The Cypriot

by Andreas Koumi

The Cypriot is a powerful love story set against the backdrop of the Cyprus conflict. In the 1950s the island is under British rule, the struggle for freedom begins. To the Orthodox Christian majority, freedom means enosis - union with Greece. To the Muslim minority, enosis means disaster.

Genres: Fiction, Novels

285 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[☕Laura]

Ratings:

Writing 2
Story line 3
Characters 3
Impact 3

Overall rating: 2.75

[Ephie]

I really wanted to love this book... but I found it hard to get into as the style of writing is better suited to a school essay than a novel and also I greatly disliked the protagonist who I found to be pathetic and overall not "Cypriot".

I originally liked that the author included Cypriot words and expressions in his writing, but he never explained what they meant so I don't believe a non-Cypriot would benefit from them - in fact, they may hinder understanding. Also, the fact that they were written phonetically rather than in Greenglish (Greek in English characters) means that a non-Cypriot will not know that Jikos is Kykkos and can be visited, Kumandaria is Commandaria and can be bought at the supermarket, EOKA can be researched further but not as Eoga, etc. The author's love and overuse of the letter "n" was irritating: hallumiN, lukumiN, leoforioN, xorkoN, garsoniN, etc - I would have expected an actual speaker of Cypriot to have checked such words. There were also mistakes like κούπες written as "gubes" and the Turkish word "mashshalla" being spelt "mashhalla" (amongst others).

I did like the story and learned a lot about the British rule in Cyprus and life before the country's independence in 1960 but was actually hoping for more about the rift between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots which peaked with the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation of over a third of our island. This may not have been expanded upon as the ending felt very rushed and ridiculously idealistic - though not as bad as stopping domestic violence with a talking to.

Finally, I think the book's cover showing a Middle Eastern boy wrapped in red is not a true representation of the Greek Cypriot protagonist.

[Gill]

This was the fourth book, and the third set in Cyprus, that I read in our fortnight away in Cyprus. Like Shafak's novel this one too has protagonists who are on the opposite side of the Greek-Turkish split in Cyprus. This one begins before the Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus, at a time when EOKA was gaining purchase. The majority of the novel takes place in London, interspersed with episodes from Tony's past life in Cyprus. Here Cyprus has been given its independence, but the situation is becoming more critical between 1972 and 1974. The attempted assassination of Makarios in 1972 sent me to sources to try to sort out the time-line, as I didn't recall all the political detail of those times in relation to Cyprus.
There were interesting parallels to Shafak's novel and some different perspectives making it an interesting subsequent read with a different slant to the Island of Missing Trees.
I read this book and Shafak's The Island of Missing Trees whilst in Cyprus. Both deal with a similar, but different scenario and the comparison was interesting to me. Shafak and Koumi in some ways present a negative v. a positive version of the same events, although their time periods vary a little. Koumi's takes place up to 1974 when the partition took place after the Turkish incursions into northern Cyprus, Shafaks's alternates between 1968 and the 2010s where events are reflected by a new generation. So although the two novels overlap in period, the perspective is a bit different.

[Cjfielden]

This novel offers a glimpse into life in Cyprus in the 1950s and the rise of the EOKA movement which sought an end to the British rule of the island and eventual union with Greece. It also touches upon the impact of the growing tensions between the island’s Christian and Muslim populations. However, despite the fact that the novel is set during a turbulent period in the history of the island, it is an easy read and fundamentally tells the story of star-crossed lovers Andonis, a young Christian man, and Funda, a Muslim girl.

There is a lot to like about The Cypriot as the story weaves between 1950s Cyprus and 1970s London, where Andonis subsequently moves and where he reflects back on his time in Cyprus. However, I found Funda quite two-dimensional and the lengthy paragraphs about her singing quite dull. I also found the ending disappointing. It all ended too neatly with the two protagonists reuniting years later, just as the island was being divided into two. The happy-ever-after conclusion just felt unrealistic. I would have been more interested to know how life really worked out for Andonis and his Mother as they navigated the challenges that living in the Turkish part of the island presented.

All in all, however, this is an enjoyable read. It’s just a shame about the ending.

[Trine]

Having been to Cyprus many times it was interesting to read about life in a little village just before all the troubles on this island started for real. It shows with saddening accuracy how things can get out of hand and how opposites can grow so far apart that no one even tries to find a way to get along. It is a picture that is true for far too many parts of the world now and through history. Why do people never learn?

[Elyza Lindogan]

it’s like a journey for me. i cried on some parts, and it’s just getting better and better. ahhh!! just read it.

[Dino]

Interesting subject matter, but poorly written and clichéd.

[Paul Smith]

I am notoriously bad at receiving book recommendations from others; I know what I like and seldom get into a book that I haven't picked out for myself. An ex pat living in Cyprus gave me this about a year ago as an entertaining way of learning some Cypriot history,but it quickly got relegated to the back of the shelves and forgotten about.I came across it when having a tidy out a week or so ago,and as I was in between books at the time,went through the motions of giving it a go.
I got into the book very quickly - it's very well written and tells a good story. It improved my knowledge of all that happened in the island during the fifties and gave me the smug feeling that follows a pleasurable read that teaches at the same time. The way that the author wishes to tidy everything up at the end to give a satisfactory finish does stretch credulity, but I enjoyed the book and thoroughly recommend it.

[Mela Noura]

The historical and social setting is easily the strongest part of the novel. Cyprus under British rule, the struggle for enosis, the fears of the Muslim community, and the growing tensions between identities create a convincing picture of a society being gradually torn apart. The novel also shows how political decisions and outside powers can penetrate ordinary village life, eventually leading toward the trauma of 1974.
The love story between a Greek Cypriot man and a Turkish Cypriot woman is much more familiar and occasionally feels clichéd, although its existence within this particular historical context is understandable.
Overall, the historical background gives the novel more weight than its romantic storyline.

[JennyB]

It's not that easy to find a Cypriot novel and so, while I think Koumi grew up in London, I am counting this as my book from Cyprus in Read-Around-the-World. It's an okay book, neither great nor terrible, and more than a little cliched at times. But, I did learn things about Cyprus (including that I'd probably like to go there), so it served its purpose. It's a little bit of a love story, but that part is actually rather lame, and the more interesting aspect is the increasing tension between partisans of Greek union, and Muslim Turks (with the British swanning around imperially in the background, as they do). Guess we all know how that turned out...

[Mandy]

Not really a very good book, too many clichés, too many stereotyped characters and situations, but redeemed by the subject matter which gives a real insight into the situation on Cyprus in the 1950s and after, and the struggle for independence. Worth reading - you just have to suspend your literary judgement!

[Ann Balmforth]

Very interesting story told from 2 periods of history that kept me wondering until the end.