Greece: A Traveler's Literary Companion

The fifth in a series of travelers' literary companions, this collection of modern Greek prose offers the reader an unusual opportunity to go beyond the usual guidebooks in preparing for a visit to this myth-steeped country. With a promise to ""enlighten a traveler to the soul of a place,"" the book introduces the reader to the history, politics, culture and people of Greece through 24 stories and essays that recall the ancient tales and contemporary tragedies that mark the Greek landscape. What is apparent is the force with which classic mythology has endured in Greek literary tradition. The lives of the heroes are still present in the stories and places visited in this collection. Here we see the continuity between Clytemnestra and a mother who has lost her son to war; we come to the very crossroads where Oedipus encountered and killed his father. Though beautifully written, many of the stories that recall times of occupation and civil strife will probably be difficult for readers unfamiliar with the extremely messy history of Greece since the Balkan Wars--a little more context would have been helpful here. Others are poignant, simpler tales of village life and ethnic diversity. Nobel laureates George Seferis and Odysseas Elytis are joined by lesser-known writers whose work appears here in English for the first time. This book won't help a lost tourist find his way among the ruins, but it will certainly enhance a curious traveler's appreciation of the land and its people. (July)