Warum ich meine beste Freundin tötete

by Amanda Michalopoulou, Αμάντα Μιχαλοπούλου, Michaela Prinzinger (Translator)

In Amanda Michalopoulous Roman findet sich die zehnjährige Maria aus dem geliebten Nigeria ihrer Kindheit, wo ihr Vater für eine Ölfirma arbeitete, plötzlich in ihrem griechischen Geburtsland wieder. Der Übergang fällt ihr schwer, sie hasst alles an Athen: das Essen, die Atmosphäre, die Schule, die Klassenkameradinnen, die Sprache. Bevor sie ganz in ihrem Elend versinkt, taucht plötzlich Anna auf. In Paris aufgewachsen, ist sie das genaue Gegenteil von Maria. Die beiden Mädchen werden über ihre gemeinsame Erfahrung des Fremdseins unzertrennliche beste Freundinnen, zugleich aber auch schlimmste Konkurrentinnen – was die erste Liebe, ihre jeweiligen Begabungen, Zukunftserwartungen und politischen Überzeugungen betrifft.

Genres: Greece, Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Literature, Book Club, Novels

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Amanda Michalopoulou (Greek: Αμάντα Μιχαλοπούλου) is a Greek author known for her novels, short stories, and children's books. She studied French literature in Athens and journalism in Paris and later worked as a contributing editor for Kathimerini. She began her literary career with short stories, winning the Revmata Prize in 1993. Her debut collection Life is Colourful Out There appeared in 1994, followed by award-winning titles such as I'd Like, which earned the National Endowment for the Arts' International Literature Award in 2008. Her novels include Octopus Garden and Bright Day, and her writing has been featured in The Guardian, Harvard Review, and World Literature Today. Widely translated into 20 languages, she currently teaches creative writing and divides her time between Athens and Paris.

Reviews

[Nessrina Hazem · Rating 3 out of 5]

لو حنعتبر انها جريمة قتل و نفكر في طريقة القتل و الأسباب
فلأ هي مش جريمة قتل خالص

هي حكاية صداقة لأكتر من عشرين سنة
"الأصدقاء الأعداء"
زي ما الراوية "ماريا" قالت.
صديقتين حنعيش معاهم مرحلة الطفولة. أولهم "آنا" اليونانية العائدة من باريس و أمها أنتيجون و حياتهم كأي أسرة باريسية .. من تعليم الباليه و ترتيب تناول الوجبات الفرنسي و حبهم للنضال.

و الصديقة الثانية او الراوية "ماريا "، يونانية عائدة من نيجيريا .. خلفية مختلفة عن خلفية آنا.
ماريا نشأت في نيجيريا مع مربيتها و على أمثالها الشعبية في بيت كبير واسع في طبيعة أفريقيا الخلابة.

الكاتبة بتورينا تأثير الانتقال على البنتين، ماريا و انتقالها من زخم و جمال أفريقيا و كرهها للحياة في اليونان و حتى محاولتها للهروب.
أما آنا القوية فتعايشت و كمان أسست لنفسها حياة جديدة و وضع في مدرستها.

بتستمر صداقتهم في المرحلة الابتدائية وحتي نهاية الثانوية.. مرحلة الطفولة ثم المراهقة و التخبط و الحب.


لحد هنا فروح ايلينا و ليلا حاضرة معانا

مشاعر الحب و الغيرة و الانبهار و السيطرة، صداقتهم القوية اللي بتتلاشي عندها حدود الخصوصية.
آنا و شخصيتها القوية الملفتة اللي دايما طاغية على شخصية ماريا و تعديلها على ماريا دايما و سطوتها عليها. كل ما هو لماريا متاح لآنا حتى لو صديق أو حبيب أو هواية او مجال دراسي. صداقة غريبة ظاهرها الحب و باطنها الغيرة و التسلط.

و لحد هنا فالقصة مشوقة و لطيفة.. رحلة بين فرنسا و اليونان و أفريقيا. حتى الشخصيات الثانوية مناسبة و تسكينها مظبوط و الكاتبة أسلوبها جميل وتستحق ٤ نجوم.

كمان الكاتبة طرحت الجانب السياسي و الثوري و تأثيره علي ماريا و آنا و على علاقاتهم و تفكيرهم و لبسهم و حتى قصة شعرهم ..
الكاتبة كانت موفقة في الاجزاء دي كلها ❤️

عيبها الوحيد انها بالغت شوية في أجزاء الاجتماعات السياسية و البيانات المكتوبة بتفاصيل مملة و مكررة لدرجة اني في آخر ٥٠ صفحة كنت بمر عليهم بسرعة مع ان المفروض ان اخر ٥٠ صفحة يبقوا مشوقين لأنهم بيكتبوا النهاية.

بالنسبة للترجمة فالترجمة سلسة و بسيطة و محستش اني بقرا نص مترجم و كأنه مكتوب اصلا بالعربي. و ده مش جديد على دار العربي 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book reminded me of why I like to read.

[Takisx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ωραιότατο βιβλίο απο μια αγαπήμένη. Η γυναικεία ματιά πάνω στη φιλία, η πολιτική, το γερνάμε φιλενάδα
και πρόκοπή δεν είδαμε, οι έρωτες που υπάρχουν για να διαψεύδονται, αλλά πάνω απο όλα ο θάνατος που
τα ακυρώνει όλα χωρίς επιστροφή.

(θαυμάσια δουλειά)

[Christiana Hadji · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ένα εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο μυθιστόρημα, με χαρακτήρες των οποίων οι πολυσχιδείς και έντονες προσωπικότητες σκιαγραφούνται στην εντέλεια από μια έμπειρη και ταλαντούχα συγγραφέα.
Η Μιχαλοπούλου γράφει με την άνεση του λογοτέχνη που ΞΕΡΕΙ να γράφει. Το εκφραστικό της ταλέντο, η αφηγηματική της επιδεξιότητα και η βαθειά γνώση της για την ανθρώπινη ψυχολογία ξεχειλίζουν μέσα από τις άψογα σχηματισμένες προτάσεις της. Η συγγραφέας καταφέρνει αβίαστα και πολύ πετυχημένα να αναλύσει τις λεπτές ισορροπίες της γυναικείας φιλίας: αγάπη και μίσος, ζήλεια και τρυφερότητα, ανταγωνισμός και αλληλεξάρτηση.
Το μόνο πράγμα που με "χάλασε" είναι η απόφαση της Μιχαλοπούλου να εμπλέξει τον πολιτικό ακτιβισμό μέσα στην ιστορία της. Όπως αναγράφεται και στο οπισθόφυλλο, στο βιβλίο αυτό οι προσωπικές ιστορίες της Άννας και της Μαρίας διαπλέκονται με την πολιτική ζωή, αφού οι δύο φίλες ωριμάζοντας περνούν από την μιά επανάσταση στην άλλη - από την σεξουαλική ελευθερία στον κομμουνισμό, από τον αναρχισμό στον περιβαλλοντικό ακτιβισμό, και από την διανοουμενίστικη επανάσταση στην καλλιτεχνική διαμαρτυρία.
Καθίσταται ολοφάνερο μέσα από τα έργα της ότι η Μιχαλοπούλου δεν είναι μια τυχαία συγγραφέας. Έχει εκτενείς γνώσεις και ολοκληρωμένη άποψη για ποικίλα θέματα (φιλοσοφία, πολιτική, αρχιτεκτονική, τέχνη), απόψεις τις οποίες συνηθίζει να παρουσιάζει μέσα από τις ιστορίες των ηρώων της. Άλλοι αναγνώστες μπορεί να θεωρούν ότι έτσι εμπλουτίζεται η ιστορία, αλλά εμένα προσωπικά τα μανιφέστα αυτά με κουράζουν και με κάνουν να ανυπομονώ να επιστρέψω πίσω στις προσωπικές ιστορίες των ηρώων του μυθιστορήματος.

[Nermeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so proud to be the translator of this book.
I spent the whole summer of 2019 in the journy between Nigeria, Greece and France through the complicated relationship of the two round characters of Ana - with the half white eyebrow and Maria with her cut-off pincky finger.

[Lita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political activism and toxic relationships... those are two things I have to say about this book. It's a coming of an age story of two girls written in a non-linear fashion. The author mixes present with the past to slowly reveal to us the life paths of Maria and Anna with all the struggles and traumas. I wish I knew more about Greek history and politics as it plays an important role in the book. All in all, it's not an easy read. At times, you just don't understand why would someone put themselves through such mental and emotional stress...but when all the pieces of the puzzle are finally revealed, it kinda makes sense. Life, I guess, in many ways is all about finding out who you really are.

It's one of those books that's also difficult to rate. After reaching the status of solid 4 stars, the author threw in an ending that just... I don't even know... left no resolution but created more complications with an extra dose of existential pointlessness. So I'll forget about it and give it the 4 stars just because it's one of the few books of contemporary Greek literature translated in English.

[Elena Sala · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHY I KILLED MY BEST FRIEND (2003) is a coming-of-age story which takes place in certain critical moments of Greek modern history, from the exile of Greek citizens during the dictatorship (1967-1974), the constant ideological crises of the Greek left, up to the 2008 protests and demonstrations which culminated in riots after the police killed a 15 year old student.

Maria is the narrator, and she tells her story in chapters that alternate between the present and an account of her growing up, when she first met her best friend, Anna. Maria lived in Nigeria until she was nine. They left their beloved Nigeria after a frightful incident and returned to Greece with her mother, leaving her father behind for a time. Maria has difficulty adjusting to Greece, but becomes close friends with Anna, who also returns to Greece with her mother just like Maria had, but from cosmopolitan Paris, where her parents had spent years in exile. The two girls remain close for years afterwards until something drives them apart.

This is a novel about friendship, rivalry and jealousy. It deals with people who are motivated to contest social inequities, whether racism, classism, homophobia, or prejudice against people with AIDS. But WHY I KILLED MY BEST FRIEND is most of all a political novel in which the conflicts of Greek politics and fluctuating economic conditions function as a backdrop to Anna and Maria’s conflicted story.

Amanda Michalopoulou has written several novels, short story collections and books for children. She is considered one of Greece's leading contemporary writers and has won several prestigious prizes. The book was translated by the superb Karen Emmerich, who, among other things has translated the wonderful poems written by Yannis Ritsos.

This is a wonderful, moving book, brilliantly crafted, suspenseful until the end. It does require some knowledge (or some googling) of Greek politics, because, as I mentioned before Greek politics are central to the story. Highly recommended for readers who want to read more literature in translation.

[Ellinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warum ich meine beste Freundin tötete lässt mich etwas zwiespältig zurück. Es ist die Geschichte zweier Freundinnen, die über etwa drei Jahrzehnte hinweg erzählt wird. Maria zieht nach einem längeren Aufenthalt in Nigeria wieder mit ihren Eltern nach Athen. Dort lernt sie Anna kennen. Die beiden Mädchen sind sehr unterschiedlich. Sie werden unzertrennlich, sind aber gleichzeitig auch starke Konkurrentinnen. Irgendwann kommt es zum Bruch zwischen beiden und ihre Wege kreuzen sich erst mit Mitte dreißig wieder.
Kapitelweise wird immer abwechselnd von Kindheit bzw. Heranwachsen erzählt, dann springt die Handlung in die Gegenwart. Es werden viele politische Themen angeschnitten. Da ich mich mit griechischer Politik wenig auskenne, konnte ich dabei leider vieles nicht nachvollziehen. Auch das politische Engagement der beiden Freundinnen, ihre Aktionen, fand ich teilweise etwas befremdlich.
Mich störte auch, dass beide extrem frühreif waren, egal in welcher Hinsicht.
Der letzte Teil des Buches riss für mich manches zwar wieder ein wenig raus, da einige Unklarheiten geklärt wurden.
Vom Aufbau her erinnerte mich die Handlung ein wenig an die Neapolitanische Saga von Elena Ferrante. Inhaltlich konnte sie mit dieser allerdings nicht mithalten.

[فيصل السويدي · Rating 3 out of 5]

أسلوب الكاتبة يؤهلها بقوة في رأيي للحصول على 4 نجوم على الأقل، فقط تمنيت لو كان (السبك) أفضل ولو تنازلت عن بعض (التفاصيل)
اعتقدت في البداية أن قصة العائلة اليونانية التي كانت تقيم في نيجيريا ستحصل على النجوم الأربع ولكن في النهاية أعتقد أن الثلاثية منصفة

[julichka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Athira Unni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemed like the author was saving a lot of the story for the end, but the initial bits had enough material to keep me reading. Rather girlish in its overall theme, but very cultural and makes references to Socialist and communist ideologies, criticizing the onslaught of capitalism, and how to deal with the "system" from inside and such, even as the characters are caught in the whirlwind of the system. Amidst such ideological talks, the story of Anna and Maria flows quite easily, both the characters well drawn out and expressed. The most interesting thing for me was the cultural exchange and Maria's way of dealing with being uprooted from Africa, to live in Greece. Formally too, the book is well wrought and I like how the ending is presented. A modern coming of age story, in a way - it's interesting how much of the story is based off of the characters' childhood emotions and experiences.

[David Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I read when still in high school, and its title in English is "Why Did I Kill My Best Friend." I picked this book up during a time I much felt like doing what the title mentions because my best best friend at the moment was driving me insane. But the content is in no way related to the title of the book - the title is rather metaphorical. Still, it remains a great read, even if I wasn't highly impressed. Some of the images in it are still in my head and are quite vivid. One of the worthy books in modern Greek literature.

[Nicole Phocas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars- this book was made for me

[Rachel Louise Atkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about friendship and how difficult and toxic it can get through a number of years but ultimately about the importance of female platonic relationships. It talks about how easily they can get tied up with family and romantic endeavours and it’s easy to lose sight of how important and grounding friendship is in your life, and the narrator seems to only realise this near the end which is why she feels compelled to immortalise the friendship in text.

I definitely preferred the parts when the two girls were children at school and first getting to know each other. It lost its momentum a little when they grew into adulthood and a lot of the book became full of new partners and life events which were sometimes confusing and took away from the central friendship. But I really liked how this ended and the change of form in the very last chapter - it was powerful.

This was my first book translated from Greek and I’m going to read the book they talk about at the beginning about the cats because that one seems cool too.

[Anastasia Danali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το καλύτερο βιβλίο της συγγραφέως για μένα. Το είχα διαβάσει πριν χρόνια. Επανήλθα γιατί ήθελα να διαβάσω κάτι για τη φιλία. Μέσα από τις ζωές των δύο κοριτσιών περνάει και η σύγχρονη ιστορία της Ελλάδας. Συγκινητικό καλογραμμένο , μια ιστορία που με άγγιξε πάρα πολύ.

[Røbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable and readable book of two girls' friendship from age 9 through to adulthood against the backdrop of political upheaval in Greece. The overt territory is similar to Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend, but the tensions of the best friends (or "frienemies") Anna and Maria is cleverly mirrored against the national and international upheavals in the same timeframe. An honest and brutal exploration of friendship and growing up with all its attendant rivalries, jealousies, insecurities and misunderstandings. For me, along with the interwoven sly humour, make this a important and lasting book with more to offer on rereading. Thanks publisher Open Letter and translator Karen Emmerich!

[Farah Adil · Rating 5 out of 5]

من افضل الكتب التي قرأتها في سنة ٢٠٢١ هذه الرواية ذكرتني لماذا احببت القراءة من الاصل
وجعلتني افكر قليلاً ب رباعية ايلينا فيرانتي العظيمة " صديقتي المذهلة" التي اعشقها
الرواية تحتوي على جميع عوامل النجاح الشخصيات المعقدة والمتطورة، الحبكة المثالية، الاحاديث العميقة وغزيرة المعنى مع مناقشة الكثير من القضايا المهمة مثل العنصرية ، التفاوت الطبقي ، تعسف الحكومة وتطرف الاحزاب وتنتقل الرواية بشكل سلس وجميل بين افريقيا واليونان وبالنسبة لي ف هي رواية نفسية من العيار الثقيل تتغلغل في النفس الانثوية وتحللها بعمق
احببت الرواية جداً واحزنني عندما لم اجد ترجمات باللغة العربية لكتب اماندا وفي النهاية يجب ان اشيد بدور الترجمة الممتازة التي استطاعت نقل هذه الرواية العظيمة من لغتها الام بكل شفافية وسلاسة.

[Anna Tinney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked that this book explored the experience of toxic or destructive cycles in some female friendships because I think that’s something that a lot of people can relate to. However, I wasn’t really familiar with a lot of the political movements and events in Greek history that were the backdrop to the novel. In this sense, I struggled to fully appreciate the comparison the author was making between friendship and totalitarianism. I just don’t think that I was the right audience for this novel.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t quite know how to describe this book. I feel like I’d understand the ideological and political part better if I knew more about Greek politics and philosophy. It wasn’t an easy read, not only from that perspective. Maria and Anna’s friendship was so complex, so toxic. I think the ending was beautifully tragic, I was on the verge of crying.
I’m not sure about 4/5 stars but 3/5 didn’t seem just.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since a book hit me so hard, make me cry like a baby, gave me such a headache. "Why I Killed My Best Friend" was painful, toxic, beautiful and raw. I started reading it with no expectations and yet it gave me so much. Probably because I read it exactly when I needed to. Who knows how I'd have felt about it half a year ago? I have no answer to this but I don't think it matters.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Διαβάζεται απνευστί, αλλά δεν μου κέντρισε ιδιαίτερα το ενδιαφέρον η πολιτική πλευρά του μυθιστορήματος. Η Αμάντα Μιχαλοπούλου, πάντως, γράφει εξαιρετικά.

[Νατάσσα · Rating 3 out of 5]

Συμπαθητικό. Καλή γραφή, ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία.

[Rhoda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was my read the world selection for Greece

When Maria is 9 years old, she leaves her beloved Africa (Nigeria) to return to her native Greece. She despises everything about Athens and longs to return to Africa until she meets Anna at school. Anna has recently returned to Athens after living in Paris, so they bond over their ‘foreignness’.

The book follows their somewhat toxic friendship over the years - during the 70s and 80s in particular - and covers a lot of political activism.

I think anyone who enjoyed My Brilliant Friend will also enjoy this one. It examines an intense and somewhat toxic friendship from Maria’s perspective. What made it particularly interesting to me was trying to consider what this friendship may have looked like had it been written from Anna’s perspective. We saw all the things that made the friendship troublesome to Maria, but I was intrigued what made Maria keep going back for more of the same.

What wasn’t so interesting to me was the political activism and this is quite a large part of the book. Admittedly I don’t have much knowledge of Greek history in the 70s and 80s, so it may be more meaningful to someone who is aware of it. In any case, the characters talked of activism a lot, but there was not much written about what actions they took, so it took on more of a philosophical discussion of it which I didn’t find particularly interesting. I was also not very moved by the ending.

All in all, this was a very good read but from my perspective, I would have loved it more had it focused more on the friendship and less on the politics. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

[Corey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't identify with the relationship of the two main characters or they politics they espoused. Anna seemed manipulative and erratic. Maria seemed miserable and reactive. Their friendship was volatile and their political differences often turned to personal attacks. I don't know how the prose reads in the original Greek, but this translation seems like it could be more literal and less poetic. Last, the provocative title is very misleading.

[Hamish Stares · Rating 4 out of 5]

country #12 - Greece. good read, real shades of My Brilliant Friend. a (sometimes infuriating) push-pull relationship between two girls coming of age in Athens, with all the existential crises and passionate righteousness of youth. interesting insights into the political movements in Greece over the last few decades

[Justyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

rewelacyjna powieść
jedna z lepszych w tym roku!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me longer than expected to finish but I was so happy to read a Greek book with ‘My Year of Rest and Relaxation’ energy. Bonus points for the political context of modern Greece and the fact that the translation has been edited by a Latvian.

[Roxana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to have made a habit of coming across books that deserve more attention than they're getting. This one brought a lot to me: the Greek riots and political unrest, the sense of being culturally inadequate, the coming-of-age friendships that shape and paint you in more than black and white. Depression, trauma, anxiety and paranoia are all given their fair share of limelight (and, to me, they felt properly handled). Lots of pieces feel oddly specific, which leaves me wondering how much of the story is inspired by real events and people.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was about a lot of things that aren't for me such as hypersexuality, amorality, socialism, etc. The central relationship was also disconcerting. I was interested in learning more about Greek life, but I felt like I needed to study modern Greek history before I could really understand the references. I thought the writing style was nice, and I zoomed right through it.

[Bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting and compelling novel, exploring toxic friendships, obsessive love, and the politics of revolution. It's a slow burn of a book: it unfurls over time, with the two major events being explained non-linearly near the very end. It doesn't follow your average narrative arc, but equally it isn't particularly experimental, instead sitting somewhere in-between.

I definitely have some criticisms: notably, that the spectre of colonialism was present, but never really explored, although a lot of colonial and racist undertones were present in Maria's thoughts and actions. These were generally left unchecked and sometimes portrayed quite sympathetically as well; the narrative particularly towards the end was filled with a lot of racism that I think was meant to be condemned, but not really strongly enough. It was also a little disappointing that Maria's position- as a white person who benefited from colonialism, but for whom Nigeria was also understandably home- wasn't explored a little more. Maria's attitudes towards Kayo wre particularly dodgy, with not only what felt like some racist fetishising, but a pretty icky view towards his sexuality too. That being said, I really appreciate that it was made fairly clear, and indeed transpired, that Kayo would never 'give in' to her in this respect . Lastly, I think that the politics aspect made for a confusing read at times, and I definitely got lost- however, I didn't bring any knowledge of Greece's political history to this, so that's not a complete criticism, more a note.

I can imagine other people being more ambivalent towards the nuance displayed by Maria, particularly towards Anna- however, that was a real strong point for me personally. I liked that Maria, especially at the end, was able to be so self-reflective; which is not to say that a lot of what Anna did was okay! But more that I liked Maria being able to reflect on her own part, and the effect she considered herself to have had on Anna's life, whether accurate or not. I think Anna was written particularly well- I never felt like I understood her, which is exactly how I wanted to feel about her character. There were definitely times- for example, with Angelos- when, as an outsider, I could see exactly what was coming, which really struck me as how deftly Anna was written, that it was obvious without being... a caricature or tropey, I guess? Although Maria as a character was a little harder for me to grasp, I definitely resonated with her hopeless and hapless attractions!

The ending of the book feels a bit hasty, with three major events occurring in the last quarter of the book. These definitely came across as rushed, which is a shame as all three are so key in Anna and Maria's relationship. I really really liked the reveal of the first linear event though- it answered questions I didn't even know I had, and made things fall into place. That being said, that was where a lot of the dodgy racist bits lay- again, they were kind of condemned, but not really?

The writing of the book throughout is really a major draw. It felt like a long, heavy book, but never a drag. Intoxicating might be the perfect word- I wanted to read more and more, to see what would happen next. Personally I preferred the segments in the past, but that might just be me! I wish wish wish I could read this in the original Greek, because the writing was so gorgeous in a way I can't explain- the kind of writing that, viewed as a whole, has nothing that really makes it stand out, yet whilst reading is utterly immersive and compelling. This juxtaposed really well with the final chapter, which is suddenly very matter-of-fact, something that worked really strongly.

All in all- a book not without it's dodgy points and blind spots, but one I enjoyed far more than I thought I would, and am really glad I read.