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Polk, Harper & Who
Another side of London...
After ten years together, including some difficult times, Adam and Eva are still as in love as they were when they told each other every day that they loved each other every day more.
All-round adorable Adam - adopted, mixed-race, with a deep social conscience that he shares with his wife - claims to have no issues other than having no issues. Raised by remarkable parents, he has grown up happy and grounded, uninterested in his "other parents" or in why they might have had to give him up.
Having lost her father at fifteen, and still suffering a terrible relationship with "mother", Eva has more issues than she cares to admit, and it falls to an unexpected visit by two policemen to uncover a secret she has kept from her husband since the first day they met.
With the past at last explained, and the worst of it now apparently behind them, today has been a day of good news, which Eva is looking forward to sharing with the friends who have invited them to dinner. But their hosts seem to have very different plans for the evening, and the air is thick with tension as gradually the reason for their invitation begins to come out...
Its satirical humor sometimes black and irreverent, POLK, HARPER & WHO is a contemporary tale of complex family relationships, of friendships being put to the test, and of imperfect London love within imperfect London lives.
After ten years together, including some difficult times, Adam and Eva are still as in love as they were when they told each other every day that they loved each other every day more.
All-round adorable Adam - adopted, mixed-race, with a deep social conscience that he shares with his wife - claims to have no issues other than having no issues. Raised by remarkable parents, he has grown up happy and grounded, uninterested in his "other parents" or in why they might have had to give him up.
Having lost her father at fifteen, and still suffering a terrible relationship with "mother", Eva has more issues than she cares to admit, and it falls to an unexpected visit by two policemen to uncover a secret she has kept from her husband since the first day they met.
With the past at last explained, and the worst of it now apparently behind them, today has been a day of good news, which Eva is looking forward to sharing with the friends who have invited them to dinner. But their hosts seem to have very different plans for the evening, and the air is thick with tension as gradually the reason for their invitation begins to come out...
Its satirical humor sometimes black and irreverent, POLK, HARPER & WHO is a contemporary tale of complex family relationships, of friendships being put to the test, and of imperfect London love within imperfect London lives.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 20, 2017
352 people are currently reading
434 people want to read
About the author
Panayotis Cacoyannis
10 books131 followersPanayotis had a magical childhood growing up in a small seaside town in Cyprus. After two years as an army conscript (at a time when the island suffered first a military coup and then an invasion), he travelled to Britain where he studied law at Oxford and qualified to practise at the Bar. Having then decided (very wisely) that he didn't want to be a lawyer, he also graduated art school, and for many happy years he worked as a painter and sculptor, until a spell of artist's block led to a very short course in creative writing...
For the moment at least, Panayotis has no plans (not to mention the energy or any trace of talent) to embark on a fourth career. His time now exclusively devoted to writing, he lives in London but travels to Cyprus often, to visit friends and family and be near the sea. Aside from reading, writing and playing with his cat, his favorite pastime is going to the movies, and ever since his friend/therapist/barber recommended The Sopranos, he has also discovered good TV.
If anyone would like to get in touch with him, or get regular updates, including news about discounts and giveaways, a newsletter subscription form and a contact email address can be found on his website, where you can also see examples of his artwork.
For the moment at least, Panayotis has no plans (not to mention the energy or any trace of talent) to embark on a fourth career. His time now exclusively devoted to writing, he lives in London but travels to Cyprus often, to visit friends and family and be near the sea. Aside from reading, writing and playing with his cat, his favorite pastime is going to the movies, and ever since his friend/therapist/barber recommended The Sopranos, he has also discovered good TV.
If anyone would like to get in touch with him, or get regular updates, including news about discounts and giveaways, a newsletter subscription form and a contact email address can be found on his website, where you can also see examples of his artwork.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
March 26, 2017
Five stars for so many different reasons - the strange combination of "romance" with black humour, Eva's childhood chapters, the "mother" monster, the adorable Adam, the "wonderful, almost unbelievable sex", the showcase with Desmond's collection of tools, the lawyer who charged by the hour, the "feral siblings" in Adam's light box... And the biggest five stars for the stunning end under the sky.
February 3, 2017
Stirring, farcical, warming, black, political, comical, psycho-satirical, sad, and finally triumphant, this love story that’s so much more than just a love story is the mother of all love stories to end all love stories, if you'll pardon the mixing of metaphors... I started off by wanting to say that it wasn’t what I was expecting, but then I realized that it was exactly what I was expecting: something unexpected, but still with all the strangeness that I’ve come to expect from this author, except that the strangeness of POLK, HARPER & WHO is a different kind of strangeness from the strangeness of his previous two books. I’m not sure exactly how it’s different, but it’s definitely different - maybe more upbeat? - and that’s another way in which the book was unexpected.
How long before the next one?
How long before the next one?
April 27, 2017
Because her past has affected her deeply, making her selfish and unable to trust, Eva hides the truth and makes decisions alone, deceiving even Adam whom she adores. The drama of the dinner party provides the catalyst for her confused emotions, and the conclusion of the story is all the more poignant for being understated, with the two protagonists quietly coming to a different understanding of themselves and of each other.
For all its humorous moments, intriguing sub-plots, and (positively or negatively) engaging minor characters, this is a book about internal conflicts and their impact on the nature and dynamics of relationships. If it lacks a traditional "plot" or an earth-shattering climax, it more than makes up for this "lack" with the humanity and compassion of its insight.
For all its humorous moments, intriguing sub-plots, and (positively or negatively) engaging minor characters, this is a book about internal conflicts and their impact on the nature and dynamics of relationships. If it lacks a traditional "plot" or an earth-shattering climax, it more than makes up for this "lack" with the humanity and compassion of its insight.
June 16, 2017
Deeply Moving Lives
The history of the the protagonists are folks the reader can relate to and hope to emulate. Eva is person who has had a tough life, yet she maintains spontaneity and warmth.
The history of the the protagonists are folks the reader can relate to and hope to emulate. Eva is person who has had a tough life, yet she maintains spontaneity and warmth.
April 21, 2017
Read over Easter holiday weekend in some lovely long reading opportunities (as opposed to a couple of pages before sleep) so had the chance to really get into the story and feel the characters and their love for each other. The characters are well written, their interactions believable and their history appropriate.
June 6, 2017
Warped humour and tenderness uniquely combined. Adam, Eva, their respective histories and traits, and above all their love for each other, are all so well depicted that in spite of its drama the end couldn't really have been anything else than another beginning.
June 29, 2017
Even in a place where everyone's encouraged to be a critic, I hesitated before writing this (I don't think of myself as a critic). I decided to make an exception and write a few words about Polk, Harper & Who because it's relatively unknown, by a relatively unknown author - completely unknown, compared to the other books I've rated. I would only rate books I've enjoyed, without really thinking (or caring) too much about why I've enjoyed them. If I had to give a reason why I enjoyed this particular book, I'd say that it's because, in spite of all the criticisms other people have made (that it's idealistic, sentimental, unrealistic, and hasn't got much of a plot), for me there was an essence about it that touched me. Humour, love and some heavy-going family drama, it's an odd combination. But it works.
I've now started reading The Dead of August. It has a very different feel, a coldness that I'm also enjoying.
I've now started reading The Dead of August. It has a very different feel, a coldness that I'm also enjoying.
February 28, 2017
Very interesting read
I liked this book a lot. It was a really interesting concept, well executed,and important. Good p!lot and character development.
I liked this book a lot. It was a really interesting concept, well executed,and important. Good p!lot and character development.
August 14, 2017
Very good read
Enjoyed this book very much. Loved the characters and how well the story was told. I would definitely recommend this book.
Enjoyed this book very much. Loved the characters and how well the story was told. I would definitely recommend this book.
June 23, 2017
For me an odd selection. A story of life in and around a married couple. A sampling of life, at times humorous, on how a couple live. I still don't know why I decided to read but I am glad I did.
June 25, 2017
Having come across Polk, Harper & Who, which I read without knowing what to expect, I moved backwards to The Dead of August and then to Bowl of Fruit (1907). The three very different books have in common the author's love of language, his affection for and insights into complex, often contradictory characters, and an over-the-top sense of humour. Internal worlds that bend to the absurdity of the human condition take the place of more familiar plot lines, as they often do in literary fiction. This makes them more demanding but also potentially more satisfying, as long as we are able and willing to tune in to the qualities that make each one of them special - the satire of The Dead of August, the magical realism of Bowl, and the wounded love story of Polk.
August 13, 2017
I've loved both this and the author's previous book, Bowl of Fruit (1907). Yes, the writing may seem over the top, but the interplay of melodrama and humor helps to bring it down to earth, and I think that's the author's distinctive signature. His stories are rich but understated, offering a view of life, but not resolving themselves in the way some people think every novel should end.
November 11, 2018
One of those books that move along while most of the "action" bubbles under the surface, invisible unless the reader gets under the characters' skin. Very rewarding if you manage to get "into" it, with just the right amount of humour and human imperfection to prevent it from becoming saccharine.
This unusual author has managed to develop a fresh and very different way of storytelling. I've enjoyed all three of his books and look forward to the next...
This unusual author has managed to develop a fresh and very different way of storytelling. I've enjoyed all three of his books and look forward to the next...
May 22, 2017
I like the unfathomable, unpredictable characters and the meandering (some might say shambolic) quality of Cacoyannis' books. I like above all their ethos. In this particular book I liked especially the gentle subtlety of the author's laughter in the background.
April 28, 2017
I have loved the previous two books by this marvellous writer. ‘Dead of August’ and ‘Bowl of Fruit 1907’ were both startlingly original and beautifully written. I read that the author is actually Cypriot so I guess that means that English is not his mother tongue. If this is the case, it is all the more credit to him because his use of the English language is among the best I have read in the last ten years. His imagery is poetic and use of language sublime. As an English teacher this really matters to me. What I also love about this author is his creation of quirky characters to whom the reader can relate. They are imperfect but endearing. You would want to know them. This story is no different, Eva and Adam are very human, but thoroughly likeable. Ones liking for Eva survives the final twist, which is saying a lot. I urge you to set aside an afternoon and read this book without interruption.
June 19, 2017
A tender, gentle and at times very comical study of all the qualities that make up true friendship and love. And beyond the love between Adam and Eva, through theirs we sense the author's own love of the world, and a deep indignation against all its injustices.
February 1, 2017
"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove."
I never thought I would begin my review of a Cacoyannis book with a quotation from a Shakespeare sonnet, but it fits so well... And don't be misled into not expecting fireworks - the usual blend of satire (morbid, salacious, rude) with the polemical, the sweet and the uplifting. It's another book of character and brilliant interactions.
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove."
I never thought I would begin my review of a Cacoyannis book with a quotation from a Shakespeare sonnet, but it fits so well... And don't be misled into not expecting fireworks - the usual blend of satire (morbid, salacious, rude) with the polemical, the sweet and the uplifting. It's another book of character and brilliant interactions.
August 17, 2017
More love each day
Eva had a strange childhood. Adam's was more conventional in spite of being adopted. I enjoyed reading Eva's life story. It captured my imagination, and my need for great vocabulary.
Eva had a strange childhood. Adam's was more conventional in spite of being adopted. I enjoyed reading Eva's life story. It captured my imagination, and my need for great vocabulary.
February 23, 2017
Another home run from the versatile pen of the author whose name I cannot pronounce, but I certainly do remember. You know how it is with Americans. We are always so superior about things foreign, and take pride in not being able to speak other languages or pronounce foreign words. He definitely holds a secure place on my Top Ten Authors list.
This is another quirky story, Although touted as a love story, I found it to be more about the wife, who had a strange childhood. Her mother died of cancer when she was a child, and her father soon after married the grasping ‘housekeeper’, with whom he had been having an affair before his wife’s death, you know, as one does, but the strange part was the stepmother insisted that the child call her ‘mummy’ or whatever and never refer to her dead mother, so that this woman could pretend the child was really hers. The stepmother was truly wicked to the father, but always sweet, loving and giving to the child, who cordially hated the woman.
Well, dad died a lingering death when our girl was 15, but oddly enough, she went on calling her stepmother ‘mother’ even when she no longer had to in order to appease her father, and even though she still went on hating the woman, perhaps now not so cordially. And she never told her husband of ten years that the woman was not her ‘real’ mother but her stepmother. Oh well, we all have secrets.
The husband absolutely adored his wife, and this is what I absolutely adore about this male author — that he writes so tenderly about a guy’s feelings, and makes the guy still love the wife long after I would have taken her by the shoulders and shaken her until her eyeballs rattled and yelled into her face “GET A FREAKING GRIP!” Yeah. but that’s me, My Way or the Highway.
It is a story not only about love, but about friendship, and tolerance and understanding. A lot more understanding than I personally understand.
Although the blurb talks about a bit of black humor, I did not find any. Maybe because I am not British.
What I was ho-hum about: lots, and I mean lots, of talk about having sex. Not descriptions of the act, but these people had a LOT of sex. We are told this over and over. Maybe it was to convey to us jaded and oh-so-blasé readers how much they still loved each other after all this time. And the other thing: yeah, I know it was part of the story, and my ho-humness has nothing to do with the writing or the story arc or anything but me, but there is this whole thing about how the wife was suddenly over the top anxious to have a baby, but she couldn’t because…. I am underwhelmed about people’s problems with having a baby. My third ho-hommery was how everybody got so successful without having to really work at it. The hubs takes up photography and is an immediate international success. The wife receives a sizeable inheritance, and so buys herself a nifty two-story apartment … in London…. in a decent neighborhood. Then she enlists two other best friends and they start an advertising agency and guess what? Yeah, they are wildly successful. The wife sets up her other best friend in a boutique, and it immediately prospers. Oh well. I am just jealous, because I am Wednesday’s Child, had to work hard for a living. Life isn’t fair. Who said life was fair? Wait. What am I jealous of… this is F.I.C.T.I.O.N. Oh, yeah. I forgot. Never mind.
Really good book. I am having trouble expressing why I liked it so much, but I really did.
This is another quirky story, Although touted as a love story, I found it to be more about the wife, who had a strange childhood. Her mother died of cancer when she was a child, and her father soon after married the grasping ‘housekeeper’, with whom he had been having an affair before his wife’s death, you know, as one does, but the strange part was the stepmother insisted that the child call her ‘mummy’ or whatever and never refer to her dead mother, so that this woman could pretend the child was really hers. The stepmother was truly wicked to the father, but always sweet, loving and giving to the child, who cordially hated the woman.
Well, dad died a lingering death when our girl was 15, but oddly enough, she went on calling her stepmother ‘mother’ even when she no longer had to in order to appease her father, and even though she still went on hating the woman, perhaps now not so cordially. And she never told her husband of ten years that the woman was not her ‘real’ mother but her stepmother. Oh well, we all have secrets.
The husband absolutely adored his wife, and this is what I absolutely adore about this male author — that he writes so tenderly about a guy’s feelings, and makes the guy still love the wife long after I would have taken her by the shoulders and shaken her until her eyeballs rattled and yelled into her face “GET A FREAKING GRIP!” Yeah. but that’s me, My Way or the Highway.
It is a story not only about love, but about friendship, and tolerance and understanding. A lot more understanding than I personally understand.
Although the blurb talks about a bit of black humor, I did not find any. Maybe because I am not British.
What I was ho-hum about: lots, and I mean lots, of talk about having sex. Not descriptions of the act, but these people had a LOT of sex. We are told this over and over. Maybe it was to convey to us jaded and oh-so-blasé readers how much they still loved each other after all this time. And the other thing: yeah, I know it was part of the story, and my ho-humness has nothing to do with the writing or the story arc or anything but me, but there is this whole thing about how the wife was suddenly over the top anxious to have a baby, but she couldn’t because…. I am underwhelmed about people’s problems with having a baby. My third ho-hommery was how everybody got so successful without having to really work at it. The hubs takes up photography and is an immediate international success. The wife receives a sizeable inheritance, and so buys herself a nifty two-story apartment … in London…. in a decent neighborhood. Then she enlists two other best friends and they start an advertising agency and guess what? Yeah, they are wildly successful. The wife sets up her other best friend in a boutique, and it immediately prospers. Oh well. I am just jealous, because I am Wednesday’s Child, had to work hard for a living. Life isn’t fair. Who said life was fair? Wait. What am I jealous of… this is F.I.C.T.I.O.N. Oh, yeah. I forgot. Never mind.
Really good book. I am having trouble expressing why I liked it so much, but I really did.
September 15, 2017
Although I know the author personally, this is as objective a review as it would have been if he were a stranger. As a matter of fact, I think our acquaintance gives me added insight and an interesting perspective.
Polk, Harper & Who, like his previous two novels, is as other reviewers have noted an open-ended story about a couple who are very much in love but are continually faced with the consequences of their different pasts. Like Adam himself, the book refuses to make moral judgments. Mistakes are part of life and whatever their severity, if we acknowledge them it's almost always possible to put them behind us. The humor lightens the novel's intensity, and I think helps the reader get through it without being overwhelmed by despair. It's quite a unique combination, and I think that the frequently surreal effect works very well. My only criticism is that the heightened language occasionally gets out of hand, and it will not appeal to everyone. My advice: take it with a pinch of salt -it's part of Cacoyannis' obvious love of melodrama!
Polk, Harper & Who, like his previous two novels, is as other reviewers have noted an open-ended story about a couple who are very much in love but are continually faced with the consequences of their different pasts. Like Adam himself, the book refuses to make moral judgments. Mistakes are part of life and whatever their severity, if we acknowledge them it's almost always possible to put them behind us. The humor lightens the novel's intensity, and I think helps the reader get through it without being overwhelmed by despair. It's quite a unique combination, and I think that the frequently surreal effect works very well. My only criticism is that the heightened language occasionally gets out of hand, and it will not appeal to everyone. My advice: take it with a pinch of salt -it's part of Cacoyannis' obvious love of melodrama!
February 26, 2017
I found myself drawn into this story almost immediately. From the very first somewhat sensual scene before a piece of news is dropped by a couple police officers that sets up the drama revealed by the rest of the book, I found myself fascinated by the characters and wanting to know more about what was really going on, especially in Eva’s head. It is pretty clear from the beginning that Eva has some major issues she struggles with from her past, something I can definitely relate to. Regardless of her issues though, it is clear that Adam adores her and almost worships her in a sense, which is so very sweet and while it might sometimes set up Adam for more heartbreak and frustration, he doesn’t really seem to mind that much because he is so in love.
This is an interesting, psychologically charged love story that really delves into the scars that can haunt us all our lives and affect every relationship we ever have. Definitely worth the read!
This is an interesting, psychologically charged love story that really delves into the scars that can haunt us all our lives and affect every relationship we ever have. Definitely worth the read!
February 21, 2017
Panayotis Cacoyannis has written a third book, Polk, Harper&Who. Not only is the writing completely mesmerizing, the story engages the reader from the beginning until the end. Adam and Eva, (love that), live a charmed life in London. That charmed life may come to a sudden halt when the doorbell rings, Dingo the dog, barking like a madman; and two police are in the apartment. Full of fine character studies, from Eva to her "mother", to her unassuming father, the author is a master. A childhood friendship with Karen is sharply and finely drawn, mostly through the use of dialogue. A true love story at its heart, Polk, Harper & Who takes the reader on a symbiotic journey through two lives that come together in spite of very complicated pasts. Highly recommend for an inspirational and timely novel that examines the interplay of several different lives.
May 15, 2017
This book is well written with a gentle satire underlining th story line which is less linear and more of a series of important events.
I never really felt that i knew and understood Eva. I did enjoy the book and it did make me laugh out loud at times but there is a missing something that prevents it being a 5* read
I never really felt that i knew and understood Eva. I did enjoy the book and it did make me laugh out loud at times but there is a missing something that prevents it being a 5* read
September 1, 2017
As in Bowl of Fruit (1907), the past weighs heavily on the present, but will the secrets spoil the love that is "every day more"?
I wanted more of Felix and the ashes and Dr Vort. The author is so good at drawing intriguing characters with only the broadest of brushstrokes.
I wanted more of Felix and the ashes and Dr Vort. The author is so good at drawing intriguing characters with only the broadest of brushstrokes.
September 17, 2017
It was reading a review of this particular book that prompted me to join Goodreads and chip in with my opinion, as valuable and worthless as every other opinion expressed here. To paraphrase Samuel Beckett: "Possessed of nothing but their voices, people often imagine that no other voices are equally valid."
Although I enjoy reading different opinions, I don't like being told what to think in a tone that doesn't permit disagreement.
Of this book I thought quite a lot. The author clearly divides opinion.
Although I enjoy reading different opinions, I don't like being told what to think in a tone that doesn't permit disagreement.
Of this book I thought quite a lot. The author clearly divides opinion.
September 15, 2017
Another beautifully written novel by Cacoyannis. His style is as distinctive as ever. What I liked of this novel is the peculiarities of its protagonists' internal worlds, which are artfully described by the author. I love the description of the mother of one of the protagonist's - it makes me despise her but also feel sorry for her at time. This makes the book realistic and full of nuances! Definitely a must-read book. I will be impatiently wait for the next one.
January 14, 2018
Interesting book and well worth reading.
It might be titled "Shadow Box" . Bears thinking about. This writer is too deep to be taken lightly. I was shocked. What are you saying, Panayotis? You must be making us think.
It might be titled "Shadow Box" . Bears thinking about. This writer is too deep to be taken lightly. I was shocked. What are you saying, Panayotis? You must be making us think.
February 14, 2017
Constantly being surprised by this author.
September 26, 2017
It's hard to make a plot out of the characters, but that's what the author's managed to do. How can anyone not have enjoyed the humanity of this book and its humor?
September 29, 2017
I read a review that this book was reminiscent of a soap opera. I can’t agree more. It’s complicated, messy, filled with drama. But it also has laughter, endearing moments, passages where we can find a parallel to our own life. I found it quite interesting, even though this is not a book I would usually enjoy. The characters are rich, with multiple layers, nothing is quite what it seems, bringing a mysterious vibe to the story. The relationships created between the characters are great, generating a story filled with small details that are of utmost importance.
Polk, Harper & Who is a book that will divide opinions. Some will love it, some will hate it. That is an indication that – regardless of liking it or not – people have strong opinions about it. There’s some great writing work here, creating the perfect setting to introduce the characters and the plotline.
Polk, Harper & Who is a book that will divide opinions. Some will love it, some will hate it. That is an indication that – regardless of liking it or not – people have strong opinions about it. There’s some great writing work here, creating the perfect setting to introduce the characters and the plotline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews