Birthday Party

by Panos Karnezis

A brilliant modern fairy tale by the highly praised author of Little Infamies and The Maze.

Genres: Fiction, Greece

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Panos Karnezis was born in Greece in 1967 and came to England in 1992. He studied engineering and worked in industry, then studied for an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. His first book, Little Infamies (2002), was a collection of connected short stories set in a nameless Greek village. His second book, The Maze (2004), a novel set in Anatolia in 1922, was shortlisted for the 2004 Whitbread First Novel Award and won the Pendleton May First Novel Award. Short stories by Panos Karnezis have been broadcast by BBC Radio 4 and have appeared in Granta, New Writing 11, Prospect, and Areté. His other novels are The Birthday Party (2007, shortlisted for the Encore Award 2009 for the best second novel); The Convent (2010); The Fugitives (2015) and We Are Made of Earth (2019).

Reviews

[Elina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια εξαιρετική μυθιστορηματική παρουσίαση της βιογραφίας του Ωνάση. Εξαιρετική η πένα του κυρίου Καρνέζη! Μια ευχάριστη έκπληξη! Συστήνεται ανεπιφύλακτα!

[Fábio Martins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Há elementos neste livro de que gostei bastante,e que vieram ao encontro da expectativa que tinha em relação ao autor.
Tendo sido o primeiro que li dele,fiquei fã do talento raro que tem para contar uma história. O ritmo,a fluidez e a maré são, constantemente,muito apelativos.
Também gostei de pequenos elementos fragmentados - reflexões despretensiosas sobre a busca de identidade,a solidão, a falta de espaço interior, e os múltiplos enganos que,com falta de insight, construímos dentro de nós mesmos.
Em muitas alturas senti um paralelismo grande com o seminal Citizen Kane,de Orson Welles, pelos motivos mais concretos e evidentes,sobre os quais não me debruçarei sob pena de revelar demais.
Mas de alguma forma o livro não se soube concretizar ( não soube ser concluído). Afunila-se e constringe-se em algo muito menor que o que cheguei a sentir que era. E o problema não é técnico,nem conceptual, é,de certa forma,só um caminho meio anodino,destrambelhado e insalubre que o conduz às últimas páginas. As personagens vão progressivamente esvaziando até é desaguam em lugares comuns que desmerecem os primeiros dois terços do livro.
Não deixo de o recomendar,como uma boa leitura,e fico ( estranhamente?) Com mais vontade de voltar a Panos Karnezis, mas o sabor que perdurará está longe de ser o de um livro incontornavel

[. . . _ _ _ . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Είναι ΤΟΣΟ εμφανής η ομοιότητα της ιστορίας με αυτή την οικογένειας Ωνάση που δεν κρατάει καν τα προσχήματα.
Who fucking cares ?
Ο Καρνέζης παίζει μπάλα σε αφύλακτη εστία.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Δεύτερο βιβλίο του Πάνου Καρνέζη που διαβάζω, μετά το πάρα πολύ καλό "Ο λαβύρινθος" που διάβασα πέρυσι τον Απρίλιο, και μπορεί αυτό να το βρήκα σαφώς κατώτερο από το προηγούμενο, εντούτοις μου άρεσε, σίγουρα πέρασε γρήγορα και ευχάριστα η ώρα διαβάζοντάς το. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι το βιβλίο έχει μια εξαιρετικά μέτρια βαθμολογία στο Goodreads, και ενώ έως έναν βαθμό μπορώ κάλλιστα να κατανοήσω γιατί δεν άρεσε σε πολλούς το βιβλίο, από κει και πέρα όμως δεν είναι δα και τόσο κακό, μια χαρά καλογραμμένο και ενδιαφέρον το βρήκα, έστω κι αν όντως υπήρχαν ορισμένα σημεία εδώ κι εκεί που δεν με κράτησαν σε εγρήγορση. Νομίζω, πάντως, ότι του έλειπε κάτι στη γραφή, κάτι στην αφήγηση... ίσως το πάθος, ίσως η φλόγα; Δεν ξέρω, κάτι! Και μερικά μπρος-πίσω στον χρόνο -ενδιαφέροντα κατά τ' άλλα-, νομίζω ότι έκοβαν κάπως τον ρυθμό της ιστορίας. Γενικά, είμαι ικανοποιημένος, και έστω και την τελευταία στιγμή θα τσιμπήσει τελικά το τέταρτο αστεράκι. Δεν μου πάει η καρδιά να του βάλω τρία στα πέντε, αν και ίσως τόσο αξίζει. (7.5/10)

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Birthday Party, Panos Karnezis imagines the life of a Greek shipping magnate named Marco Timoleon (who bears more than a passing resemblance to Aristotle Onassis). The main action takes place over a single day. In his seventies, the still vigorous Timoleon is throwing a party to celebrate his daughter Sofia’s 25th birthday. This extravagant and gaudy event is set to unfold at his secluded estate on his private Greek island, with a massive cake imported from Vienna, a 21-piece orchestra, and a guest list that includes family, friends, and an assortment of rich, famous and notorious individuals from all over the world. However, the reader soon learns that Timoleon, a man long accustomed to getting what he wants, has arranged the party with a darker agenda in mind. In order to fully set the scene, Karnezis employs lengthy flashbacks to tell the tale of how Marco Timoleon overcame his humble origins in Izmir, Turkey and, over a decade or so of ups and downs in fortune, turned innate curiosity, ruthless opportunism, a talent for taking risks, and a fearless habit of re-inventing himself to suit the fluid circumstances of a fast-moving lifestyle, into a shipping empire spanning the globe—and, in the process, became the richest man in the world. Loving the spotlight while loathing the scrutiny that it brings, Timoleon moulds himself into a legendary force of nature, feared by competitors and subordinates alike, cruel and even violent when crossed, friend of the rich and powerful, but emotionally distant from those he loves the most. An insatiable philanderer, he cannot stay faithful to one woman for long, and both his marriages—to Miranda, who dies young, and to Olivia, who is invited to the party—deteriorate into animosity and estrangement. As a young man, Marco Timoleon learns what it takes to be successful on a grand scale. But, not surprisingly, this success comes at a cost, and late in his life he bears a burden of many regrets, the chief of which is the death of his son Daniel, who was killed while piloting his small plane in bad weather. Too late, he discovers that having money does not mean he can control his own destiny or that of others. Despite his bad behaviour and the fact that most of his problems are self-inflicted, Timoleon remains the focus of the reader’s sympathy. Undeniably, the novel suffers from its reliance on flashbacks to fill in the blanks, which creates a kind of stop-start rhythm that over the course of the book becomes somewhat monotonous. However, The Birthday Party remains a suspenseful, entertaining and often brilliant novel that provides a window into the life of a man who, by means both legitimate and underhanded, accumulates inordinate wealth but fails to locate the key to happiness.

[Kostas Terzanidis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Μου φάνηκε λίγο βαρετό. Η αφήγηση επίπεδη χωρίς εξάρσεις και εντάσεις. Η δε ταύτιση με τον Ωνάση μάλλον με ενόχλησε παρά με... ταξίδεψε.
(Καμία σχέση με τον εντυπωσιακό "Λαβύρινθο")

[Jean-Baptiste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously heavily inspired by the Onassis story, this book set during one day and one night of the life of the main character shows his past experience and adventures, through various flash back. At the same time, the plot advances towards a rather twisted ending. It's gripping, mean and yet full of love for these flawed characters and their petty scheming. Typical Karnezis, although there are possible comparisons with David Golder (Irène Némirovsky).

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was worth reading, its one of those books I need to read it all. clever telling of a story from multiple points of view and gradually exposing the real underlying reason for events going on at the birthday party. The gradual exposing got tedious near the end. He really could have stopped writing about 3/4 the way through.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading the uncorrected proof copy rather than the published book.