The Archaeology of Writing

What an interesting book.

As a small child in the sixties, I was vaguely aware of the social and political chaos in Greece. I haven't read much about the country (except in Literature or Classics classes, where everything began with Homer). When I found The Green Shore at my local bookstore, I decided a contemporary Greek novel would be a good addition to my reading list. (I've traveled to Greece a couple of times, and will return next fall, so was easily able to create the mental image for the novel's setting.)

This novel is particularly interesting in light of the Greek position — a precarious one — in the EU.The lethargy of the country, the Mediterranean pace of the place, the overwhelming sense of an illustrious past and limited future — these elements that represent Greece in my mind converge in The Green Shore. The novel follows an extended family from 1967 onwards. Two generations of revolutionaries, a widowed mother, a couple of characters coming of age, and a general lack of godliness are ingredients for a simmering story set against the uncertainty, defiance, and danger of a coup. It's not an overtly bloody or gory read, and elements that could easily become offensive are handled carefully.

That being written, this is not always an easy read, and it's not a book you want to pick up if you're looking for a pleasant distraction. But it's a GOOD book and fills the blanks about a time in a country about which most Americans know little.

Highly recommended.