One August Night

The Island #2

by Victoria Hislop

*THE FIGURINE, the brand-new novel from Victoria Hislop, is available to order now.*'Excellent as ever. Victoria Hislop at her best.' Reader review'Within a few pages I was back in Greece and almost feeling the sun on my face.' Reader reviewBeloved author Victoria Hislop returns to Crete in this long-anticipated sequel to her multi-million-copy Number One bestseller, The Island.25th August 1957. The island of Spinalonga closes its leper colony. And a moment of violence has devastating consequences.When time stops dead for Maria Petrakis and her sister, Anna, two families splinter apart and, for the people of Plaka, the closure of Spinalonga is forever coloured with tragedy.In the aftermath, the question of how to resume life looms large. Stigma and scandal need to be confronted and somehow, for those impacted, a future built from the ruins of the past.Number one bestselling author Victoria Hislop returns to the world and characters she created in The Island - the award-winning novel that remains one of the biggest selling reading group novels of the century. It is finally time to be reunited with Anna, Maria, Manolis and Andreas in the weeks leading up to the evacuation of the island... and beyond.'A return to Hislop's thyme-scented, Aegean-lapped fictional Greece' The Sunday TimesDiscover for yourself why ten million readers worldwide love the novels of Victoria Hislop...'This dramatic, absorbing and good-natured novel abounds Greek Island atmosphere'Daily Mail on One August Night'Immersive storytelling sweeps you along'Mail on Sunday on One August Night'A dramatic story of love, betrayal and allegiances . . . Hislop evokes Greece beautifully'Woman & Home on One August Night'Hislop's love for Greece shines through this wonderfully descriptive and compelling tale'Sunday Express on One August Night'This love letter to Greece will sweep you away to another time and place'The Sunday Mirror on One August Night'Hislop expertly delves into the complex history of a fascinating country in this beautifully written family saga'Daily Mirror on One August Night'Compelling and moving, this is a real page turner'Woman's Weekly on One August Night'The descriptions of Greece leave you feeling like you're right there'Good Housekeeping on One August Night'A beautifully written story that will enchant the reader'The Express

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Greece, Historical, Book Club, Drama

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Victoria Hislop read English at Oxford, and worked in publishing, PR and as a journalist before becoming a novelist. She is married with two children.

Her first novel, The Island, held the number one slot in the Sunday Times paperback charts for eight consecutive weeks and has sold over two million copies worldwide. Victoria was the Newcomer of the Year at the Galaxy British Book Awards 2007 and won the Richard & Judy Summer Read competition.

Her second novel, The Return, was also a Sunday Times number one bestseller, and her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. A short story collection, One Cretan Evening, was published in September and both a third novel, The Thread is published in English in October and in Greek in November 2011.

Reviews

[janice danby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the Island - it’s up there with one of my favourites. One Night in August was a disappointment. No depth, nothing interesting - it just felt really flat and lifeless. I wish I had waited until the price had reduced.

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5 αστεράκια.

Σκέψου πως είσαι στα εικοσικάτι σου και έχεις οργανώσει ένα υπέροχο ταξίδι - τον γύρο της Ευρώπης, ας πούμε. Έχεις το budget, την ιδανική συντροφιά και μια λίστα με πράγματα που θες να κάνεις και μέρη που θες να επισκεφτείς. Και πράγματι, το πραγματοποιείς το ταξίδι. Και πράγματι, αποδεικνύεται υπέροχο. Και πράγματι, σε σημαδεύει και το θυμάσαι για χρόνια μετά...
Σκέψου πως είσαι στα τριάντα ή τα σαραντακάτι σου και μια μέρα βρίσκεσαι με φιλική παρέα και τους αναφέρεις αυτό το ταξίδι. "Πήγα κάποτε τον γύρο της Ευρώπης", λες. "Και ξέρετε τι θυμήθηκα τώρα; Μια μέρα, τότε που ήμουν στο Παρίσι (ή την Πράγα ή το Λονδίνο ή τη Ρώμη ή το Όσλο ή τη Μαδρίτη...), μου συνέβη ένα περιστατικό. Καθίστε να σας το πω..."

Το τουρ σε ολόκληρη την Ευρώπη είναι το "Νησί". Ένα συγκλονιστικό βιβλίο, ένα υπέροχο λογοτεχνικό ταξίδι, που νομίζω πως σημάδεψε όλους εμάς που το διαβάσαμε και το ξεχωρίσαμε και το αγαπήσαμε. Γεμάτο εικόνες, ιστορίες, συναισθήματα - όπως και το τουρ στις διάφορες χώρες της Ευρώπης.
Το "Μια νύχτα του Αυγούστου" είναι εκείνο το ένα και μοναδικό περιστατικό στο Παρίσι, το Όσλο ή το Λονδίνο. Κάτι απλό - ένας φούρνος με πεντανόστιμα κρουασάν, ένα εστιατόριο με απίθανο φαγητό, ένα μαγαζί με πανέμορφα διακοσμητικά. Όχι η γνωριμία με τη γυναίκα/τον άντρα της ζωής σου, ας πούμε. Τίποτα τέτοιο. Μια τυχαία σελίδα στο βιβλίο της ιστορίας του ταξιδιού. Μια ανάμνηση μέσα σε εκατοντάδες (χιλιάδες) άλλες. Διατηρεί τη θέση της στο άλμπουμ του ταξιδιού σου, αλλά... στριμώχνεται μέσα στις υπόλοιπες. Αξίζει να την αφηγηθείς μια φορά στην παρέα σου, αλλά μόλις τελειώσεις όλοι θα σου ζητήσουν να αφηγηθείς κι άλλη μία και άλλη μία ακόμα και θα την ξεχάσουν γρήγορα. Ή μπορεί να βαρεθούν πριν καν την ολοκληρώσεις. Αυτό που θα θυμούνται θα είναι πάντα το ταξίδι. Αυτό που θα θυμόμαστε θα είναι πάντα το "Νησί".

[The Book Review Café · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit I thought this One August Night would carry on from one of my favourite books ever The Island. I imagined I would be transported back to the leprosy colony on Spinalonga but that wasn’t the case. This book is based on the weeks leading up to the evacuation of the island and beyond, but the book is set in Crete rather than the island. Fans of The Island will immediately recognise characters from the previous book Anna, Maria, Manolis and Andreas. Anna and Manolis have embarked on a clandestine love affair, one which will end in tragedy, and divide two families.

At just 240 pages this is a short book and here’s where the problem lies, Victoria Hislop has written a book that is steeped in Greek island atmosphere, but sadly I found the characters and the plot lacked the depth I expect from this author. There was so much I wanted to know about each of the characters, but I felt the author only touched on some of their life’s on a superficial level I wanted to know so much more about them, especially Maria. I would imagine Maria as a survivor of leprosy would have faced much prejudice on her return from Spinalonga, but it’s barely touched up on. 

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed One August Night, it’s an absorbing tale of love, jealousy and forgiveness. The focus is on the characters hopes and dreams, tragedies and the terrible consequences of their actions. The rich descriptions of Crete alongside the history of the times really brought this book to life. I felt the book ended abruptly though, which I found slightly disappointing. But in the authors defence she may have written it this way to allow readers to come to their own conclusion. I think if you read and loved The Island you may be slightly disappointed with One August Night, but that’s only my humble opinion. If you haven’t read The Island I think this is the perfect read, especially for those who enjoy a family saga set in a beautiful location. 

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sequel to the Island was an okay read but felt it wasn't to the norm I expect of this author but felt could of expanded a bit more of a few more of the plot lines and felt in parts a bit flat.

[Mags Schofield · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather Disappointing. Having read all of Victoria's books and really enjoyed them, I was keen to read this sequel to The Island. However I felt that this book was a pale shadow and Victoria was just going through the motions of writing. The style is so laid back as to be almost boring, with very little action. So much so that I was completely caught out by the ending. It was as though Victoria had just got tired of writing and decided to stop. No closing of the story, so perhaps she's planning another sequel???

[Una Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing read

Really struggled with this book. ‘The Island’ was one of my all time favourites and I expected this book to be a follow up. Not so. Spinalonga only mentioned a couple of times and didn’t add anything to the story. The ending left me hanging. So disappointed!

[Athena ღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το νησί είναι αγαπημένο μου βιβλίο, με τη συνέχεια του, το μια νύχτα του Αυγούστου δε τρελάθηκα.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having not read the island first this did not seem to matter for this book. I would maybe go back and read the first book as i see a lot of people thoroughly enjoyed it.
This story must meantion a lot of bits and bobs from the previous book anyway.

The story itself had a very relaxed,well written and enjoyable story. Even with tragic elements. Even though this was filled with scandal, heartache and kindness I loved the characters and each one brought a great deal to the story which kept us interested and didnt loose any strength. Having never been to greece i adored the writters imagery and longed to book a holiday to view this for myself!!
The historical element which gives us details regarding the island where the leprosy patients were treated has taught me something also that i didnt know.
I enjoyed the true account of this and even the info and pictures at the end which goes into deatil regarding how the writter came to do this story and the people that she met along the way

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

One August Night is the Sequel to Victoria Hislop’s previous book The Island, about the Leper colony on the island of Spinalonga in Greece.
This book follows the characters and the life of the families from the first book, their hopes and dreams, tragedies and the terrible consequences of their actions.
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Περιττό

Αυτή θα ήταν η λέξη που θα χρησιμοποιούσα αν έπρεπε να χαρακτηρίσω αυτό το βιβλίο μονολεκτικά. Ομολογώ πως δε θυμάμαι πολλά από το πρώτο βιβλίο αλλά έχω δει τόσες φορές τη τηλεοπτική σειρά (την οποία, παρεμπιπτόντως, θεωρώ την καλύτερη δραματική σειρά της ελληνικής ιδιωτικής τηλεόρασης από κάθε άποψη) που δεν ένιωσα την ανάγκη να το ξαναδιαβάσω για να θυμηθώ την πλοκή.

Αυτό το βιβλίο δε μου έδωσε κάτι παραπάνω, θεωρώ πως το τέλος της σειράς (και του βιβλίου) ήταν αρκετό και η ιστορία αυτή δε χρειαζόταν.

Όπως και να 'χει, απόλαυσα τη γραφή της Victoria Hislop και πρέπει να πω πως έχει γίνει πολύ καλή δουλειά στη μετάφραση. 3 ⭐

[NaiJayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who has loved all of Hislop’s previous books, including ‘The Island’, I was so excited when I saw that she was releasing this sequel. Being in lockdown, I thought that this would be the perfect piece of escapism to all things Greek, that I needed...

From the two star rating, you know there is going to be a big but...

Synopsis:

‘...When time stops dead for Maria Petrakis and her sister, Anna, two families splinter apart and, for the people of Plaka, the closure of Spinalonga is forever coloured with tragedy.
In the aftermath, the question of how to resume life looms large. Stigma and scandal need to be confronted and somehow, for those impacted, a future built from the ruins of the past’

From the synopsis I expected there to be drama, suspense (from the confrontation of the stigma and scandal) and lively dialogue.

This novel focuses on the story of Anna, Manolis, Andreas and Maria - maybe because I wasn’t invested in any of the characters enough (even Maria, who was so central to The Island), it felt like I was reading a novel based on a soap, or something a lot less substantial. The characters were mostly one dimensionally, and not fully developed enough for the reader to care about the outcome for any of the characters.

Hislop also relies on utilising the same key moments in The Island, and creating a back story to the events. So this feels more like a story that sits along side The Island, rather as a sequel. Rather like the supplementary shows for reality shows on TV which show ‘unseen footage’...

For me, it felt like the story didn’t go anywhere... the story was told through a great deal of narration, with swathes of time being written off, as ‘a year later...’. The dialogue was mostly gentle and sanguine - no family dramas, despite the fact the families had been ‘splintered’.

The beauty of The Island is the way it immerses the reader into the life and world of the Spinalonga colony, its effects on the with leprosy and the communities it impacted. It also drew you into the Cretan culture. However this novel barely touches on the leprosy/Spinalonga - I was hoping to read more about how the advent of the cure and the closure of the colony impacted Plaka (as promised), the cured and the community. Other than a few mentions - it hardly comes up at all, and certainly isn’t a feature of the story. For me, it failed to captivate my imagination and whisk me away to Crete, circa 1950.

The ending was fairly abrupt, but in a way it didn’t matter - I didn’t really care.

Maybe I’m being harsh in my review, because my expectations were too high and I’m feeling disappointed that this book didn’t deliver (hence the two stars rather one). However, anyone who has read Hislop’s previous novels will have the same expectations of a deep, history rich, evocative story - and this book is nowhere near that league.

It was an easy but largely disappointing read.
A book that I am reticent to share or recommend, mostly because I don’t think it is reflective of the quality and depth of Hislop’s other books.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One August Night returns readers to the island of Crete and the small village of Plaka, near Elounda. It also reunites them with some of the characters from The Island, in particular Anna Vandoulakis and her husband Andreas, Anna’s sister Maria and her husband Dr Nikos Kyritsis, and Manolis, Andreas’s cousin. Those who haven’t read The Island need not worry because key events from the last section of the earlier book are repeated, although this time experienced first hand by the reader; this means One August Night can definitely be read as a standalone.

The Island had a particular resonance for me having visited Spinalonga, the site of a former leper colony, many years ago during a holiday on Crete; it was a similar visit that inspired the author to write The Island. Long since abandoned, for me it possessed an eerie quality and it was unsettling to imagine the people living there, believing themselves exiled from friends and family forever. Interestingly, the author had a quite different reaction to her visit to Spinalonga, as she reveals in her Afterword.

One August Night focuses on events just prior to and after the return of those exiled on the island, a return made possible by the discovery of a cure for leprosy. You might think it a cause for celebration and indeed for some it is, bringing the prospect of being reunited with relatives and friends, and a return to something like a normal life, albeit that many bear the physical and mental scars of their illness. However, the return of others means bringing to the surface a tangled web of relationships, both past and present.

As always, Victoria Hislop creates a vivid picture of life in Crete and Greek culture more generally. I particularly enjoyed the way she described the traditional celebration of events such as baptisms and saint’s days at which there are always plentiful supplies of food and drink, including the locally produced raki. One scene that sticks in my memory is when Manolis visits a taverna where traditional music is being performed.

“Manolis suddenly caught the opening notes of a zeibékiko song and felt something inside him stir. The lyrics of this particular song seemed to mirror his life, jabbing at his heart. As if possessed by the power of the music, he rose from his seat… The movements were personal but the tradition of the zeibékiko was known to everyone. It was a dance that should only be performed by a man, and only by a man with grief to express. As the musicians played and the insistent beat thumped and repeated and thumped again, Manolis revolved slowly in a trance-like state, his eyes glazed, unfocused. Someone threw a plate at his feet and one of the girls tossed a flower that she had been wearing in her hair. He was aware of neither.”

It is at a celebration on an August night in Plaka intended to mark the return of those from Spinalonga, that a shocking event occurs. Although it’s an event that will be no surprise to those who have read The Island, One August Night concentrates on the ramifications for those involved, for their families and friends, as well as for the wider community. In recounting its consequences, the author explores the strong ties of family that underpin Greek society including the concept of philótimo, or honour.

Focusing particularly on the lives of Maria and Manolis in the years that follow, the author takes the reader beyond Plaka, and indeed beyond the island of Crete, as both Maria and Manolis struggle with the legacy of that eventful August night. Feeling she must find a way to repay the good fortune that saw her cured of leprosy and married to Nikos, Maria’s solution involves a breathtaking act of forgiveness. But despite being fully cured, the stigma of her leprosy remains although, as she observes, stigma can be a weapon in the right circumstances. Manolis’s solution is to try to banish the past and the memories that haunt him by seeking a new life away from Crete. 

In One August Night the author creates a story that encompasses passion, jealousy and anger but shows how, in time, those feelings can be replaced by others and that, even after a tragedy, it is possible to find a degree of happiness and the release that comes from finally facing up to the truth.

[Ειρήνη Χατζουδη · Rating 2 out of 5]

Δύο αστεράκια, αλλά και αυτά πολλά μου φαίνονται. Το βιβλίο είναι ο ορισμός του παραλλασσω μια επιτυχημένη συνταγή για να βγάλω λεφτά. Σαν τον Κουδουνα στην ταινία της Βουγιουκλάκη. Όσο το διάβαζα, σκεφτόμουν ότι η Χίσλοπ εξάντλησε το ταλέντο της στα πρώτα δύο βιβλία της και μετά πήρε τον κατήφορο. Ανευρο, βαρετό, με παιδιάστικη υπόθεση και διαλόγους. Εννοείται ότι δεν το αγόρασα, απλά έτυχε να μου το δανείσουν. Αν θέλετε κάτι ελαφρύ για την ξαπλώστρα, οκ. Μέχρι εκεί.

[Kiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to delve into the 'Island' world again and Victoria Hislop does always paint beautiful pictures of Greece, but I didn't feel this book added much to the original text - it was more of a collection of side stories which were nice to delve into because the Island was so good more than anything. It also just jumped randomly from character to character without much cohesion.

[Biljana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drago mi je što sam ovaj dio pročitala odmah nakon Otoka i što sam odlučila pročitati Otok prije Jedne ljetne noći. Na taj sam način dobila najbolji uvid u sve likove, njihove karaktere i sve događaje opisane u knjigama.
Voljela bih nekad pogledati i seriju, ako ju uspijem pronaći.
Posve mi je razumljivo zašto je gđa Hislop dobila počasno državljanstvo Grčke, njene knjige koje sam pročitala na zanimljiv i pristupačan način opisuju razdoblja iz povijesti ove zemlje (Oni koji su voljeni, Otok, Jedne ljetne noći).
Jako sam uživala čitajući ove dvije knjige, prateći obitelji Petrakis i Vandulakis, upoznavajući uz njih puno o povijesti Grčke i Krete. Voljela bih da sam ih pročitala prije nego što sam posjetila Kretu, (Otok je objavljen 2005, a ja sam na Kreti bila 2006) ali bolje ikad nego nikad.
Preporučam svakako obje knjige, a još više posjet divnoj Kreti.
Veselim se čitati i ostale knjige od Hislop, zbilja mi se sviđa njen stil 👌🏻👌🏻

[Getalocalife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ανυπομονούσα να διαβάσω τη συνέχεια από το Νησί και η αλήθεια είναι πως δε με απογοήτευσε.
Ναι δεν έχει βέβαια την ένταση που έχει το νησί γιατί όπως συνήθως συμβαίνει το βιβλίο με το βασικό στόρυ που αγαπήθηκε πολύ, είναι δύσκολο να ξεπεραστεί.
Παρ'ολα αυτά απόλαυσα όπως πάντα τη γραφή της Χίσλοπ και θυμήθηκα ξανά την ιστορία του πρώτου βιβλίου.Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο μας εξηγεί και τη σκοπιά του Μανώλη, εστιάζει λίγο παραπάνω στα τελευταία γεγονότα που προηγήθηκαν του θανάτου της Άννας και βέβαια ακολουθεί τη πορεία των κεντρικών χαρακτήρων κυρίως όμως του Μανώλη και του Αντρέα.
Το διάβασα πολύ γρήγορα, μου φάνηκε πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα η εξέλιξη που σκέφτηκε η συγγραφέας και νομίζω πως χρειαζόταν η συνέχεια αυτή για να κλείσει πιο ολοκληρωμένα η ιστορία που γνωρίσαμε στο Νησί.

[Stefani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for a sequel of the beloved The Island. Though this mentions the closing of the leper colony on Spinalonga, the remainder of the story is unrelated. This had barely any plot, little character development and an unsatisfying ending. I also found the writing very simple and not all that engrossing. I wonder what I’d think if I reread The Island, will it hold up? I’ve read a lot of fiction in the past six years and my tastes have definitely changed. We shall see, for now I’m content with my memories of it.

[Pnina Ben-Shalom · Rating 1 out of 5]

האי של סופיה היה ספר נהדר שאני זוכרת עד היום
לעמותו לילה אחד באוגוסט היה רצף של משפטים לא מעניין
זה הספר הראשון שאני קוראת בעברית מזה שנים ואולי גם לכך היה קשר
אבל הספר היה פשוט משעמם
זה הרגיש כאילו מנסים בכח לספר מה קרה עם הדמויות מהספר הראשון כשהסיפור שלהם אחרי הוא לא מעניין
כמו לקרוא על החיים של השכנים שלך שקמים בבוקר, הולכים למכולת ואז לעבודה חוזרים בלילה ואוכלים ארוחת ערב
פשוט לא מוצלח

[Πάνος Τουρλής · Rating 3 out of 5]

Δεκατρία χρόνια μετά «Το νησί», η Victoria Hislop έγραψε τη συνέχειά του κατά τη διάρκεια της πανδημίας του 2020, όπου βίωσε, όπως κι όλος ο κόσμος, μια σειρά από ομοιότητες ανάμεσα στους ανθρώπους που ζούσαν στο άσυλο της Σπιναλόγκας και στη σημερινή εποχή: «Δεν ήμασταν μεν ασθενείς… όμως νιώσαμε στο πετσί μας την απομόνωση και τις ελλείψεις σε είδη διατροφής… και βιώσαμε τον φόβο απέναντι σε μια ασθένεια για την οποία δεν υπάρχει θεραπεία» (σελ. 10). Η συγγραφέας λοιπόν, συνειδητοποιώντας πως προσπέρασε αρκετούς από τους χαρακτήρες στο κλείσιμο του πρώτου βιβλίου, διερευνά τώρα σε μεγαλύτερο βάθος τα συναισθήματα και την κατάληξη κάποιων από αυτούς.

Και πράγματι, το μυθιστόρημα μπαίνει στα κομψά και φωτεινά σαλόνια των Βανδουλάκηδων, τον γιο των οποίων, Αντρέα, παντρεύτηκε η Άννα και μαθαίνουμε καλύτερα για την ψυχολογία της κοπέλας, για τη στάση της απέναντι στον ξάδελφο Μανόλη, για τους λόγους αποστασιοποίησης από την οικογένειά της (που δεν ήταν μόνο η λέπρα), για το περιβάλλον στο οποίο μεγάλωσε η κόρη της, Σοφία κι όλα αυτά ως τη μοιραία νύχτα του Αυγούστου. Η Μαρία, που επέστρεψε θεραπευμένη στην Πλάκα όπως κι όλοι οι ασθενείς της Σπιναλόγκας, προσπαθεί να πιάσει τη ζωή της από την αρχή και να αντιμετωπίσει τα προβλήματα που προκάλεσαν στις ζωές όλων οι δύο πυροβολισμοί εκείνης της βραδιάς. Ο χαρακτήρας της είναι γεμάτος δύναμη και θέληση για συγχώρεση και σταδιακά αποτελεί τον συνδετικό κρίκο ανάμεσα στον ένοχο και την κοινωνία που τον καταδίκασε σε φυλάκιση. Η συγγραφέας καταγράφει με ενάργεια τις πτυχές μιας συμπεριφοράς που λίγοι θα έβρισκαν τη δύναμη να υιοθετήσουν. Επιπλέον, βγαίνει στο προσκήνιο η καλύτερη φίλη της Μαρίας, Φωτεινή, με τον αδελφό της, Αντώνη, καθώς και ο πατέρας που δεν έχει ξεπεράσει την απώλεια δύο αγαπημένων του προσώπων. Άνθρωποι λοιπόν που αγωνιούν για μια συγνώμη, που προσπαθούν να νικήσουν το άδικο με το οποίο παλεύουν φτιάχνουν τις ζωές τους στην περιοχή του Αγίου Νικολάου, όπου μόλις αχνοφαίνεται η μετέπειτα μαζική επέλαση του τουρισμού με ό,τι αυτό συνεπάγεται για τη γεωμορφολογία του τόπου.

Πάνω απ’ όλους όμως κυριαρχεί η μορφή του Μανόλη που εξαφανίστηκε μετά τη δολοφονία που σημάδεψε τη νύχτα του Αυγούστου. Είχε κάποια ανάμιξη με το έγκλημα; Γιατί το έσκασε από την Κρήτη και πού κατέληξε; Κατάφερε να ξεπεράσει τον ανήθικο και απαγορευμένο αμοιβαίο έρωτά του για μια παντρεμένη γυναίκα; Η ζωή του στον Πειραιά όπου κατέφυγε και οι ενδιαφέρουσες νέες γνωριμίες που έκανε φωτίζουν πλέρια τη ζωή του, με την Αγαθή και την παρέα των ναυτεργατών με τους οποίους συναναστρέφεται να συγκροτούν ένα καλό πλέγμα περιπετειών και ανατροπών μα και ψυχικών διακυμάνσεων, μιας και δεν μπόρεσε να ξεχάσει έναν έρωτα-σταθμό. Πρώτη φορά είδα έναν άντρα τόσο δυστυχισμένο από την τραγική κατάληξη του έρωτά του και με πόση αληθοφάνεια καταγράφονται η ψυχολογία και η συμπεριφορά του όσο προσπαθεί να ξεχάσει τη γυναίκα της ζωής του. Με παραστατικότητα δίνεται η ζωή στο καρνάγιο και στις επισκευές των πλοίων, σε μια εποχή που η εμπορική ναυτιλία άκμαζε και ο Πειραιάς ήταν στα πάνω του από οικονομικής και όχι μόνο άποψης.

Το μυθιστόρημα «Μια νύχτα του Αυγούστου» συμπληρώνει «Το νησί» φωτίζοντας τις ζωές των περισσότερων από τους χαρακτήρες που αγαπήσαμε σ’ εκείνο το βιβλίο και χαρίζει δυνατά συναισθήματα, σωστές ψυχογραφίες και την ολοκλήρωση μιας ιστορίας που ακόμη δεν μπορώ να ξεχάσω, τόσα χρόνια μετά την πρώτη ανάγνωση.

Πρώτη δημοσίευση στο site μου www.vivliokritikes.com/%ce%bc%ce%b9%c...

[banekica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jedva sam čekala pročitati nastavak knjige Otok, ali iskreno nije me oduševio kako sam očekivala...

[Sophia Tragelli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Όσο κι αν προσπαθώ, δε βρίσκω ούτε ένα λόγο για τη συγγραφή αυτού του βιβλίου...όσο κι αν μου άρεσε το Νησί, αυτό το βιβλίο μόνο με μια λέξη θα μπορούσε να χαρακτηριστεί: αρπαχτή.Κρίμα 🙄

[Lisa Regan · Rating 2 out of 5]

OMG this book is BAD. It manages to make everything boring. I've never read a murder before that passed me by without me noticing. Similarly, a much-loved patriarch dies with barely a blip on the mundane-ometer. Hislop's writing is the dullest I've read in a long time. 'This happened and this happened and she said something and he went somewhere and...zzzzzzz'. Random example: Maria has been visiting her sister's murderer in prison and he's turned into a religious zealot who's starving himself to death and ranting and raving. She arrives home and all her husband has to say is: "I'm so sorry Maria," said Nikos, kissing the top of his wife's head. "You look really upset." AAAAAAGH. And even without the boredom, it's a book based on various men's love for Anna, a woman who appears to be self-centred and narcissistic, is having an affair, and would rather sleep with her lover than spend time with her little girl. I was quite glad, actually, that her husband shot her - good riddance - although little did I realise that the rest of the book would be about men moping around after her. Awful, awful, awful.

[M João (Livros?gosto) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opinião em:




https://youtu.be/SsnZhJgTt3U

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Njen roman Otok mi je bio divan i sad živo pamtim mnoge njegove detalje! Ovaj takozvani nastavak je (osim što je apsolutno bespotreban) tako loše napisan, da sam imala osjećaj kao da čitam prepričanu radnju neke lektire iz osnovne škole. Jako loše i ogroman gubitak vremena.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well told story of love, jealousy and forgiveness. It is a sequel to ‘The Island’, but provides little in historical information, mainly focussing on Manolis and leprosy survivor, Maria, and their learning to survive tragic events. The novel is set in Crete in the 1950s and in Australia.

This book was first published in 2021.

[Lefteris Knt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα ωραίο βιβλίο που θα μπορούσε και να μην είχε γραφτεί. Ένα βιβλίο που δεν διαδραματίζει κάποιον ουσιώδη ρόλο στην εξέλιξη της ιστορίας που δημιούργησε το πρώτο βιβλίο "Το νησί". Η γραφή της κα.Hislop έχει μια ωραία ροή και δεν κουράζει.

[Maria João (A Biblioteca da João) · Rating 4 out of 5]

8 de 10*

Opinião:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing sequel ☹️

[Efrat · Rating 4 out of 5]

ספר המשך לאי של סופיה. בספר זה הסיפור מסופר מנק' מבט של שלושת הדמויות הקשורות לאנה. הסיפור כבר נחשף בספר הראשון אך פה נחשפים רבדים נוספים.
לא ספר חובה, אך למי שקרא את האי של סופיה יהיה נחמד לחזור ולהיזכר בדמויות. קריאה קלה ושוטפת...

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting: Crete & Greek mainland; Melbourne, Australia. The book is set in the lead-up to the closing of the leper colony of Spinalonga in 1957, when a cure has been found. Anna Petrakis has a good life with Andreas, who controls the family's large olive groves, but her marriage is unfulfilled - so she seeks solace with her husband's cousin, Manolis, with whom she is passionately in love. When news filters down that the Spinalonga lepers have been cured and will be returning home, including Anna's sister Maria, Anna is devastated - as Maria was Manolis's fiancee before she was diagnosed with leprosy. Manolis too fears that Maria will seek to rekindle their engagement, especially when he discovers that she shows no outward signs of having had the disease. But at the party to celebrate the closure of the leper colony, a devastating act of violence takes place that affects all of the characters deeply and for years to come....
This was quite a short read and was an okay story rather than a great one. Certainly not my favourite of her books but the fact that her research and writing of the novels featuring leprosy has led the author to take a leading role in charity work for leprosy sufferers is commendable - 6/10.