Eurydice Street: A Place In Athens

by Sofka Zinovieff

Sofka Zinovieff had fallen in love with Greece as a student, but little suspected that years later she would return for good with an expatriate Greek husband and two young daughters. This book is a wonderfully fresh, funny and inquiring account of her first year as an Athenian. The whole family have to get to grips with their new life and the children start school and tackle a new language, and Sofka's husband, Vassilis, comes home after half a lifetime away. Meanwhile, Sofka resolves to get to know her new city and become a Greek citizen, which turns out to be a process of Byzantine complexity. As the months go by, Sofka's discovers how memories of Athens' past haunt its present in its music, poetry and history. She also learns about the difficult art of catching a taxi, the importance of smoking, the unimportance of time-keeping, and how to get your Christmas piglet cooked at the baker's.

Genres: Greece, Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir, History

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Sofka Zinovieff was born in London and was educated at Cambridge. She has worked as a freelance journalist and lived in Moscow and Rome before settling in Athens with her Greek husband and their two daughters in 2001.

Her book, Red Princess: A Revolutionary Life has been translated into ten languages and she is the author of Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens.

Reviews

[Dionisis Georgiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not only interesting and useful for a foreigner wanting to get an idea about Greek culture and way of living. It's also very useful for a Greek wanting to get an objectively look from a third person at modern Greeks.At least for me this book opened some new perspectives at things and behaviours I considered to be obvious and self-evident.

[Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adapting to the greek culture is no light task and it can be as claimed " a process of Byzantine complexity". Coming from the less boisterous ( in more ways than one) Portugal , I share with the author many insights about Greece, Athens, and its culture and way of life. As the author, I am also living in Athens and I totally relate to her in many aspects. When we speak about Greece it always come to mind the stereotyped image of Zorba-like greeks dancing sirtaki and drinking ouzo. But Greece is more than that and Sofka Zinovieff does an excellent and faithfull job when it comes to unveil the true face of Greece. And as the veil is taken off, the flaws are showed. And what I liked more about this travel memoir is that , though Sofka reveals to the reader those flaws, she does that in a caring way as she feels truly sorry for doing that. The feeling I got from her account is that she deeply loves Greece and believe that its situation could have been better if only...
I think this book will appeal more to someone who is moving to Athens or to someone who wants to learn more about its sad and turbulent past.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read this for my class. It was very informative but pretty boring and hard to get through. Not bad but just not entertaining. Yay Greece tho!

[R.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...

I enjoyed reading a book about someone moving pernamently in Athens area, after been familar with the country and having made a family with a Greek before hand. It was a refreshing change among memoirs from naive foreigners planning to build a holiday house on the country side or trying to move on an island and "live the dream".

On the other hand, the author and her husband live on the "Athens riviera", move on the same circles with well-known journalists and politicians and have a bourgois approach on many things.
I found that Sofka Zinovieff had a greater understanding and knowledge on many aspects of Greek history, culture and customs than many authors of similar memoirs and I enjoyed many of her observations and insights on different Athens areas. But I found parts of the book, especially those touching on more recent politics quite controversial. Definately the book is much more insightful and to the point than the view a first time visitor or short-term Athens resident would offer, but still I'm not sure that some of her observations on racism, PASOK, 17th November etc would necessarily apply to your averrage Athenian. I'd like to read about more distincts of Athens explored and more encounters with random people outside set reviews, family gatherings or the chance chat here and then. Then of course, memoirs are personal and if one socializes with certain people and has a specific life-style, so be it...

Some chapters felt more fragmental than others, the book ends very abruptly and last but not least, it is now 2 decades old. Many things remain the same, but many things or their perception has change since then.

All in all, an interesting and decent read, but nothing exceptional.



Τα περισσότερα βιβλία τέτοιου είδους που έχουν γραφτεί από ξένους τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες, αφορούν είτε κάποιον που προσπαθεί να χτίσει κάποιο εξοχικό ή που έμεινε στην Ελλάδα μόνο για μικρό χρονικό διάστημα είτε κάποιον που αποφάσισε να μετακομίσει μόνιμα και να ξεκινήσει μία καινούρια ζωή σε κάποιο νησί ή επαρχιακό μέρος. Οπότε ήθελα να διαβάσω το συγκεκριμένο εδώ και πολλά χρόνια επειδή αφορά κάποιον που μετακομίζει μόνιμα στην Αθήνα.

Η συγγραφέας πράγματι σε πολλά πράγματα είναι πιο "υποψιασμένη" από τον μέσο αλλοδαπό που αποφασίζει να κάνει μία τέτοια κίνηση, καθώς είχε ζήσει παλιότερα στο Ναύπλιο, μάλιστα κάνοντας και "έρευνα πεδίου" σαν μέρος των σπουδών της και επίσης είχε ήδη πολύχρονη σχέση/οικογένεια με Έλληνα ζώντας στο εξωτερικό. Από την άλλη, σε πολλά πράγματα και εκείνη και ο σύζυγος εμφανίζονται πολύ αφελείς και κάποια θέματα που γράφει στο βιβλίο σηκώνουν συζήτηση. Για παράδειγμα, κάνουν στην Βουλιαγμένη παρέλαση την 28η Οκτωβρίου τα παιδιά φορώντας φουστανέλες και Αμαλίες; Μεγαλώναν όλοι το ΄70 με ροκ μουσική και υποτιμούσαν την λαϊκή όπως ο άντρας της; Είναι αντιπροσωπευτικές απόψεις της Αθηναϊκής κοινωνίας κάποια πράγματα που γράφει περί ρατσισμού ή 17 Νοέμβρη ή ΠΑΣΟΚ; Μίας μερίδας ναι, υποθέτω, αλλά εδώ γράφει μία γυναίκα που μένει στη Βουλιαγμένη, κινείται σε συγκεκριμένους κύκλους και έχει στενές επαφές με γνωστούς μεγαλοδημοσιογράφους, πολιτικούς κτλ.

Τέτοια βιβλία είναι έτσι κι αλλιώς προσωπικά, ωστόσο αν και σε πολλά θέματα το βιβλίο είναι διαφωτιστικό για την ιστορία, τα ήθη και τα έθιμα της χώρας μας, κάποιος άσχετος με την Ελλάδα ίσως μπερδευτεί διαβάζοντας θέματα που αγγίζουν ιδίως την πολύ νεώτερη ιστορία. Μου άρεσαν οι περιγραφές κάποιων διαφορετικών περιοχών της Αθήνας, ωστόσο η Zinovieff αφήνει έξω και ένα πολύ μεγάλο μέρος αυτής. Σίγουρα πολύ καλύτερο βιβλίο από αυτό που θα έγραφε ένας πρωτάρης στην πόλη ή ένας αφελής τουρίστας, ωστόσο θα ήθελα μία πιο εκτενή ματιά στην καθημερινότητα του μέσου Αθηναίου και όχι μόνο της ανώτερης μεσαίας τάξης, για να μην πω της ελίτ. Κάποια κεφάλαια μοιάζουν πολύ πιο αποσπασματικά από άλλα και το βιβλίο κλείνει πολύ απότομα.

Τέλος, δεν πρέπει να ξεχνάμε ότι το βιβλίο έχει γραφτεί πριν 2 δεκαετίες και πολλά πράγματα μένουν τα ίδια, ωστόσο άλλα τόσα έχουν αλλάξει ή τα εκλαμβάνουμε αλλιώς.

Γενικά το βιβλίο είχε το ενδιαφέρον του χωρίς να είναι κάτι το εξαιρετικό...

[Paul Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good book to read before trip to Greece, as an introduction to the country’s history and modern culture through the eyes of an expat.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In honor of our trip to Greece, reading this memoir helped ease my way back into life in the USA.
Sofia Zinovieff moves back to Athens in 2001 with her husband and two daughters, and describes the culture, sights and sounds she encounters during her adjustment.

Her brother-in-law, Christos, took her on a driving tour and described what I also saw:
"Until the Second World War, Athens was just a small town, but now over 4 million people - nearly half Greece's population- live here. They've built right down to the sea, along the coast, and the whole of the Athens basin has filled up." "It's the same story across Athens: people just built what they wanted, and worried about the law afterwards. Here, everything is forbidden, and everything is allowed."

Explaining how the 1970's Athens I remember disappeared and the sprawl occurred:
"...it had been an open road lined with spacious houses and tree-filled gardens."
"... a response to the dire post-war need for housing, and a way for ordinary people to make money. ...an owner gave his house and land to a builder or developer, who built a block of flats. When it was finished the original owner received a flat to live in, plus one or two more to rent out or put his children in when they grew up."

Describing a piece of the Greek attitude for living ala Zorba:
"... this is all part of the atmosphere of overindulgence and recklessness, and living for the moment. You are meant to throw money around as though it doesn't matter (even if it does)..."
"...I am more bashful than most Greeks about just letting go. I admitted that I was amazed by the inexhaustible appetite for celebrations... as they summon up the enthusiasm out of nowhere."

I always wondered about the plate smashing I'd seen on videos following Greek dances:
"... is now banned. Customers paid large sums for a waiter to go and drop great piles of specially produced plaster plates on the stage, and then a minion with a broom arrived to sweep up the debris. 'Break them all and I'll pay,' goes the cheerful old song."

Her description of her climb up the Acropolis seemed eerily similar to mine:
"... you can't help thinking of who might have walked there before. ... The Erechtheon had been in its time a shrine to a pagan cult, an early Christian church, and a Turkish harem. ...Standing on the summit, I felt strangely frustrated. The site is almost too much up close. It is better glimpsed from afar or admired with sidelong glances..."

A new twist on childhood favorites came with learning that their origins were actually "edible Ottoman legacies which retained their Turkish names":
keftedhes, soutzoukakia, baklava, kadaifi, gyros, and souvlaki
Who knew?

Words to live by:
"As in so many circumstances, Cavity's poem 'Ithaca' was applicable; you should keep your aim -your own Ithaca- in mind, but concentrate on the 'marvelous journey.'"

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book indispensable as a travel companion in Greece. It's engagingly written, a memoir by an anthropologist who moved to Greece with her Greek husband, so it comes with an anthropological lens--which turns out to be an excellent combination. Really helped me get a sense of Greece before getting there and helped me understand a lot of things once I was there--helped me feel less like a tourist and more like an insider.

That said, I probably would not have read this book if I were not going to Greece and particularly interested in learning about Greece at that moment. It's a good read, but not so much that I would consider it indispensable reading to all people regardless of whether they are going to Greece. But if you are going, or if you're interested in learning about contemporary Greece, you should definitely read it.

[Trudy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A chronicle of Sofka's first year in her husband's native Athens after moving her family. There's no story to the book, really, but what makes it interesting is her insights into the modern Greek culture and the historical events-in-a-nutshell technique of trying to explain how the country and its people came to be what they are today. I came away from the reading with a bit of shame for our country's handlings of Greece in past generations, believing they deserve to be cut some substantial slack in their current predicament.

[Owain Price · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry. If this was condensed into a four page Sunday supplement you really wouldn’t have missed much. Journalistic documentary style writing. I learnt a lot about the Athens below the surface which was interesting but in a very uninteresting manner. No!

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book sometime ago and put it on my TBR list for 2021. It’s a sweet memoir of a British woman of Greek origin coming “home” to embrace her Greek heritage. The author’s husband grew up in Greece but had spent many years away as a Greek diplomat; he too wanted to return home to raise their daughters in Athens where he was from. The book chronicles Greek life and the author’s life of in Athens (which the Greek themselves agree it is an ugly city - having visited Athens I agree). We learn a lot about Greek modern history as well as customs, cuisine, and religion and how all of these impact the Greeks and they way they approach life. More importantly, this is a book about the author’s assimilation into Greek life and others acceptance of her as a Greek not a foreigner. The book was written in 2004 right before Greece hosted the summer Olympics. Even though Greece has gone on to be plagued with shaky governments, the historical context for why modern Greeks approach governance as they due still remains the same. The great upheavals of finally leaving the shackles of Turkish rule, overthrowing a “planted” monarchy and subsequent dictatorship, and devastating effects of the Nazi occupation are given light to illustrate how these have made Greece into the country it is today. Enjoyable read.

[Georges Alexandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zinovieff captures the atmosphere and spirit of modern Greece and Athens like no one else. An entertaining and precise analysis of archetypes and cliches as seen by an outsider that has understood the soul and logic of the modern Greek better than they do themselves. The book is anything but shallow despite its amusing and easy reading as it goes very far in its analysis. It is almost a shame it was written so early just before the debt crisis as I would have loved to read her thoughts and impressions on the outcome. She is giving reason to everything that has amounted to make Greece what it was (and partially still is) in the "golden days" of just before the Olympics of 2004.
A must for all Greeks to read as well as those who have a genuine interest in modern Greece or are about to move there.

[Aanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had waited for more than 3 years to get a hold of this in hand (Hardcore lover of conventional paperback reading with a thing for secondhand books). I felt like a silent observer of daily life in Greek culture with occasional update on its history and its morphing. The author has given a crash course on anthropology elevating my interest and passion in the subject. Reading from an outsider (who has immense love and inclination to belong) perspective without the stereotypes and personal judgements is very refreshing and gives a peek into a culture more than just touching its periphery. I loved that the book was both personal and generic at the same time giving a connect engaging personally while educating me on Greek life.

[Panos · Rating 3 out of 5]

3* is quite decent rating. I liked it. I laughed couple times and smilled with understanding few more being Familiar with some parts that she describes. Athens of early 00's is such a nice memory, in spite of the fact that attitudes that she describes, from her bourgeoisie perspective, led us few years later to bankruptcy. As a fellow anthropologist (by degree only) and although i enjoyed reading it, i would make only 1 comment:
17N did kill people who deserved it. Maybe not all of them who got killed deserved it. Especially not aksarlian. Who knows really about the rest. Maybe their way was wrong. But. Hanging out with papaxelas is not the best company to lead you to an objective opinion about it..

[Lindaanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book second hand through Amazon, as it wasn't available on Kindle or at local bookstores. Well worth the effort, as "Eurydice Street" helped me to prepare for an upcoming trip to Greece. The author, an anthropologist from a wealthy British family, moved to Greece for academic research and ended up "going native"( in the best sense of the word) by marrying a Greek civil servant, learning the language and thoroughly immersing herself in local culture. However, it is clear from the book that the author travels in elite circles, has a maid to help with child care and cleaning, and isn't subject to the same day-to-day struggles that the vast majority of Greek people face every day. This naive bourgeois approach caused me to dock a star.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Eurydice Street" is an interesting tale of a British ex-pat's first year in residence in Vouliagmeni. Trained as an anthropologist that formerly lived and researched in Nafplio, Zinovieff confidently contextualizes her experiences within the rich history and culture of her adopted country. Her observations are detailed, including mundane details that demarcate Greece:

"In the past, only wealthier Athenians had domestic help, although during the 1980s they took on so many Filipino servants that 'Filipino' became a generic term (I once overheard a child remark: 'Maria's Filipino is Romanian')."

[Katherine Sunderland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Read after a holiday in Greece but found the author’s writing really engaging. This is biographical and follows the writer and her family when they move to Athens. Her husband is Greek and there are some endearing, humorous and thoughtful reflections and observations about living abroad, moving abroad with children and becoming part of another culture. There are
Highs and lows, problems and obstacles, happiness, adventure and freedom. Highly recommend to anyone who likes travel, biography, interesting families and excellent writing. An author I want to read more from.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

An English girl moves to live permanently in Athens with her Greek husband and their 2 children. The book describes the first year of their life there and in the process covers a wide range of subjects: education, history, religion, weather, pollution, politics, food, key events in the Greek calendar etc. In the process an outsider begins to become an insider. I don’t know of any other book that offers these insights in such an accessible way. It is also an honest and fair account and contains much wisdom.

[Amaia ✡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book while visiting Greece, remembering the year I lived in Athens and hoping to find through its pages the magic this country had over me while everything else was crumbling. Reading it was almost as painful, this book is almost only a sociological and historical depiction of discovering the normal, everyday life in Greece. This story has no soul, but if some part of your heart was once touched by the greek magic, you will enjoy reading it.

[David Wean · Rating 4 out of 5]

When planning to visit a new country, I find valuable the genre "memoir of an outsider who comes to live in X" format (e.g. Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss, about Iceland, or Driving over Lemons by Chris Stewart, about Spain).

This one was useful and interesting. Also these sometimes serve as a partial travel guide - I've marked several spots or areas as "Want to visit" on Gmaps, and they'll have more meaning for me (and my travel companion, not having read the book, is usually patient).

[Ben G]

Really strong book that helped me understand the city of Athens! I thought the description of places, culture and history were wonderful, and her writings on perception of nationality and foreigners were revealing, if not particularly complex. Docked for that, and because it sometimes felt disconnected. More talk of the summer would have been nice too

[Loretta Kalamaroff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful memoir of living in Athens. Thoughtful look at the cultural differences, from religious to food, between natives and outsiders. The wonderings into the neighborhoods and country's tourist attractions offer an exciting look for future sightseers like me.

[Gette · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading the first hundred pages the story seemed familiar. Then I saw ya note on the back page when I first read the book in August 2015! The author has done a podcast series of about 5 episodes on Greece. I listened to the 1st and found it fascinating.

[MARY JANE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set halfway between when I was last in Greece and when I will hopefully be there again. Much history, places I have visited and some I want to visit this year. In spite of the influx of immigrants, it seems that Greeks are still Greeks

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little choppy but still interesting memoir of woman who moves with her native-Greek spouse and two children to Athens, making a life there as an expat and adopting Greece as her home. I enjoyed the insights into living in the bustling ancient city.

[Ruben Diaz-plaja · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming introduction to some of the contradictions of modern Greek life; while some times the author seemingly goes down the path of the expat memoir, she does bring occasional insight, drawn from her career as an anthropologist, into quirkier and eccentric aspects of Greek history and culture

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF It was an okay book, but much more history than present day life, and just not what I was looking for

[Kat Choolik · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had some interesting insights about Greece which I appreciated but her anti-American stance was a turn off for me.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of the best non-fiction reads on modern Greece. It was especially interesting because the author, Sofka Zinovieff, studied anthropology in Greece as a college student. Her writing style includes anthropological-style observations & deep dives into relevant topics of Greek life. I actually read parts of this twice. Each chapter is a month of the calendar. It starts with her family moving to a suburb of Athens from the UK & her daughters beginning school in September. It concludes with a traditional August escape to her husband's family's village. Her husband was born in Greece & works for the Greek government, but she is an expat seeking citizenship. Through her efforts, you're exposed to all of the legendary bureaucracy of Greek life. Zinovieff shares the POV of everyone she interacts with from her housekeeper to her in-laws, as well everyone she seeks out to gain an understanding of what it means to be Greek. Overall, her writing strikes the right balance between her daily life & teaching the reader about the country. In a couple of chapters, I wanted more of her personal life & less history, which is why I gave it 4 stars not 5. Readers of this book will find it is rich in detail about history, religion, norms, rituals, holidays, culture, places & of course, food! I feel it's a must read for any Greek American traveling to Greece.

[Lamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, a brief description of what’s it like to live in Athens surrounded by Greeks and the “everyday struggles” of understanding the Greek people and adapting to their culture.

[Piper Winchester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't go to Greece so Greece is coming to me.
I enjoyed this, life of a woman who recently moved to Athens.