscapes seeks the secrets behind his estranged father's personal and professional demise. The Chorus: Letters and texts from father's friends sing us through the convoluted Archipelago of these distinctly contemporary lives. Climb aboard the Telémachus, secrets await! Michael Daley raises the bar on father-son tales." -Bill Ransom, author of Jaguar (WordFire Press) and The Woman and the War Baby (Blue Begonia Press)

"Telémachus is a timeless dream that takes place in a town where boat builders, artists and writers, waitresses, tavern dwellers and ordinary neighbors mix in unpredictable ways; a story of human struggle, hubris and humility, deep love and unintentional cruelty winds its way to understanding and forgiveness." -Mary Morgan, Rainshadow Journal

"I enjoyed Telémachus thoroughly. The opening chapter is a particular delight, and I read it through several times. It flows smoothly, the characters are well drawn and I hope that it enjoys a wide audience." -Russell Hill, author of Ghost Trout, The Egret and Lord God Bird (Pleasure Boat Studio)