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Eet, drink en word gelukkig
A blackly funny and heartwarming story about mothers and daughters, growing up and breaking free with a hint of magic and mouthwatering delicacies — Anita and Me meets East is East with a touch of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
254 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
8 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Eve Makis
10 books76 followersEve Makis studied at Leicester University and worked as a journalist and radio presenter in the UK and Cyprus before becoming a novelist. She is the author of four novels. Her first book Eat, Drink and be Married was published in five languages and awarded the Young Booksellers International Book of the Year Award. A screen adaptation of her third book, Land of the Golden Apple, is being filmed in June 2015. Eve is a part time tutor in creative writing at Nottingham University.The Spice Box Letters is currently available in English and Greek and has been long listed for the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 11, 2019
Interesting to read how your ( in this case Cypriotic) roots keep on defining a large part of your life
September 24, 2020
I really struggled to read this book, as it is not a genre I would chose, but I did manage to complete it thanks to a myriad of well written characters who all share a range of interesting family and friendship bonds. I found the character of Tina very interesting. Even though the story is told from Anna's perspective, it appears to be the conservative views of her mother Tina that push through. As Anna introduces us to each character, Tina's opinion of them suddenly intrudes onto the page, almost as if Anna has been restricted for so long that she starts the book unable to gave her own opinion. The views of her mum always appear to cloud over her narrative descriptions of everyone we meet. This was an excellent way of communicating the sense of control, both physical and mental, experienced by Anna as she grew up in her family.
Anna's hopes of something better manifest as dreams and superstitions. Dreams that open some of the chapters and clues of future possibilities found in tea leaves give hope to characters who understand that independence is a dirty word and having no life is an acceptable reality when living in obedience to the family.
Anna's hopes of something better manifest as dreams and superstitions. Dreams that open some of the chapters and clues of future possibilities found in tea leaves give hope to characters who understand that independence is a dirty word and having no life is an acceptable reality when living in obedience to the family.
May 17, 2024
A mostly light-hearted account of a Cypriot family living in the UK, running a fish and chip shop. Narrated from the point of view of teenage Anna who is caught between her longing to go to university and her mother's determination to marry her to some nice young Cypriot man.
Not a whole lot of plot as such, but some very well-written observations and scenes, with some flashbacks to the past. As I live in Cyprus I knew some of the history that was referred to, and it was very interesting to learn more from the point of view of a novel.
Some humour, particularly related to language and communication, and some shocking scenes. I'm glad I read it, but don't suppose I'll read it again.
Three and a half stars, really.
Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
Not a whole lot of plot as such, but some very well-written observations and scenes, with some flashbacks to the past. As I live in Cyprus I knew some of the history that was referred to, and it was very interesting to learn more from the point of view of a novel.
Some humour, particularly related to language and communication, and some shocking scenes. I'm glad I read it, but don't suppose I'll read it again.
Three and a half stars, really.
Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
April 24, 2022
This book had all the ingredients to love it but failed to engage me. Too many characters, not enough drama. Despite the well-drawn portraits, quirky family stories and at times really good writing, I got bogged down in figuring out who was who every time I picked it up. Gave up a few chapters in. Would definitely try another by the same author -- she clearly knows her way around a page.
November 24, 2021
An honest account of the destiny of Cypriot-Greek family in England, full of the smells and savours of food, enjoyed by an extensive family.
January 9, 2012
The story is about a family, there isn't a great deal of a storyline - no mysterious plot unfolding, or high drama, but a realistic and often blackly funny look at modern life for an immigrant family. Anna works in her parents fish and chip shop, on a council estate in the city of Nottingham. Her parents; Tina and Tony left Cyprus years ago and have worked very hard to build up their business. They may have left their homeland behind, but their customs and traditions are firmly held. Anna is tired of her mother and her aunts trying to find her a 'nice Greek boy' to marry - their ideal man would own a fish and chip shop, drive a Mercedes and have a modern mock Tudor house on the outskirts of the city. Anna, on the other hand, would like to go to college, would like to have a career and would like to find her own boyfriend.
Despite these differences, this is a family who love each other, are loyal and steadfast and will defend each other to the hilt. They are subject to ridicule, racist remarks and sometimes violence from the local people who lurch into the chippy with a belly full of beer on a Friday and Saturday night. There are also locals who love the family, who work with them and befriend them and will defend them.
This is a story of the difficulties faced by first generation teenagers. Trying to keep up with the local kids, trying to please the family. Rebelling against the old traditions. It's also a story of how the older generation want to keep their ideals, want to carry on their customs and want the very best for their children.
There are some wonderfully funny characters, not least Anna's Mum Tina - a bolshy woman who swears like a trooper (in Greek) at those that annoy her and smiles sweetly at anyone who may be an authority figure. Anna's grandmother Yiaya - who tells tales of Cyprus in the days before the Turkish invasion - stories of whitewashed villages, olive picking and bringing up a family.
Alongside the funny, sometimes very sad story there are the recipes and the description of the fine Greek food that the family serve up - mouthwatering treats that will be familiar to anyone who has ever holidayed on the Greek islands.
Despite these differences, this is a family who love each other, are loyal and steadfast and will defend each other to the hilt. They are subject to ridicule, racist remarks and sometimes violence from the local people who lurch into the chippy with a belly full of beer on a Friday and Saturday night. There are also locals who love the family, who work with them and befriend them and will defend them.
This is a story of the difficulties faced by first generation teenagers. Trying to keep up with the local kids, trying to please the family. Rebelling against the old traditions. It's also a story of how the older generation want to keep their ideals, want to carry on their customs and want the very best for their children.
There are some wonderfully funny characters, not least Anna's Mum Tina - a bolshy woman who swears like a trooper (in Greek) at those that annoy her and smiles sweetly at anyone who may be an authority figure. Anna's grandmother Yiaya - who tells tales of Cyprus in the days before the Turkish invasion - stories of whitewashed villages, olive picking and bringing up a family.
Alongside the funny, sometimes very sad story there are the recipes and the description of the fine Greek food that the family serve up - mouthwatering treats that will be familiar to anyone who has ever holidayed on the Greek islands.
April 6, 2017
A beautiful story about family is the way you can sum up this book, although It is not what I expected when I decided to read it. On the first page you see yourself sorrownded by the aromas, feelings and people, and you can't get out until the end.
Sometimes overexceding with details while trying to recreate an image can lead to a boring reading if it's not made graciously. In this case it is like a hand leading you in every scenario insisting on make you feel what Anna is feeling
You fall in love with the entire family specially traditional and adorable Tina, a greek mum, the funiest character you had ever imagined being created.
Not what I was looking for but you can't deny it's a wonderful and well written story.
Sometimes overexceding with details while trying to recreate an image can lead to a boring reading if it's not made graciously. In this case it is like a hand leading you in every scenario insisting on make you feel what Anna is feeling
You fall in love with the entire family specially traditional and adorable Tina, a greek mum, the funiest character you had ever imagined being created.
Not what I was looking for but you can't deny it's a wonderful and well written story.
July 13, 2007
Kalau baca buku ini, yang terbayang sekilas adalah film ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’. Iya, buku ini berkisah tentang keluarga keturunan Yunani yang berimigrasi ke Inggris. Anna, tokoh utama yang jadi narator di buku ini, adalah remaja yang sedang mengalami masa-masa transisi. Menurut Tina, sang Ibu, sudah waktunya Anna untuk menemukan pendamping, keturunan Yunani yang suka kaya, bukan ‘marmalade eater’, begitu sebutan Tina untuk orang Inggris. Tapi, sebenarnya Anna punya cita-cita untuk masuk universitas, dan belajar hukum. Anna juga dijaga ‘ketat’ oleh ibunya.
Masalah bukan hanya itu, Keluarga Papamichael mempunyai restoran fish and chips. Dan setiap hari, mereka harus berhadapan dengan pelanggan yang gak mau rugi atau yang suka bikin onar. Atau tetangga yang selalu protes hanya gara-gara masalah klakson mobil yang katanya mengganggu mereka.
Cerita tidak hanya bergulir di sekitar keluarga Anna, tapi juga keluarga bibinya, Aunt Roulla, Aunt Maria, sang nenek, Yiayia Annoulla, dan juga kakaknya, Andy yang pacaran dengan sahabatnya sendiri, Heather.
Merasa tertekan karena sikap Tina, Anna sering mencari ketenangan dengan berbicara dengan Yiayia. Yiayia punya kemampuan ‘spiritual’, seperti meramal atau sedikit ‘guna-guna’. Sesekali diselingi flashback, ketika keluarga Papamichael masih tinggal di Yunani, ketika Papuo - kakek Anna masih hidup, atau ketika mereka harus menghadapi peperangan di negara mereka. Ternyata, Tina yang keras dan maunya mengatur itu, dulunya juga ‘pemberontak’ dan menolak dijodohkan dengan laki-laki pilihan ibunya.
Suatu kejadian yang dialami Maria, sepupunya, merubah sikap Tina yang akhirnya sadar untuk memberi sedikit kebebasan untuk Anna
Masalah bukan hanya itu, Keluarga Papamichael mempunyai restoran fish and chips. Dan setiap hari, mereka harus berhadapan dengan pelanggan yang gak mau rugi atau yang suka bikin onar. Atau tetangga yang selalu protes hanya gara-gara masalah klakson mobil yang katanya mengganggu mereka.
Cerita tidak hanya bergulir di sekitar keluarga Anna, tapi juga keluarga bibinya, Aunt Roulla, Aunt Maria, sang nenek, Yiayia Annoulla, dan juga kakaknya, Andy yang pacaran dengan sahabatnya sendiri, Heather.
Merasa tertekan karena sikap Tina, Anna sering mencari ketenangan dengan berbicara dengan Yiayia. Yiayia punya kemampuan ‘spiritual’, seperti meramal atau sedikit ‘guna-guna’. Sesekali diselingi flashback, ketika keluarga Papamichael masih tinggal di Yunani, ketika Papuo - kakek Anna masih hidup, atau ketika mereka harus menghadapi peperangan di negara mereka. Ternyata, Tina yang keras dan maunya mengatur itu, dulunya juga ‘pemberontak’ dan menolak dijodohkan dengan laki-laki pilihan ibunya.
Suatu kejadian yang dialami Maria, sepupunya, merubah sikap Tina yang akhirnya sadar untuk memberi sedikit kebebasan untuk Anna
September 7, 2008
Today's reviews share a common theme: the close bond of a grand-daughter to her grandmother. In Eat, Drink and Be Married by Eve Makis, the grand-daughter is Anna, a first generation Briton in a Greek immigrant family. Her parents want a lavish life for her that's grounded in Greek traditions. Her one ally is her grandmother, Yiayia Annoulla.
Anna spends her time working in her parents fish and chip shop, trying to avoid her mother's marriage plans for her and learning how to divine the future from coffee grounds. Throughout the book Anna includes her grandmother's predictions of the future, noting that Yiayia is always right. Finding out how her predictions play out is a big part of Eat Drink and Be Married.
Eve Makis describes the violence and racism that Anna and her family face. The current threats against the store and Anna's brother help bring the family together.
As the title implies, food is a central motif. Anna describes the way her family uses food to celebrate its traditions and then between chapters there are recipes for the food mentioned in the book. The recipes included are for Kateifi, Macaronia Tou Fournou, Oktapodi Krasato, Avgolemoni and Chirino Me Kolokassi.
Anna spends her time working in her parents fish and chip shop, trying to avoid her mother's marriage plans for her and learning how to divine the future from coffee grounds. Throughout the book Anna includes her grandmother's predictions of the future, noting that Yiayia is always right. Finding out how her predictions play out is a big part of Eat Drink and Be Married.
Eve Makis describes the violence and racism that Anna and her family face. The current threats against the store and Anna's brother help bring the family together.
As the title implies, food is a central motif. Anna describes the way her family uses food to celebrate its traditions and then between chapters there are recipes for the food mentioned in the book. The recipes included are for Kateifi, Macaronia Tou Fournou, Oktapodi Krasato, Avgolemoni and Chirino Me Kolokassi.
November 22, 2008
I wanted to like this book, and I tried really hard...I got up to page 155 and finally gave up, because nothing seemed to be happening.
It's the story of a teenage British-Cypriot girl, Anna, living near Nottingham, England, where her family owns a fish and chips shop. Her mother is traditional and longs for her to marry a rich man, while Anna wants to go to university.
Up to page 155, the book is full of a myriad of characters--family members, customers, Anna's few friends--and the reason I stuck with it for as long as I did was that the background story was colorful and full of lots of descriptions and recipes of interesting-sounding Greek food.
But I found myself thinking about other books, and getting bored. I reluctantly decided to stop reading it, hence the one star. As soon as I picked up another book and got hooked, I knew I'd made the right decision.
It's the story of a teenage British-Cypriot girl, Anna, living near Nottingham, England, where her family owns a fish and chips shop. Her mother is traditional and longs for her to marry a rich man, while Anna wants to go to university.
Up to page 155, the book is full of a myriad of characters--family members, customers, Anna's few friends--and the reason I stuck with it for as long as I did was that the background story was colorful and full of lots of descriptions and recipes of interesting-sounding Greek food.
But I found myself thinking about other books, and getting bored. I reluctantly decided to stop reading it, hence the one star. As soon as I picked up another book and got hooked, I knew I'd made the right decision.
July 9, 2016
I struggled to decide whether to give this book 2 stars or 3.
This is the second book I have read by Eve Makis, having really loved the other: Land of the Golden Apples.
This is obviously the first book written and published by Eve Makis as it is not as well-written as her subsequent one. Still, the author writes about what she knows (a second generation Greek Cypriot girl growing up in Britain with traditional parents) and, as with her first novel, she depicts the whole truth, warts and all.
This book did not have much of a storyline which was disappointing and dull, however, I love that Eve Makis manages to include so many facts and traditions of Cyprus naturally in her writing - including several recipes.
She remains my favourite Greek Cypriot writer and I look forward to reading her other books, as well as hopefully many future ones!
This is the second book I have read by Eve Makis, having really loved the other: Land of the Golden Apples.
This is obviously the first book written and published by Eve Makis as it is not as well-written as her subsequent one. Still, the author writes about what she knows (a second generation Greek Cypriot girl growing up in Britain with traditional parents) and, as with her first novel, she depicts the whole truth, warts and all.
This book did not have much of a storyline which was disappointing and dull, however, I love that Eve Makis manages to include so many facts and traditions of Cyprus naturally in her writing - including several recipes.
She remains my favourite Greek Cypriot writer and I look forward to reading her other books, as well as hopefully many future ones!
August 10, 2020
Cyprus
It is a lovely light read. An honest account of 'Anna' about her own family. A funny take on immigrant life. The balance between holding on to one's own traditions and jelling in with the place you live in is a funny circus many must've experienced and Eve has given the plot a lovely touch. From her grandfather's valor and her grandmother's world-wise practicality - to the next door neighbor's reality - Eve has managed to sketch her characters with the blended colors of 'Cyprus' traditions and UK life. Also, through her character, she stands up for feminist rights on topics such as love and marriage..ridiculing the tradition of blindly falling in for the 'girls live for marriage' concept. Enjoyable. Poignant. Relatable.
It is a lovely light read. An honest account of 'Anna' about her own family. A funny take on immigrant life. The balance between holding on to one's own traditions and jelling in with the place you live in is a funny circus many must've experienced and Eve has given the plot a lovely touch. From her grandfather's valor and her grandmother's world-wise practicality - to the next door neighbor's reality - Eve has managed to sketch her characters with the blended colors of 'Cyprus' traditions and UK life. Also, through her character, she stands up for feminist rights on topics such as love and marriage..ridiculing the tradition of blindly falling in for the 'girls live for marriage' concept. Enjoyable. Poignant. Relatable.
August 4, 2014
Persevered with this one but wasn't really a winner for me. The description of the relationship between granddaughter & grandmother was quite touching but unfortunately I didn't really bond with the other characters & found it hard to keep interested in their lives. Very 'my big fat Greek wedding' but the recipes interspersed between chapters gave the book a disjointed feel, think they'd have been better kept until the end.
June 20, 2009
Second book I've read by Nottingham based author Eve Makis, the other book was The Mother-in-Law.
I liked this book. They had some dreadful customers in the fish & chip shop. The mother insulted them in Greek but smiled all the while so that was funny.
I liked this book. They had some dreadful customers in the fish & chip shop. The mother insulted them in Greek but smiled all the while so that was funny.
February 8, 2010
A super book giving an insight into the world of Anna's family, Greek fish and chip shop owners. Also includes ocassional recipes. Only wish I hadn't read this whilst on a diet!
May 7, 2013
Another great read from Eve Makis that captures the spirit of Cyprus and the true meaning of family.
Read
July 23, 2015read in dutch. Left no memory.
August 19, 2015
Funny!!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews