Sunday Book Review of Orfeo  in the New York Times, by Jim Holt, January 10, 2014. “Powers is prodigiously talented…  He writes lyrical prose, has a seductive sense of wonder and is an acute observer of social life…   I [was] unable to resist the emotional pull of Orfeo…  I [picked] it up eagerly each day and [found], Read More

Review of Orfeo, by Troy Jollimore, Chicago Tribune, January 9, 2014. Powers is the uncommon author who can write a novel of ideas in which the ideas do not compete with but rather enhance the emotional urgency of the proceedings. And “Orfeo” benefits from the deep sympathy Powers seems to feel for the brilliant and troubled protagonist he, Read More

Orfeo is featured in “This Month’s Really Fast Book Reviews,” Esquire, January 7, 2014. Premise: Composer Peter Els goes on the run after police discover his home microbiology lab and suspect he’s a bioterrorist. One-Sentence Review: Powers proves, once again, that he’s a master of the novel with Orfeo, an engrossing and expansive read that is just as much a, Read More

“Richard Powers’ ‘Orfeo’ is Kerri’s book pick,” MPR News, January 7, 2014.

The Millions looks at the year ahead in books, by Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times, January 7, 2014.

“30 Books You NEED To Read In 2014,” Huffington Post, January 7, 2014. Powers fuses science and music via his good-guy-turned-fugitive protagonist, Peter Els. His attempt to discover musical patterns in nature raises suspicions.

“Richard Powers: The Powells.com Interview,” by Jill Owens, January 6, 2014. “If everyone got to talk to Richard Powers for 45 minutes, humanity might go ahead and evolve to its next level. Unfailingly kind and generous, passionate and fiercely intelligent, Powers is as remarkable to speak with as he is a writer.”

“Most Anticipated: The Great 2014 Book Preview ,” The Millions, January 6, 2014. Orfeo by Richard Powers: Richard Powers’ novels are often laced with serious science, with narratives that delve into the complexities of genetic engineering, computer coding, and cognitive disorders. In Orfeo Powers returns to the pairing of DNA coding and musicality from his, Read More

From a preview of the titles on the February Indie Next List flier, on its way to American Booksellers Association member stores in the IndieBound movement, posted on December 30, 2013: “Orfeo is the kind of novel that creeps slowly into a reader’s consciousness and makes a home there. A beautiful, cerebral book that’s, Read More

Posted on January 2, 2014, by Sasha Weiss, The New Yorker picks Orfeo as one to watch out for in January. The critic A. O. Scott has written of Powers that no American novelist makes a stronger case “that the writing of novels is a heroic enterprise, and perhaps even a matter of life and, Read More

Bruce Jacobs reviews Orfeo in Shelf Awareness, January 2, 2014, in which he describes it as one of Powers’s “more accessible and satisfying novels.” It’s hard to beat Richard Powers when he brings his A-game; his reputation as an esoteric intellectual novelist belies his storytelling skills. … In a virtuoso performance, Powers roams as easily through modern, Read More

Toronto’s newspaper The Star listed Orfeo among the “Things that thrill us in 2014.” (January 1, 2014) “With Homeland’s TV success and ongoing news stories about privacy and security breaches, there couldn’t be better timing for Orfeo, the new intrigue from National Book Award winner Richard Powers. Due out Jan. 21, it begins with avant-garde composer Peter, Read More