L’ATLANTIDE N’A JAMAIS DISPARU: L’HISTOIRE DE SANTORIN

by George Koukoulas, Marcel Durand (Translator)

Que pourraient bien avoir de commun l’île cosmopolite de Santorin et l’Atlantide engloutie ?
Deux histoires que séparent des millénaires mais en même temps si proches… Dans la Santorin d’aujourd’hui, une découverte suffirait à changer définitivement l’histoire de l’humanité. Et dans cette même île, il y a trois mille cinq cents ans, à l’époque de la légendaire Atlantide, se joue le sort d’un peuple et de sa civilisation.
Ces deux histoires, ayant chacune leurs héros, se déroulent selon deux récits parallèles, qui se croisent pour se rejoindre toujours au même point : le célèbre site archéologique d’Akrotiri. C’est là que tout commence et que tout se termine.
Un captivant voyage dans l’un des lieux les plus touristiques du monde et une aventure désespérée contre le temps à l’époque minoenne, la première civilisation européenne de l’histoire.
Ce roman, abondamment documenté, est une séduisante poursuite de la vérité du mythe de l’Atlantide engloutie.
Confrontation heureuse du réel et du fantastique, du présent et du passé, ce livre tient le lecteur en haleine de la première à la dernière page…

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Giorgos Koukoulas was born in Athens in 1973 and has been living on Santorini for the last six years, married with two children. He studied Electronic Engineering at university and went on to do postgraduate studies in Communications and Data Networks at Brunel University in the UK. He has worked at Demokritos National Center for Scientific Research (N.C.S.R.), the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (A.C.C.I.) and on the teaching staff at XINIS college of education. Today he works as an Air Traffic Safety Electronic Engineer at Santorini airport. This is his first novel.

Reviews

[Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

While visiting Santorini, I found this book in one bookshop in Oia ( the charming Atlantis Bookshop) and immediatelly it picked my curiosity. This novel was written by a local author and I decided to help him buying it.(I know how hard it is to support an author's edition) I am glad that I did that because I really enjoyed this novel which plot is based in the theory that Thira ( or Santorini) was the location of the mythical Atlantis which was destroyed during the eruption of the volcano that transformed Strongyle in the island which is known nowadays as Santorini or Thira. From the first sentences of the book, I knew that I would not regret my purchase as Giorgos Koukolas succeeded in portraying in his novel the spirit of Santorini. He mingled two plots : one which is set in the past during the eruption of the volcano and the other is set nowadays in cosmopolitan Santorini when a archeologist makes a discovery that might prove that Santorini was indeed Atlantis. I liked both plots and I found that the author , though this was his debut novel , never lost himself while writing both plots. One of the things that I loved best about this novel apart the plots concerning the Atlantis theory was the little nuggets of information about Santorini that Koukolas sown through the novel: for example, at one point while the protagonists of the story drink Santorini wine, it is explained why the vintners in Santorini prune their vines in a circle ( it was one of the questions that I made myself while in the island). Besides, the author's passion for Santorini is visible everywhere as he describes the island's smells, tastes and colors faithfully. If you are heading to Santorini soon, please do yourself a favour and don't carry extra weight of a book to read in your deserved holidays. Instead , search a bookshop in Fira or Oia and buy this novel which is entertaining and informative at the same time which is two of the aims of any writer. As for the author, I wish him good luck and I hope to read more books from him.

[Echim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well researched. not superb from a writing/suspense point of view. probably only suitable for people who have been to Santorini themselves and have a personal memory of all the sites mentioned in the book.

[Maureen Whyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in Akrotiri, Santorini on my fifth visit to the island. I absolutely loved how it links present-day archaeology to the life of the world it was revealing, by weaving a separate story about the Minoans through it.

The book centred on the discovery of the stone tablets by a modern day archaeologist. The link back to the Minoans’ valiant efforts to write them, understand their worth for future civilisations, and protect them, was very romanticised yet very credible.

The parallel stories about the deaths in Akrotiri, was chilling, and kept me in suspense all the way through the book.

The description of the Minoans’ escape from the island as the volcano erupted was amazing, I was on those boats with them! A valid and credible explanation of why no skeletons were found in Akrotiri, and a plausible re explanation for why the Minoan civilisation ended.

I’ve visited Santorini and Akrotiri several times, and have some understanding of the island, the culture and of the Greek language. I relived all the archaeologists’ road trips, and found the translation of the book incredibly endearing. The simmering sexual tensions and constant descriptions of the female form are perhaps how Greeks process their thoughts and prioritise their lives. Translated into English, the land of PC and wokeness, this emphasis gives an interesting insight into our very different cultures.

To research, plan and deliver a novel like this is absolutely incredible in my eyes. I really couldn’t fault it.

[Oresta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book because I was just on Santorini and the link to Atlantis has always interested me. I think the translation has to be reworked and well proof read by someone who knows both languages fluently and has some sense of literary style in English.I alternated between amusement and annoyance while reading - and the Plato dialogues in the Appendix read like a Google translation. Story is okay - the ending a bit abrupt, but I still would recommend it for Santorini and Atlantis fans. Mr. Kououlas, interesting idea for the book, good research - please have it retranslated!!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book while in Santorini on my honeymoon and reading it 6 months later was a wonderful reminder of the trip. The story alternates between present day and ancient times...with the ancient chapters moving backwards in time. I didn't like this at first, but then I really came to love it. The alternating chapters were at times slightly repetitive, but overall, I really enjoyed reading this.

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've abandoned this book, bought it on a whim, carried away with the island! It feels very basic, plenty of obvious explanations, difficult to get in to. The time travel parts didn't work for me either.

[Rares Hudac · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title says, the book is about a myth, a legend, which is put together with history, fiction and real evidence to create the story that is. You can really see that the author documented himself really well before writing anything, and all the assumptions and conclusions his character reach have been carefully thought.
A thing I really appreciated was the alternation between present story (which goes forward) and the past story (which goes backward). This was something I haven't really seen working, and for the first half of the book it doesn't look like it will. Eventually, it gets better, but only after 200 pages of wondering what is the point of having two alternate plots, set in two different times.
The one thing that bothered me is the length of the book. During the almost 400 pages, it seems that almost nothing happens (except for 30 or so pages when the action intensifies suddenly at the end). The book is so full of useless action and dialogue that if it were half of what it is now, it would still be too boring for it's own good.
So if you want to read something light but pretty boring for 400 pages, and to not be surprised (almost) at all, this one is really for you.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book during my last visit to Santorini and had to get it. Having spent many years travelling to Santorini, and having been married on the island in 2008, I was intrigued to see how the book would pan out. I was immediately immersed in the beauty of Santorini, and knowing the island well, I was able to visualise the areas of the island visited during the novel. I was made to smile quite often as I have visited and eaten/drank in many of the places described in the book, and spent much time in Akrotiri. I found both of the lead characters in each of the time periods very likeable, and found my heart breaking for them in parts. I have to give this novel 5 stars because I found it incredibly readable with solid and likeable characters, and whilst we will never really know exactly what happened during the eruption that changed the island, I felt the subject had been well researched, and it was explained in the Author's note at the start of the book that the characters and timeline were based on the author's research and therefore were only as accurate as the available information allows.

[Alycia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book from Atlantis Books in Oia, Santorini on the recommendation of someone working there. I devoured it while on the beautiful island that is also the setting for this book and found the author’s descriptions matching what I saw and experienced. This probably explains my biased love for this book. Beyond this, the historical facts are well researched and intertwine beautifully with the fictional elements. It sparked a curiosity in me that I otherwise would not have researched myself so greatly. The author uses two parallel story lines: one set in the present following a group who make a monumental archaeological discovery; the other in the distant past set in Minoan times. The parallel time and story lines have much in common and throughout the book the significance of seemingly minor detail is revealed. A minor criticism is that the book is not particularly well written, but it continues to be a favourite and always sparks curiosity and enjoyment even after the third reading.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in Santorini. And as the book jacket blurb says what would happen if a 'rosetta stone' for the Minoan Linear A was found, what secrets would be un earthed. Quite a bit of written tablets have been found in Knossos and Akrotiri, but nothing allowing a translation. This story imagines this to happen and intertwines it with imagining what life would have been like leading up to the massive volcanic eruption that destroyed the central part of the island that is now Santorini, and weakened the Minoan empire. The chapters alternate between the present at 3600 years ago in a clever way. It is a fun read, especially if you have an interest in ancient history, the Minoan and Greek civilisations of that time and how their paths changed from this eruption.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book specifically to read it while on vacation in Santorini. I was glad to have it. I knew the writing was poor because I had read the reviews, but I bought it to learn more about the island I was visiting. It made the job.

Now in my opinion, it's not a very good book as far as the story is concerned. It's very slow. The second story, the one taking place in 1600 b.c. is reversed : every new chapter takes place before the previous one. I cannot see a single benefit of this choice, it's confusing and pointless to me.

All that being said, I loved the various pieces of information we get : about history, mythology, astronomy, biology... it was funny to see how the author used so many metaphors in order to display his interesting knowledge.

[Sara Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wenn in Santorin sollte man ein Roman wie dies lesen. Die Geschichte ist entspannend. Der Gegenwart und Vergangenheit spielen gegeneinander und Geschichte wiederholt sich. Das Buch ist gut geschrieben, und für einen Übersetzung gut gemacht.

[tiago. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily one of the worst books I've read. Terrible writing.

[Susan Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging review of the earthquakes and eruptions that destroyed Minoan civilization, alhough pedntic at times.

[Emma Vissers · Rating 3 out of 5]

ik kocht dit toen ik op vakantie was op Santorini en i quite enjoyed this!!! had me flabbergassed at the end

[René · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book, especially if you have visited Santorini. The stories consists of 2 story-lines, one in the past and one in the present, which are connected through an archaeological find. The story in the past is told backwards, which makes it hard to follow. The idea of the book is original and the background is well researched. The storytelling could be better.

[TT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story with lousy ending, but the author was trying hard.

[Apinya Sguanpiyapan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book for someone who is planning to go to Santorini or have already visited. Interesting myth and and theories about the legend of Atlantis and why it could be where Santorini is at present.

[Andrea Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I also bought this book while in Santorini and found it quite interesting.