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Το σπίτι στην οδό Παραδείσου
OTAN H MONT MAΘAINEI OTI O ANTPAΣ THΣ ΣKOTΩNETAI ΣE AYTOKINHTIKO ATYXHMA, XANEI TON KOΣMO KATΩ AΠ? TA ΠOΔIA THΣ. ΔEN MΠOPEI NA KATAΛABEI ΓIA ΠOIO ΛOΓO OΔHΓOYΣE ΣTH MEΣH THΣ NYXTAΣ ΣE ENAN AΠOMONΩMENO ΠAPAΛIAKO ΔPOMO EΞΩ AΠ? THN AΘHNA.O NIKHTAΣ HTAN ENAΣ ANTPAΣ ME ΠEPIΠΛOKO ΠAPEΛΘON. ME THN EΠIΣTPOΦH THΣ MHTEPAΣ TOY ANTIΓONHΣ ΣTO ΠATPIKO ΣΠITI ΣTHN OΔO ΠAPAΔEIΣOY, H MONT ΘA EXEI THN EYKAIPIA NA EPEYNHΣEI AYTO TO ΠAPEΛΘON. ΘA ANAKAΛYΨEI TH ΣΠAPAKTIKH IΣTOPIA MIAΣ NEAPHΣ MHTEPAΣ ΠOY BPEΘHKE ΠAΓIΔEYMENH ΣTH ΔINH TOY EMΦYΛIOY ΠOΛEMOY KAI ANAΓKAΣMENH NA ΠAPEI MIA TPAΓIKH AΠOΦAΣH ΠOY ΘA AΛΛAZE ΓIA ΠANTA TH ZΩH TH ΔIKH THΣ KAI THΣ OIKOΓENEIAΣ THΣ.MIA EΠIKH IΣTOPIA ΓIA THN AΓAΠH KAI THN AΠΩΛEIA, ΠOY OΔHΓEI TON ANAΓNΩΣTH AΠO TOYΣ AIMATOBAMMENOYΣ ΔPOMOYΣ THΣ AΘHNAΣ THΣ KATOXHΣ ΣTIΣ ΣΠHΛIEΣ TΩN ANTAPTΩN ΣTON EMΦYΛIO, KAI AΠO TH ΣKOTEINH EΠTAETIA ΣTO ΣHMEPA.
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
26 people are currently reading
703 people want to read
About the author
Sofka Zinovieff
8 books103 followersSofka 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
October 9, 2013
I recommend this book to those of you are interested in understanding the problems of modern day Greece, its current economic crisis and the violence of street protests. It may surprise many. ”My gosh! This is a book of fiction,” you will exclaim. To understand today’s current problems it is always best to look at the past. Greece’s recent past is one of oppressive regimes. That is only my opinion, of course. This book follows a family during the German occupation of Greece during WW2, the growth of Communism, the Civil War that followed, English and American manipulation of Greek affairs, the Colonel’s Junta 1967-1974 and all the way up to the present. The last chapter takes place in 2010. Although this is fiction, it is based on real life experiences, experiences of members of the author’s family and of other close acquaintances. I found the book fascinating and gripping. Really, what is told is not fiction at all!
In a nutshell this book tells the story of an English woman who marries a Greek. He is 20 years her senior, has had two wives before her, and has had a difficult childhood. He has grown up with his aunt, his mother having fled to Russia after the Greek Civil War. When the book opens he has died in a car accident. The book is concerned with the English woman’s discovery of whom exactly her husband was and how Greek history has shaped the lives of this family, going back to the catastrophic Fire of Smyrna in 1922.
I enjoyed learning what it is to be Greek, today. Their food, their customs, why they all honk at crowded intersections, why politics is what is discussed around the dinner table, how villagers live life differently from Athenians. This is a book that shows how history shapes who we are. It demonstrates that civil war can cut right down through the center a family. I live in Europe. I find it completely fascinating to see how history shapes the people of each country and makes them unique.
I immigrated to Sweden when I was young. In this novel the young English woman marries a Greek and soon has a child. Her experiences as a foreigner in a new land reflect many of my own experiences. What was it like to be newlywed and have a child in a new country? What is it like to celebrate different holidays, to enjoy these new celebrations but to not really feel at home in them? What is it like to have a new language and not really understand all the jokes? How does one make one’s own family traditions? Being in a new country is very exciting, but also sometimes a bit of a challenge, to say the least! Although the new is exciting and fun, sometimes one aches for the old and familiar ant that which is understood. So of course this book spoke to me! It didn’t matter that Greeks and Swedes are so very different. It was the excitement of the new and the realization that one is different that was similar.
And a grandmother not living with her grandchildren but getting to know them when they are older, that speaks to me too. Not all families grow up together. Many are split. What are the consequences?
This book spoke to me of experiences I have lived, taught me about Greece and what it is to be Greek. I enjoy learning about different European cultures. We all rub shoulders here in Europe. It is important to understand each other. History is the key.
Another extremely moving and informative book about the Greek Civil War, which I highly recommend, is Eleni.
*************************
BEFORE READING:
I know I am terribly weak when it comes to books. I stopped listening at BBC and bought the paper book! I am reading it now.
************************
This looks good! An epic novel about a Greek family during the second world war and the civil war. I will check it out at BBC at this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/?q=The%20...
(no longer valid perhaps!)
Here is the book info I find at BBC:
Sofka Zinovieff's novel about an Englishwoman's quest to find out the origins of the bitter feud that has split her dead husband's family is set in contemporary Athens, but takes us back to the tragic events of the Greek Civil War in the 1940s. When Maud's husband Nikitas is killed in a mysterious car crash, his aunt Alexandra tells Maud she should contact his mother Antigone in Moscow. Antigone left Greece nearly sixty years ago, leaving Nikitas behind, and has never returned. Now she makes a momentous decision: she will go back for her son's funeral. Abridged by Sarah LeFanu
Read by Ann Beach and Lucy Briers Producer: Sara Davies.
This starts wonderfully - so good, that maybe I will stop and buy the book instead! I really disapprove of abridged books......
In a nutshell this book tells the story of an English woman who marries a Greek. He is 20 years her senior, has had two wives before her, and has had a difficult childhood. He has grown up with his aunt, his mother having fled to Russia after the Greek Civil War. When the book opens he has died in a car accident. The book is concerned with the English woman’s discovery of whom exactly her husband was and how Greek history has shaped the lives of this family, going back to the catastrophic Fire of Smyrna in 1922.
I enjoyed learning what it is to be Greek, today. Their food, their customs, why they all honk at crowded intersections, why politics is what is discussed around the dinner table, how villagers live life differently from Athenians. This is a book that shows how history shapes who we are. It demonstrates that civil war can cut right down through the center a family. I live in Europe. I find it completely fascinating to see how history shapes the people of each country and makes them unique.
I immigrated to Sweden when I was young. In this novel the young English woman marries a Greek and soon has a child. Her experiences as a foreigner in a new land reflect many of my own experiences. What was it like to be newlywed and have a child in a new country? What is it like to celebrate different holidays, to enjoy these new celebrations but to not really feel at home in them? What is it like to have a new language and not really understand all the jokes? How does one make one’s own family traditions? Being in a new country is very exciting, but also sometimes a bit of a challenge, to say the least! Although the new is exciting and fun, sometimes one aches for the old and familiar ant that which is understood. So of course this book spoke to me! It didn’t matter that Greeks and Swedes are so very different. It was the excitement of the new and the realization that one is different that was similar.
And a grandmother not living with her grandchildren but getting to know them when they are older, that speaks to me too. Not all families grow up together. Many are split. What are the consequences?
This book spoke to me of experiences I have lived, taught me about Greece and what it is to be Greek. I enjoy learning about different European cultures. We all rub shoulders here in Europe. It is important to understand each other. History is the key.
Another extremely moving and informative book about the Greek Civil War, which I highly recommend, is Eleni.
*************************
BEFORE READING:
I know I am terribly weak when it comes to books. I stopped listening at BBC and bought the paper book! I am reading it now.
************************
This looks good! An epic novel about a Greek family during the second world war and the civil war. I will check it out at BBC at this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/?q=The%20...
(no longer valid perhaps!)
Here is the book info I find at BBC:
Sofka Zinovieff's novel about an Englishwoman's quest to find out the origins of the bitter feud that has split her dead husband's family is set in contemporary Athens, but takes us back to the tragic events of the Greek Civil War in the 1940s. When Maud's husband Nikitas is killed in a mysterious car crash, his aunt Alexandra tells Maud she should contact his mother Antigone in Moscow. Antigone left Greece nearly sixty years ago, leaving Nikitas behind, and has never returned. Now she makes a momentous decision: she will go back for her son's funeral. Abridged by Sarah LeFanu
Read by Ann Beach and Lucy Briers Producer: Sara Davies.
This starts wonderfully - so good, that maybe I will stop and buy the book instead! I really disapprove of abridged books......
February 23, 2018
Το βιβλίο περιγράφει την ιστορία μιας οικογένειας την περίοδο της Κατοχής και του εμφυλίου πολέμου στην Ελλάδα. Η συγγραφέας έχει κάνει την έρευνα της και προσπαθεί να είναι αμερόληπτη αν και δεν το καταφέρνει πάντα. Θα ήθελα να την συγχαρώ για την προσπάθεια της να μεταφέρει στο χαρτί μέσω των ηρώων της, μια δύσκολη περίοδο για τη χώρα μας, μα πιο πολύ γιατι έχει ερμηνεύσει αρκετά καλά τους Έλληνες και την ιδιοσυγκρασία τους.
August 17, 2014
The author has taken episodes from 60 years of Modern Greek history, beginning with the Nazi occupation of Greece during World War II, and crafts an interesting and well-written novel. Two women narrate their stories, each taking turns. First to narrate is expatriate English women Maud, divorced wife of flamboyant Greek husband Nikitas Perifanis. He dies in an auto accident and from there the story unfolds. Maude narrates her life living with Nikitas in the family's three-story compound on Paradise Street in Athens, shared with her upper-class Greek in-laws.
Antigone, Nikitas' estranged mother, returns to the house on Paradise Street after years of living in exile in Russia, to attend her son's funeral. Antigone and her younger brother lived and fought in the mountains during the Greek Civil War, siding with the communists. She was raped and had a son, Nikitas. When the war ended, she was sentenced to jail where her son was born and resided with her until he was two years old. Antigone was forced to abandon Nikitas and moved to Russia for her safety. Her older sister Alexandra and her husband raised the boy and never forgave Antigone, unbeknown of her circumstances. Upon her return to Greece, Antigone must reconcile her differences with her large family. Author Sophia Zinovieff cleverly weaves historical facts with fictional characters and a family torn apart by love and hate, wars and foreign occupiers, into a believable and exciting read. One can learn Modern Greek history by reading this novel.
The English born author obviously understands the Greek psyche and the suffering they have endured with foreign invaders throughout their long history. Peppering her writing with Greek phrases adds familiarity with the characters she created. An exciting read.
Antigone, Nikitas' estranged mother, returns to the house on Paradise Street after years of living in exile in Russia, to attend her son's funeral. Antigone and her younger brother lived and fought in the mountains during the Greek Civil War, siding with the communists. She was raped and had a son, Nikitas. When the war ended, she was sentenced to jail where her son was born and resided with her until he was two years old. Antigone was forced to abandon Nikitas and moved to Russia for her safety. Her older sister Alexandra and her husband raised the boy and never forgave Antigone, unbeknown of her circumstances. Upon her return to Greece, Antigone must reconcile her differences with her large family. Author Sophia Zinovieff cleverly weaves historical facts with fictional characters and a family torn apart by love and hate, wars and foreign occupiers, into a believable and exciting read. One can learn Modern Greek history by reading this novel.
The English born author obviously understands the Greek psyche and the suffering they have endured with foreign invaders throughout their long history. Peppering her writing with Greek phrases adds familiarity with the characters she created. An exciting read.
May 21, 2012
But I was a little worried, not quite sure if I understood enough about Greek history to appreciate a novel set against its occupation and its civil wars.I dithered for a while, but in the end I couldn’t resist a novel that held so much promise. And as I read I realised that my worries were unfounded. I absorbed, and began to understand, that history through wonderful human stories.
First there was Maud: an expatriate Englishwoman who had married into a Greek family, adopted a new way of life, and raised a daughter.
Maud’s husband, Nikitas, died in a road accident. And his widow was grief-stricken and, as she came to terms with what had happened. She had no idea why her husband had been driving at night, out in the country, and as she tried to work things out she realised that there was a lot she didn’t know about her husband.
She knew that he had been charismatic, erudite, respected by his peers. She knew that she had been his third wife. But she wanted to understand his history. Why he had abandoned by his mother when he was a baby, to be raised by his aunt.his mother had abandoned him when he was a baby, leaving him to be raised by his aunt, never seeing him again.
And when her son dies Antigone realises that it is time to return to her homeland. though she knows it will not be easy. When the Nazis occupied Greece, Antigone, and her brother Markos, joined Communist insurgents to fight against the occupying forces. Their sister, Alexandra, was horrified and her Nazi sympathiser husband, Spiros was happy to inflame the situation. In the end there had been a tragedy, and relationships were shattered.
The story moves between Maud and Antigone, between past and present. Through momentous historical events, through complex human relationships, through terrible, moral dilemmas.
It’s a big story, full of history, full of humanity, full of change, and yet it is always lucid, always compelling.
It gave me some understanding of what it might be live through occupation and civil war, how families can be torn about, how so much can be lost, how the past inevitably shapes the present.
And it brought Greece to life: the food, the streets, the climate, the communities, the politics. The contrast between Maud, an Englishwoman who had joined a family and made a life in Greece, and Antigone, a Greek woman who had left a family and made a life abroad, was striking and added depth. As did the different experiences and perspectives of three different generations.
It was the characters that made the story sing: intriguing, fallible, utterly believable human beings.
The only thing I didn’t like was the occasional sense of contrivance, of the story having to be rounded. But that was easy to forgive when there was so much to love, such a wonderful story of history and humanity.
It really is an accomplished debut novel.
And now that I have read it I will definitely be bringing home Sofka Zinovieff’s non fiction …
First there was Maud: an expatriate Englishwoman who had married into a Greek family, adopted a new way of life, and raised a daughter.
Maud’s husband, Nikitas, died in a road accident. And his widow was grief-stricken and, as she came to terms with what had happened. She had no idea why her husband had been driving at night, out in the country, and as she tried to work things out she realised that there was a lot she didn’t know about her husband.
She knew that he had been charismatic, erudite, respected by his peers. She knew that she had been his third wife. But she wanted to understand his history. Why he had abandoned by his mother when he was a baby, to be raised by his aunt.his mother had abandoned him when he was a baby, leaving him to be raised by his aunt, never seeing him again.
And when her son dies Antigone realises that it is time to return to her homeland. though she knows it will not be easy. When the Nazis occupied Greece, Antigone, and her brother Markos, joined Communist insurgents to fight against the occupying forces. Their sister, Alexandra, was horrified and her Nazi sympathiser husband, Spiros was happy to inflame the situation. In the end there had been a tragedy, and relationships were shattered.
The story moves between Maud and Antigone, between past and present. Through momentous historical events, through complex human relationships, through terrible, moral dilemmas.
It’s a big story, full of history, full of humanity, full of change, and yet it is always lucid, always compelling.
It gave me some understanding of what it might be live through occupation and civil war, how families can be torn about, how so much can be lost, how the past inevitably shapes the present.
And it brought Greece to life: the food, the streets, the climate, the communities, the politics. The contrast between Maud, an Englishwoman who had joined a family and made a life in Greece, and Antigone, a Greek woman who had left a family and made a life abroad, was striking and added depth. As did the different experiences and perspectives of three different generations.
It was the characters that made the story sing: intriguing, fallible, utterly believable human beings.
The only thing I didn’t like was the occasional sense of contrivance, of the story having to be rounded. But that was easy to forgive when there was so much to love, such a wonderful story of history and humanity.
It really is an accomplished debut novel.
And now that I have read it I will definitely be bringing home Sofka Zinovieff’s non fiction …
April 27, 2012
From BBC Radio 4:
Sofka Zinovieff's novel explores the long and tragic legacy of the Greek Civil War through a gripping story set in contemporary Athens.
Sofka Zinovieff's novel explores the long and tragic legacy of the Greek Civil War through a gripping story set in contemporary Athens.
May 26, 2018
http://georgette60.blogspot.gr/2018/0...
Μία αφηγηματική διαδρομή με φόντο την πρόσφατη και σύγχρονη Ιστορία της Ελλάδος από την ματιά της συγγραφέως κυρίας Σόφκα Ζινοβιέφ.Μία σωστή απεικόνιση δομής με διεξοδικές αφηγήτριες,στο πρώτο πρόσωπο,δύο μητέρες και χήρες που είναι τόσο διαφορετικές μεταξύ τους,αλλά και με κοινά στοιχεία και ένα εξ’αυτών η μετανάστευση,με εναλλαγές παρελθόντος και παρόντος,σχηματίζουν την ιστορία του βιβλίου όπου ζωτικός πυρήνας είναι τα μυστικά και δη οικογενειακά,η μακροχρόνια σιωπή,οι καταστροφικές συνέπειες και που μυστικά σιγά σιγά αναδύονται από την κρύπτη τους.Και όλα αυτά πλαισιώνονται από μία οδυνηρή εποχή με πάρα πολλά ιστορικά γεγονότα και κυρίως του εμφυλίου,αλλά και κοινωνικά.Διώξεις,εξορίες,βασανισμοί,διασπορές είναι μερικά που συναντούμε και όχι μόνο κατά την ροή του μυθιστορήματος.Βιβλίο που θεωρώ ότι κάτι έχει να δώσει στον αναγνώστη και που η αρχική έκδοσή του (εάν δεν κάνω λάθος) ήταν στην Γερμανική γλώσσα.
Μία αφηγηματική διαδρομή με φόντο την πρόσφατη και σύγχρονη Ιστορία της Ελλάδος από την ματιά της συγγραφέως κυρίας Σόφκα Ζινοβιέφ.Μία σωστή απεικόνιση δομής με διεξοδικές αφηγήτριες,στο πρώτο πρόσωπο,δύο μητέρες και χήρες που είναι τόσο διαφορετικές μεταξύ τους,αλλά και με κοινά στοιχεία και ένα εξ’αυτών η μετανάστευση,με εναλλαγές παρελθόντος και παρόντος,σχηματίζουν την ιστορία του βιβλίου όπου ζωτικός πυρήνας είναι τα μυστικά και δη οικογενειακά,η μακροχρόνια σιωπή,οι καταστροφικές συνέπειες και που μυστικά σιγά σιγά αναδύονται από την κρύπτη τους.Και όλα αυτά πλαισιώνονται από μία οδυνηρή εποχή με πάρα πολλά ιστορικά γεγονότα και κυρίως του εμφυλίου,αλλά και κοινωνικά.Διώξεις,εξορίες,βασανισμοί,διασπορές είναι μερικά που συναντούμε και όχι μόνο κατά την ροή του μυθιστορήματος.Βιβλίο που θεωρώ ότι κάτι έχει να δώσει στον αναγνώστη και που η αρχική έκδοσή του (εάν δεν κάνω λάθος) ήταν στην Γερμανική γλώσσα.
March 28, 2017
Η ιστορία μιας οικογένειας που διαιρείται με την πολιτική και τις επιπτώσεις του εμφύλιου πολέμου στην Ελλάδα. Συνδυάζει πολύ καλά, την πολιτική και κοινωνική κατάσταση με το δράμα και ένα άγγιγμα αγωνίας.
March 6, 2014
BABTProduct Description: Athens, 1942 two sisters divided by politics and tragedy...
In 2008 Antigone Perifanis returns to her old family home in Athens after 60 years in exile. She has come to attend the funeral of her only son, Nikitas, who was born in prison, and whom she has not seen since she left him as a baby.
Nikitas had been distressed in the days before his death and, curious to find out why, his English widow Maud starts to investigate his complicated past. In so doing, she finds herself reigniting a bitter family feud, discovering a heartbreaking story of a young mother caught up in the political tides of the Greek Civil War and forced to make a terrible decision that would blight not only her life but that of future generations...
The House on Paradise Street is an epic tale of love and loss, which takes readers from the war-torn streets of Nazi-occupied Athens through the military junta years and on into the troubled city of recent times and shows what happens when ideology threatens to subsume our sense of humanity.
Guardian review: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...
greece
pub 2012
spring 2012
BABT
1/10 Sofka Zinovieff's novel explores the long and tragic legacy of the Greek Civil War through a gripping story set in contemporary Athens. When Maud's Greek husband Nikitas dies in a mysterious car crash, Maud becomes curious about his family's troubled past. His mother, Antigone, now lives in Moscow, estranged from the family for nearly sixty years after abandoning her young son. Antigone has never been back to Greece, but now Maud needs to let her exiled mother-in-law know that her son is dead. Abridged by Sarah LeFanu
2/10 When Maud's husband Nikitas is killed in a mysterious car crash, she contacts his mother Antigone, who left Greece nearly sixty years ago and has never returned.
3/10 Maud knows Nikitas had been researching the years of the Greek Civil War, and is becoming curious to know more about his family's troubled history.
4/10 Maud has decided that Antigone holds the key to her finding out about her dead husband's troubled family history.
5/10 As she and Maud begin to warm to each other, Antigone opens up about the events of the Nazi occupation that lay at the heart of the family's troubled history.
6/10 Antigone is slowly beginning to reveal to Maud the events that broke her family apart.
7/10 Maud has started to hear from Antigone the story of what happened in the civil war. Meanwhile, Maud's children are involved in the most recent political protests in Athens.
8/10 Antigone begins to reveal to Maud the reasons for her long exile and the enmity between her and her sister Alexandria.
9/10 Antigone tells Maud about her experiences with the Greek Communist partisans after the war. Meanwhile, Maud's children have become caught up in the violence sweeping Athens.
10/10 Antigone has told Maud about the imprisonment and trial that led to her long exile in Russia. Meanwhile, Maud's daughter Tig has been hurt in a demonstration.
Readers: Lucy Briers and Ann Beach
Producer: Sara Davies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2013
This was a good book, but I just wasn't as hooked and I thought I would be. I learned a lot about certain perspectives of the Greek's civil war and current struggles. However, it was gorier and darker than I had thought. I just wasn't all that interested in the actual "story" or characters (other than Antigone), which could be because it jumped around a lot. Enjoyed learning about Greek "traditions" though.
January 28, 2024
My knowledge of events in Greece during World War II and the Greek Civil War that followed was extremely spotty (one might call it nonexistent) and this book did an admirable job of not only filling the gaps but also shedding light on why the civil war’s legacy still lives on today, why there are frequent student protests still occurring (including this week), and why some Greeks have extremely hard feelings toward the British (well beyond the ancient artifact plundering). Some of the plot devices were maybe not perfect, but the setup of the alternating points of view between the octogenarian communist rebel grandmother returning to Greece for the first time in 60 years and her English immigrant daughter in law was very effective in conveying multiple types of complexities in the history and present day of Greece. The ending was a bit too neat, but the book dealt with a national emotional burden responsibility.
October 30, 2022
I really enjoyed this. It’s a powerful and moving story about the Greek resistance, Nazi occupation and Greek civil war, interwoven with a modern day story. It’s well written and involving, with a great familiarity and knowledge of Greece. It also illuminates in a very accessible way the tragic history of the resistance and the civil war - some of it quite well known and some darker and less well known, such as British betrayals. There’s a good balance between the history and the story. Really recommend it.
November 22, 2025
This novel, history, and the world are full of all kinds of violence - and humanity.
I love how revolutionary spirit connects generations. But so does trauma.
I definitely think about Greece different now.
I love how revolutionary spirit connects generations. But so does trauma.
I definitely think about Greece different now.
November 15, 2020
The House on Paradise Street is an incredibly moving book of historical fiction. The story takes place in Greece during the German occupation & the civil war, as well as present day (2008). As a Greek-American, I found the details in this well-researched book profoundly meaningful. In fact, many aspects of the story may haunt me forever. I cried no less than three times. I often had to take a breather in between the chapters to process the suffering many of my ancestors lived through.
When I return to Greece one day soon, I will see the country through a different lens & with even greater pride. Athens will no longer be defined by the Acropolis on the hill. I will hear the shouting & protesting in the square. I will imagine the blood on the street & the bodies that once lay in the National Garden. As a child, I often heard about the German occupation. I didn't understand the sacrifice behind the indelible reference. I didn’t grasp what it truly meant to have the enemy live among you.
The book opens with Maud starting her day in their house on Paradise Street. Throughout the story, she reflects on her marriage with courage & trepidation. I found her to be raw & engaging in the most banal ways. I also connected with Maud on the push/pull of her desire to belong. Antigone shares the narration of the story, alternating chapters with Maud. Like so many who have lived through war & trauma, she is more reserved. However, a patient reader will receive a big payoff. Ultimately, it was Antigone who was still on my mind days after finishing the book.
Even if you're not Greek, the characters & the plot will carry you away. The writing in this fine novel is very strong. Descriptions are vivid, concise & unique. The end of the book has some surprising conclusions. Of course, reading about the atrocities & cruelty of war is never easy. The author, Sofka Zinovieff, finds creative ways to soothe the reader. In fact, she did such a fine job that I'm not even sure the last chapter is needed. The final comforting images have remained with me as I continue to process the experience of reading such a remarkable work of fiction.
I once heard Dr. Maya Angelou speak when I was young. She said to the massive crowd of college students, "You've already been paid for." Indeed, I have already been paid for. This book has shown me the price & I will always be grateful to Sofka Zinovieff for writing it.
When I return to Greece one day soon, I will see the country through a different lens & with even greater pride. Athens will no longer be defined by the Acropolis on the hill. I will hear the shouting & protesting in the square. I will imagine the blood on the street & the bodies that once lay in the National Garden. As a child, I often heard about the German occupation. I didn't understand the sacrifice behind the indelible reference. I didn’t grasp what it truly meant to have the enemy live among you.
The book opens with Maud starting her day in their house on Paradise Street. Throughout the story, she reflects on her marriage with courage & trepidation. I found her to be raw & engaging in the most banal ways. I also connected with Maud on the push/pull of her desire to belong. Antigone shares the narration of the story, alternating chapters with Maud. Like so many who have lived through war & trauma, she is more reserved. However, a patient reader will receive a big payoff. Ultimately, it was Antigone who was still on my mind days after finishing the book.
Even if you're not Greek, the characters & the plot will carry you away. The writing in this fine novel is very strong. Descriptions are vivid, concise & unique. The end of the book has some surprising conclusions. Of course, reading about the atrocities & cruelty of war is never easy. The author, Sofka Zinovieff, finds creative ways to soothe the reader. In fact, she did such a fine job that I'm not even sure the last chapter is needed. The final comforting images have remained with me as I continue to process the experience of reading such a remarkable work of fiction.
I once heard Dr. Maya Angelou speak when I was young. She said to the massive crowd of college students, "You've already been paid for." Indeed, I have already been paid for. This book has shown me the price & I will always be grateful to Sofka Zinovieff for writing it.
August 12, 2015
Der Roman "Athen, Paradiesstraße" ist ein eigenwilliges Portrait einer Familie, die sowohl englische als auch griechische Wurzeln hat. Das Buch beginnt mit dem tragischen Unfalltod des Nikitas Perifanis - seine Familie trauert. Allen voran seine junge Frau Maud, aus England stammend, die seit 1 1/2 Jahrzehnten Griechenland zu ihrer neuen Heimat machte. Es lastet seit langem das plötzliche Verschwinden der Mutter von Nikitas (Antigone) vor 60 Jahren auf der Familie. Nikitas - ehemals erfolgreicher Journalist steigerte sich immer mehr in die Aufklärung seiner Familienverhältnisse und zerstritt sich über den griechischen Bürgerkrieg mit seiner Frau.
In zweierlei Frauenperspektive (Antigone & Maud) wird nicht nur Verlust und Trauer der Gegenwart, sondern vor allem der Vergangenheit während des Bürgerkriegs aufgearbeitet. Antigone kehrt nach 60 Jahren zurück nach Athen, um ihre Familie ein letztes Mal zu sehen... Konflikte sind also vorprogrammiert.
Sprachlich unterscheiden sich die wechselnden Kapitel aus Mauds und Antigones Sicht nicht allzu sehr, auch ihre Verlustgefühle sind sehr ähnlich. Vielleicht ein Grund dafür, dass die Frauen einen Zugang zueinander finden und jede auf ihre Weise um Verlorenes trauert.
Die Vergangenheit scheint lang nicht abgeschlossen, Mauds Kinder Orestes und Tig sind an den heutigen Demonstrationen beteiligt und glauben längst nicht mehr an die kommunistischen/linken Ideale des Vaters...
Dieses Buch konnte mich sehr begeistern. Die Querelen des 2. Weltkrieges und die englische und deutsche Besatzung in Griechenland wird in Rückblende mit all seinen Grausamkeiten erzählt, Krieg kann man einfach nicht schönreden.
Im Vordergrund steht allerdings die spannende Familiengeschichte, in der weniges vorhersagbar und dafür vieles umso schockierender war.
Grandios geschrieben!
In zweierlei Frauenperspektive (Antigone & Maud) wird nicht nur Verlust und Trauer der Gegenwart, sondern vor allem der Vergangenheit während des Bürgerkriegs aufgearbeitet. Antigone kehrt nach 60 Jahren zurück nach Athen, um ihre Familie ein letztes Mal zu sehen... Konflikte sind also vorprogrammiert.
Sprachlich unterscheiden sich die wechselnden Kapitel aus Mauds und Antigones Sicht nicht allzu sehr, auch ihre Verlustgefühle sind sehr ähnlich. Vielleicht ein Grund dafür, dass die Frauen einen Zugang zueinander finden und jede auf ihre Weise um Verlorenes trauert.
Die Vergangenheit scheint lang nicht abgeschlossen, Mauds Kinder Orestes und Tig sind an den heutigen Demonstrationen beteiligt und glauben längst nicht mehr an die kommunistischen/linken Ideale des Vaters...
Dieses Buch konnte mich sehr begeistern. Die Querelen des 2. Weltkrieges und die englische und deutsche Besatzung in Griechenland wird in Rückblende mit all seinen Grausamkeiten erzählt, Krieg kann man einfach nicht schönreden.
Im Vordergrund steht allerdings die spannende Familiengeschichte, in der weniges vorhersagbar und dafür vieles umso schockierender war.
Grandios geschrieben!
May 19, 2014
The Greeks would compliment this novel with a hearty and vigorous μπράβο and I share their word of election to congratulate the authour in her accomplishment. Living presently in Athens and being an expat as Maud or even Sofka Zinovieff, this book naturally piqued my curiosity and while reading it, I smiled more than once feeling related to many situations encountered by the main protagonist trying to adapt to the costums and traditions of a new and somewhat exotic culture ( the toilet paper part actually made me laugh out loud). If you expect a stereotyped novel about greeks drinking ouzo under olive trees gazing the azure waters of the Mediterranean sea while playing with their komboloi beads, I am afraid you will find yourself disappointed. But if you wish and are interested in knowing the recent history of a underrated country and its capital and the struggles of its people, so this book is the one you are looking for. At the same time entertaining and informative, Sofka Zinovieff tells us what happened in the last century in Athens and Greece in a impartial way: Alexandra and Antigone are the different sides of a same coin but the author never take sides. And if you ever visited Athens, you will recognize the sounds, smells and tastes of this city because the description of them in this novel is more than accurate.
I will eagerly wait for more novels about Athens from Sofka Zinovieff. Bravo once again
I will eagerly wait for more novels about Athens from Sofka Zinovieff. Bravo once again
September 8, 2014
What an amusing and interesting read...a fantastic effort by Zinovieff.
The house on Paradise street is a gripping tale of the Perofinni family in Greece, torn apart in the aftermath of war and civil unrest. We are all but puppets of detiny, controlled a little by our thoughts and emotions and the choices we make. The house in Paradise street personifies just that. the effect of war on everyday life is exemplified beautifully by the strong characters of the story. However, the weaving of Greece's cultural and social life into the political backdrop of the story is most fantastic and admirable, potraying Greece and its people in the most understandable way.
Keeping in mind that this is not a crime triller, the twist in the tale and the tying in of the characters and the story was very well addressed as well. It is admirable that the author keeps in mind that not all her readers will be well acquainted or interested in Greek history and avoids excessive reference to the hard historical facts. When ever related, history has been narrated by the way of common people, thus making the story even more absorbing.
In all, a must read for all fans of human drama literature based on factual history
The house on Paradise street is a gripping tale of the Perofinni family in Greece, torn apart in the aftermath of war and civil unrest. We are all but puppets of detiny, controlled a little by our thoughts and emotions and the choices we make. The house in Paradise street personifies just that. the effect of war on everyday life is exemplified beautifully by the strong characters of the story. However, the weaving of Greece's cultural and social life into the political backdrop of the story is most fantastic and admirable, potraying Greece and its people in the most understandable way.
Keeping in mind that this is not a crime triller, the twist in the tale and the tying in of the characters and the story was very well addressed as well. It is admirable that the author keeps in mind that not all her readers will be well acquainted or interested in Greek history and avoids excessive reference to the hard historical facts. When ever related, history has been narrated by the way of common people, thus making the story even more absorbing.
In all, a must read for all fans of human drama literature based on factual history
June 7, 2015
A sobering and a no-punches-pulled historical fiction of Greece’s political history during the first half of the 1900s, the civil war and the devastating impact on families, relationships and life. The story is narrated through Maud, the English wife of Nikitas, who’s death kicks off the start of the book, and through Antigone, Nikitas’ mother who has been living in exile for 60 years in Russia. Thus begins the unraveling of the story of their families and extended family through the 60-year period and beyond. Stark and brutally vivid, the destruction of the what “once was” and the fight over beliefs that pit family members against family members is searing. The consequences of beliefs, decisions and actions taken back in the early 1900s have an everlasting impact on successive generations as the story moves between recent times and the past, spanning four generations. The human race is not very human and war is devastating and catastrophic. An absorbing and enlightening read.
January 28, 2015
"The House on Paradise Street" is an engrossing and intelligently-written family saga set in and around Athens, covering the 1930s up to the 2008 riots. The characters are well-drawn and believable, the narrative taken by three generations of women of the family - the "prodigal sister" Antigone, who seemingly abandons her infant son for a long exile in the USSR; Maud, an Englishwomen who marries Antigone's son, and Tig, their teenage daughter.
Real events and people are cleverly woven into the narrative, which is refreshingly free of Greek cliches. The author explores themes from nationality to ideology to family and loyalty. But it's not a heavy or difficult story to read - the author's skill in evoking time and place, and the universal human story means that those unfamiliar with recent Greek history can understand a little more of what has shaped this country in modern times.
Real events and people are cleverly woven into the narrative, which is refreshingly free of Greek cliches. The author explores themes from nationality to ideology to family and loyalty. But it's not a heavy or difficult story to read - the author's skill in evoking time and place, and the universal human story means that those unfamiliar with recent Greek history can understand a little more of what has shaped this country in modern times.
February 16, 2020
I bought "The House on Paradise Street" to prepare for an upcoming trip to Greece. I chose this author, an expat British academic married to a Greek diplomat, to view Greek culture and history through the lens of an "outsider" and the book served that purpose very well. The book is very well written, clearly the author did her research and then some. I learned a lot about atrocities committed during the Greek civil war, something I knew next to nothing about before. A few minor criticisms: The book is a bit lengthy/flowery for my tastes. I didn't care for the format, i.e. disjointed chapters narrated by different characters. The latter is a personal peeve, as many books are written that way now and I'm sure others are not bothered by it.
June 13, 2023
This book should be required reading for any foreigner interested in Greece; the portrait of how Greeks suffered in WWII and the subsequent civil war is something about which, alas, far too few people are aware. I knew about all this since I, like the author, am married to a Greek but it should be common knowledge that the Nazis fought a war of attrition in Greece.
All of Sofka Zinovieff's books about her Greek life, fiction and nonfiction, are tremendously resonant to me and I highly recommend them for anyone who would like a look at life in Greece for those of us who are "honorary" Greeks.
All of Sofka Zinovieff's books about her Greek life, fiction and nonfiction, are tremendously resonant to me and I highly recommend them for anyone who would like a look at life in Greece for those of us who are "honorary" Greeks.
July 14, 2022
Surprised to Learn
As we contemplate a trip to the idyllic country of Greece, we are researching the nation’s history. After a big dose of mythology and Ancient Greek tales and wars, I found a novel that reviews showed could catch me up on the unrest and trauma the Greeks endured in more modern times. I was completely ignorant of the terrible schisms that occurred, even Civil War in the 1940s. Surprisingly, the Greeks, who developed democracy so long ago, continued to battle for the soul of their nation until quite recently. The beautiful whitewashed buildings with the blue roofs appear so peaceful today, let’s hope the idyll has returned!
As we contemplate a trip to the idyllic country of Greece, we are researching the nation’s history. After a big dose of mythology and Ancient Greek tales and wars, I found a novel that reviews showed could catch me up on the unrest and trauma the Greeks endured in more modern times. I was completely ignorant of the terrible schisms that occurred, even Civil War in the 1940s. Surprisingly, the Greeks, who developed democracy so long ago, continued to battle for the soul of their nation until quite recently. The beautiful whitewashed buildings with the blue roofs appear so peaceful today, let’s hope the idyll has returned!
April 1, 2017
I give five stars for the great story and the best lesson in Greek history . I highly recommend it to the curious reader who wants to be educated and enjoy an authentic story. The book helped me to understand today's Greece . Antigone's story is so moving, Maud's character is brilliantly described. This is one of those books that I did not want to read too fast, and that I will keep on my shelf to read again some time.
Want to read
September 5, 2012KOBOBOOKS
Reviewed by The Independent (3 Apr 2012)
Reviewed by The Independent (3 Apr 2012)
September 30, 2014
This is a very interesting and well written book, packed full of facts both about the Greek civil war and the uprisings in the last decade. The only reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 was because I found part of it quite heavy going as I was on holiday while reading it and really wanted something lighter. However I intend to reread it as there is so much to this novel, and I rushed it.
June 20, 2012
Not being a great lover of fiction, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book written, I have to confess, by an old friend. She combines social and political history with drama and a touch of suspense.
March 13, 2013
I enjoyed the story of a family divided by the politics and implications of a specific point of views. I didn't know anything about the Greek Civil War. Glad I read it.
February 21, 2023
My husband is a first-generation Greek American, born in PA, who went to high school in Athens, GR. His parents were immigrants who arrived just before WWII. We spend a lot of time in Greece visiting old friends and family members. I’ve fallen in love with Greece, even took Greek lessons at the local Greek Orthodox Church. I love reading historical fiction based in Greece, and recently selected several books for a trip. The first two I read were basically romance novels based in historic Greece. Boring!
“The House on Paradise Street” was EXACTLY what I was looking for. The characters showed authentic complexity deeply rooted in the true essence of Greeks living in Greece. The book is about historical events in Greece and how they truly affect people – the paths they take in life, their experience with events as they happen and the choices they take, and how it affects their culture, their community, their family, and themselves. Characters are based on real life people and experiences of the author’s family and friends. The author is married to a Greek man, she’s lived in Greece and understands Greek culture and how history has molded their experience with themselves, family, the world. I loved it!
The book is narrated by two women. English Maud who marries a Greek man, moves to Greece, becomes a part of his family, and explores the mystery of his mother who had been a rebel during WWII and the Greek Civil War and left her son in Greece to escape imprisonment and possible execution. Antigone is the rebel and mother who left. History is shared from their perspectives as Maud learns about her husband after his death, Antigone revisits her life and what it took to leave her child behind and fleeing to Russia after the Greek Civil War. The book describes how Greek history has shaped the lives of the family, going back to the catastrophic Fire of Smyrna in 1922.
One thing that really drew me in is that much of the book takes place in Athens – during WWII, the Greek Civil War, The Junta and Communism, the 1980s to the early years of the Greece financial crisis. And their family lives very near the neighborhood where we keep a small family apartment! The streets they walk, the sights they see, the people they encounter are all familiar to me, making the story and characters all the more real. For readers who have never been to Greece, this book is authentic on so many levels. The way the author describes Greeks today, their food and customs, how they experience and live with their government, how people live in the villages, what they have experienced through the years. And the history in this book is fascinating. I found myself searching on my phone for different historical events mentioned in the book to learn more about them and how they are woven into the DNA of Greeks. It brings home to me how disconnected most Americans are to how wars, famine, suffering from foreign occupation and government corruption truly affects a whole population.
I strongly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by the author Sofka Zinovieff.
“The House on Paradise Street” was EXACTLY what I was looking for. The characters showed authentic complexity deeply rooted in the true essence of Greeks living in Greece. The book is about historical events in Greece and how they truly affect people – the paths they take in life, their experience with events as they happen and the choices they take, and how it affects their culture, their community, their family, and themselves. Characters are based on real life people and experiences of the author’s family and friends. The author is married to a Greek man, she’s lived in Greece and understands Greek culture and how history has molded their experience with themselves, family, the world. I loved it!
The book is narrated by two women. English Maud who marries a Greek man, moves to Greece, becomes a part of his family, and explores the mystery of his mother who had been a rebel during WWII and the Greek Civil War and left her son in Greece to escape imprisonment and possible execution. Antigone is the rebel and mother who left. History is shared from their perspectives as Maud learns about her husband after his death, Antigone revisits her life and what it took to leave her child behind and fleeing to Russia after the Greek Civil War. The book describes how Greek history has shaped the lives of the family, going back to the catastrophic Fire of Smyrna in 1922.
One thing that really drew me in is that much of the book takes place in Athens – during WWII, the Greek Civil War, The Junta and Communism, the 1980s to the early years of the Greece financial crisis. And their family lives very near the neighborhood where we keep a small family apartment! The streets they walk, the sights they see, the people they encounter are all familiar to me, making the story and characters all the more real. For readers who have never been to Greece, this book is authentic on so many levels. The way the author describes Greeks today, their food and customs, how they experience and live with their government, how people live in the villages, what they have experienced through the years. And the history in this book is fascinating. I found myself searching on my phone for different historical events mentioned in the book to learn more about them and how they are woven into the DNA of Greeks. It brings home to me how disconnected most Americans are to how wars, famine, suffering from foreign occupation and government corruption truly affects a whole population.
I strongly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by the author Sofka Zinovieff.
October 15, 2023
Some people have political views as immutable as if they were a religious faith. This novel examines a situation where a Greek family is torn apart when its members have opposing beliefs. The story covers the period from the German occupation of Greece in WW2 to the present.
Much of the patriotic resistance to the Nazi army was from guerrilla bands in the mountainous regions of Greece, bands that were mostly communist or at least left-wing in their membership. One of the primary characters in this novel was a member of such a guerrilla group, while other members of her family endured, or in some cases even collaborated, with the Germans.
When the German military retreated from Greece in 1944, opposing factions began to vie for political domination. At first there were rallies and demonstrations but soon violence with firearms erupted. No side had an overwhelming advantage, a situation that the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, found worrying. With Yugoslavia and Albania already firmly under communist government, he did not want Greece also to become communist, and sent British military aid to support the Greek anti-communist monarchists. It is clear that the author of this novel views this as a grave affront, and her criticism of British meddling is vehement.
This novel is very well written but not a pleasant read, with accounts of atrocities, rapes, mass executions and torture during the Nazi occupation and then during the civil war in Greece between 1946 to 1949. There are also instances of bravery: the courage of those in battle, the stoical bravery of those going to their execution. The pro-monarchist Greek government eventually defeated the left-wing forces. This story describes many aspects, mainly from the viewpoints of two sisters with opposing political beliefs. In the end a degree of reconciliation is reached, sixty years later. Those who have read and enjoyed Zinovieff's earlier "Eurydice Street" will recognise some autobiographical elements in this, her story of the English woman who has been wife and mother to a Greek family for many years.
Much of the patriotic resistance to the Nazi army was from guerrilla bands in the mountainous regions of Greece, bands that were mostly communist or at least left-wing in their membership. One of the primary characters in this novel was a member of such a guerrilla group, while other members of her family endured, or in some cases even collaborated, with the Germans.
When the German military retreated from Greece in 1944, opposing factions began to vie for political domination. At first there were rallies and demonstrations but soon violence with firearms erupted. No side had an overwhelming advantage, a situation that the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, found worrying. With Yugoslavia and Albania already firmly under communist government, he did not want Greece also to become communist, and sent British military aid to support the Greek anti-communist monarchists. It is clear that the author of this novel views this as a grave affront, and her criticism of British meddling is vehement.
This novel is very well written but not a pleasant read, with accounts of atrocities, rapes, mass executions and torture during the Nazi occupation and then during the civil war in Greece between 1946 to 1949. There are also instances of bravery: the courage of those in battle, the stoical bravery of those going to their execution. The pro-monarchist Greek government eventually defeated the left-wing forces. This story describes many aspects, mainly from the viewpoints of two sisters with opposing political beliefs. In the end a degree of reconciliation is reached, sixty years later. Those who have read and enjoyed Zinovieff's earlier "Eurydice Street" will recognise some autobiographical elements in this, her story of the English woman who has been wife and mother to a Greek family for many years.
June 13, 2023
I read this on the recommendation of Kate Page who gave it five stars. During the early chapters my impression was that the author was spending too much time establishing the characters but later I understood that, although the story is set in troubled times, it is very much about the people and relationships rather than the events.
This book is an excellent introduction the history of Greece during and after WW2 and once this becomes the focus the novel truly comes to life. It was a shameful period in Britain's history when Churchill was as rabidly determined to eliminate communism, possibly against the will of the majority, as was America in Vietnam decades later. (Apparently the first use of Napalm in conflict was in post-WW2 Greece when the British used it against the communists, who had fought on the Allied side during the war.) I thought that, because the events were described by Zinovieff's characters who had fought 'on the wrong side of history' that she had exaggerated the atrocities. My subsequent research suggests she had not.
Like Kate before me I recommend this novel: it's a well-written, well-paced, cracking story that shines a light on a brutal suppression of an insurgency that the mysterious blob we have in the UK called 'The Establishment' would prefer us mere plebs be be ignorant of.
This book is an excellent introduction the history of Greece during and after WW2 and once this becomes the focus the novel truly comes to life. It was a shameful period in Britain's history when Churchill was as rabidly determined to eliminate communism, possibly against the will of the majority, as was America in Vietnam decades later. (Apparently the first use of Napalm in conflict was in post-WW2 Greece when the British used it against the communists, who had fought on the Allied side during the war.) I thought that, because the events were described by Zinovieff's characters who had fought 'on the wrong side of history' that she had exaggerated the atrocities. My subsequent research suggests she had not.
Like Kate before me I recommend this novel: it's a well-written, well-paced, cracking story that shines a light on a brutal suppression of an insurgency that the mysterious blob we have in the UK called 'The Establishment' would prefer us mere plebs be be ignorant of.
September 16, 2020
English review below the Greek one
3½/5
Εμπνευσμένο από πραγματικά πρόσωπα και γεγονότα, αυτό το μυθιστόρημα είναι γραμμένο πιο πολύ από ξένους για ξένους παρά για το ελληνικό κοινό. Όχι γιατί η ιστορία δεν έχει ενδιαφέρον ή προς το τέλος ειδικά δεν γίνεται αρκετά συγκινητική, αλλά διότι η πλοκή χρησιμεύει πιο πολύ σαν πρόφαση ώστε η συγγραφέας να μιλήσει για το οτιδήποτε Ελληνικό και για την Ελληνική ιστορία, ειδικά από την κατοχή και μετά.
3½/5
This book is inspired from real events and people, but I feel it's written mostly from a point of view of an outsider/foreigner who got very familiar with Greece, aimed at other foreigners/outsiders in order to introduce all things Greek and especially the 20th century history to them. The story is interesting up to an extend and it gets quite moving towards the end, but while reading, I always got the feeling that it's a preface and not a plot I could enjoy as a stand-alone premise.
But this is my feeling as a Greek reading this, I think people who are not familiar with Greece, its culture and its more recent history and who want to learn more, will find this novel more revealing and engaging than me.
3½/5
Εμπνευσμένο από πραγματικά πρόσωπα και γεγονότα, αυτό το μυθιστόρημα είναι γραμμένο πιο πολύ από ξένους για ξένους παρά για το ελληνικό κοινό. Όχι γιατί η ιστορία δεν έχει ενδιαφέρον ή προς το τέλος ειδικά δεν γίνεται αρκετά συγκινητική, αλλά διότι η πλοκή χρησιμεύει πιο πολύ σαν πρόφαση ώστε η συγγραφέας να μιλήσει για το οτιδήποτε Ελληνικό και για την Ελληνική ιστορία, ειδικά από την κατοχή και μετά.
3½/5
This book is inspired from real events and people, but I feel it's written mostly from a point of view of an outsider/foreigner who got very familiar with Greece, aimed at other foreigners/outsiders in order to introduce all things Greek and especially the 20th century history to them. The story is interesting up to an extend and it gets quite moving towards the end, but while reading, I always got the feeling that it's a preface and not a plot I could enjoy as a stand-alone premise.
But this is my feeling as a Greek reading this, I think people who are not familiar with Greece, its culture and its more recent history and who want to learn more, will find this novel more revealing and engaging than me.
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