A Tale Without a Name

by Penelope Delta, Pēnelopē Stephanou Delta, Mika Provata-Carlone (Translator)

An enduringly timely Greek fable of feckless leadership and rediscovered community, as enchanting as it is sharply satirical.

“Cleverly adapts the conventions of the European fairy tale with sharp satire worthy of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift.” —Irish Times

The kingdom used to be a place of paved roads and well-filled coffers, with joy and the good life all around. But the old king went the way of all flesh years ago, and now the kingdom is derelict, a land of wickedness and ruin. King Witless now sits on the throne; his advisers feed the royal family by robbing passersby of their dinners; the Army and Navy consist of one man each – and neither has quite enough limbs.

Then the young prince and his sister begin to see what must be done, and to explore the kingdom, meeting men and women who have held onto lost wisdom and trying—if they can—to restore what has been lost.

For a hundred years, A Tale Without a Name has been one of Greece's best-loved stories, combining the timeless rhythms of a fairy tale with a satirical account of a state fallen into chaos. First published in the aftermath of a coup and a war with Turkey, in the hopes of inspiring the Greeks to address the nation’s economic and military chaos, this playful, wise fable is enchanting for readers of any age, as meaningful and moving now as when it was first written.

240 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 24, 2026

About the author

Penelope Delta (Greek: Πηνελόπη Δέλτα) was a Greek author.

Reviews

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

After some wonderful halcyon years the Kingdom of the Fatalists is much worse off – half desolate, half dissolute. The Prince of the royal family decides to try and do something about it, but will have his work cut out. And that's it for plot – this unusually child-friendly, but only-for-adults, read, covers the efforts to get the place secure again, employed again, and so on, without really telling us if it's a fable with a particular message or allegory. To repeat, it's very readable, but without knowing to what effect it's more of a three-and-a-half-star curio.

PS Upon finally reading the blurb, I see it was intended to goad the author's fellow Greeks to a place of being able to resist the neighbouring Turks, which must be the case. But as the piece lacks the full-on satirical charm and echt all-ages nature it claims for it, my rating remains the same.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tale Without a Name was an amusing, fantastical satire about government failure and corruption and the collapse (and eventual rebuilding) of a functional society. It is humorous and easy to read, but at the same time packs a punch with its message. It was pretty clear throughout what would happen at each turn, but the fun was in seeing the characters react to those things (either well or badly depending on the role each was playing) and following events as they ran their course. If you enjoy older works like Candide then you will likely find this one enjoyable too. I am giving it 4 stars.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.