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Magnette: A Cyprus Odyssey
A strange bet, with a vintage car at stake, results in an unlikely job for a college professor. Once a week, for an hour or so, he is obliged to drive an old man around. Almost as a hobby, the professor tries to uncover the old man's secretive past and in the meantime gets a healthy dose of his own medicine, education, from this unlikeliest of sources. Mr. Aris, the old man, proves to be a fountain of interesting though often obscure and even questionable information. All this makes for a refreshingly new perspective on life. This book is a treasure trove of fascinating facts. But it is a lot more than that. It is a tale of forbidden love and the terrible consequences of war. It is an account of abject struggle against poverty and a heart-warming love affair with a country - and a car. Adventure, friendship, romance, ancient mythology, modern history, mysterious old codes and all these against the backdrop of this beautiful Mediterranean island we know so little about...
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Elmos Konis
1 book2 followersDr. Elmos Konis is an Assistant Professor at the European University – Cyprus.
He obtained his MBA at the University of Montana in the USA and his PhD at London Metropolitan University. He has presented his research work on Cyprus in such diverse places as Mexico, Slovenia, France and the UK. He was once the proud owner of a 1962 MG Midget MK 1.
He obtained his MBA at the University of Montana in the USA and his PhD at London Metropolitan University. He has presented his research work on Cyprus in such diverse places as Mexico, Slovenia, France and the UK. He was once the proud owner of a 1962 MG Midget MK 1.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 25, 2011
5 stars for this book because it wasn't just a novel but full of interesting and true information about Cyprus! This island holds so much culture our later societies built on. Despite the educational aspect of the book, the story is very enjoyable and easy to read. I liked the way the protagonists reflect the Mediterranean mentality. Reading this novel is like taking a mental vacation... until you reach the suspenseful end of the book!
September 28, 2020
4.5 stars
This was my read the world selection for Cyprus.
Alexis is a university professor who drives to work the same way every day and is stopped in a traffic bottleneck in the same place every day outside an elderly gentleman’s house. The old man is sitting on a chair outside his house in the same place every day. Eventually they begin to greet one another until eventually Alexis gets out and speaks to the old man, Mr Aris.
Following a wager between the two that Alexis looses, he is obliged to drive Mr Aris around in his old MG Magnette for an hour a week, where he discovers that Mr Aris is a wealth of interesting information on a range of topics (many about Cyprus) and also has a rather secretive past.
I love that this reading challenge introduces you to some really unexpected little gems and this was another of them. This is the perfect type of book to find for a reading the world challenge as it provides a lot of information on history, geography, mythology and general anecdotes about Cyprus and has its own little mystery thrown in as to Mr Aris’ past.
Although not every tangent Mr Aris went on was fascinating, for the most part this was a really interesting book and I loved Mr Aris and wished I could adopt him into my own family 😀 A really lovely book that amongst its stories, also explores friendship and forgiveness. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
This was my read the world selection for Cyprus.
Alexis is a university professor who drives to work the same way every day and is stopped in a traffic bottleneck in the same place every day outside an elderly gentleman’s house. The old man is sitting on a chair outside his house in the same place every day. Eventually they begin to greet one another until eventually Alexis gets out and speaks to the old man, Mr Aris.
Following a wager between the two that Alexis looses, he is obliged to drive Mr Aris around in his old MG Magnette for an hour a week, where he discovers that Mr Aris is a wealth of interesting information on a range of topics (many about Cyprus) and also has a rather secretive past.
I love that this reading challenge introduces you to some really unexpected little gems and this was another of them. This is the perfect type of book to find for a reading the world challenge as it provides a lot of information on history, geography, mythology and general anecdotes about Cyprus and has its own little mystery thrown in as to Mr Aris’ past.
Although not every tangent Mr Aris went on was fascinating, for the most part this was a really interesting book and I loved Mr Aris and wished I could adopt him into my own family 😀 A really lovely book that amongst its stories, also explores friendship and forgiveness. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
July 21, 2024
If you want to find out about Cyprus or a bunch of other stuff, this book is packed with information. Happily, Elmos Konis is also a storyteller as well as a hoarder of facts, and the narrative is deftly handled, cracking along at a pace.
May 2, 2013
Well, if you're looking for an adventure about a Magnette guy, a Magnette girl, or a Magnette car, I'm afraid you'll be deeply disappointed. This here isn't your average novel, or your average hero, or anything close to that. It's just as the title says: "A Cyprus Odyssey".
You'll go on a journey to places you've never heard of. You'll learn of people you've never imagined they existed. And, at last, you'll learn the ugly truth about guilt and how it affects noble souls nowadays.
Make no mistake; "Magnette: A Cyprus Odyssey", is as good as it sounds. No, scratch that. It's as great as it sounds! Amazing and thrilling, breathtaking and impressive, this book had me hooked from the start, from the very first pages.
And I'm not easily hooked to something lately...
You'll go on a journey to places you've never heard of. You'll learn of people you've never imagined they existed. And, at last, you'll learn the ugly truth about guilt and how it affects noble souls nowadays.
Make no mistake; "Magnette: A Cyprus Odyssey", is as good as it sounds. No, scratch that. It's as great as it sounds! Amazing and thrilling, breathtaking and impressive, this book had me hooked from the start, from the very first pages.
And I'm not easily hooked to something lately...
February 8, 2012
Driving Miss Daisy meets Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran.... This book is both a journey down memory lane and the history of an island. Filled with fascinating tidbits of information, sometimes controversial, sometimes obscure but always written in a beautiful voice. The best accompaniment if you are visiting Cyprus and especially if you rent a car... Nicely done
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews