Myths, magic and mandolins feature in these stories about one of Europe’s oldest and grandest cultures
If you’re planning a summer vacation to Greece, the good news is it’s hard to get it wrong. From the stunning coastlines of Crete, to the lively festivals of Thessaloniki and the sacred sites of Delphi, the country combines beautiful landscapes with rich mythology and literature.
Go on a sunset wine tour beside the bright-blue seas and domes of Santorini, believed to have been the home of the mythical land of Atlantis. Or visit Delos, where Apollo, the god of poetry, truth and prophecy, is said to have been born. Travel to one of the world’s largest natural harbours in Ithaca and you’ll see why Odysseus is intent on returning here in Homer’s Odyssey.
Literature is inescapable in Greece. Athens offers its own tour of the spots where writers from all over the world once spent their time; keen cyclists can take a three-hour bike tour around historic Athens and Plaka.
Families with teens can be led around the city by a street-art expert, exploring the graffiti and urban art of a thriving creative scene.
And if it’s great food you’re after, why limit yourself to eating when you can learn how to make it too? Join one of the city’s cooking lessons designed to give tourists a chance to recreate seven traditional Greek dishes, before heading home with a recipe book.
If you’re in the market for a lazy holiday of sun, sand and sea, Crete could be the place for you. With its secluded bays and pink-sand beaches, Greece’s largest island is stunning and hospitable. Elounda is perhaps the fanciest part – a good spot if you’ve got a bit of cash to spend, or for the honeymooners. Alternatively, you could take the heart-stopping drive through narrow roads on steep cliffs to Stefanou Beach, an incredible cove of turquoise water. Elafonisi Beach is the place for pastel-pink sand. It is near a national park where tourists are known to come and do a five-hour hike through the gorge.
Nature lovers might also enjoy Pátmos, designated as the “Holy Island” of Greece. Its settlement, Chorá, is a world heritage site, where white houses sparkle under the Aegean sun between historical streets leading from the island’s port, Skála, to the famous monastery. This is where John the Apostle wrote the Book of Revelation, having been banished to Pátmos by the Roman authorities.
Ultimately, Greece’s extraordinary literary legacy is evident almost everywhere you look. Whether you’re exploring the inner cities or taking time out on the beach, a holiday in Greece is a great chance to familiarise yourself with the abundance of literature written about this ancient, mythical and beautiful country. And you might want to start with any number of the audiobooks listed below, perfect for listeners heading there this summer.
Listening list
The Magus by John Fowles, Naxos
Nicholas Urfe is a young Brit teaching English on a fictional Greek island, based on Spetses. Bored and consumed by his loneliness, he stumbles on to a wealthy estate and its Greek owner, Maurice Conchis, a man who may have collaborated with the Nazis. The two develop a friendship, and Nicholas is drawn into Conchis’s mysterious ways and psychological games, becoming a performer in re-enactments of the Nazi occupation and obscene parodies of Greek mythology. This is a chilling thriller, as well as a postmodern classic, in which the narrator, Nicholas, grows unsure of what is real. Many of its settings exist, however. The Lord Byron School, where Nicholas teaches, is the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School of Spetses, and Villa Bourani is a private house on the south side of the island, overlooking a popular public beach.
The Names by Don DeLillo, Macmillan
DeLillo knows how to write a dense and elusive novel. And he doesn’t miss the mark in this tale about the mythological world. The characters are bizarre, yet well realised, and the author uses their story to look at family loss and language. It’s classic DeLillo, in so far as all the players are smart and eloquent, including the children, and it is stylish throughout – much more than just your average exotic thriller. Set in Athens, this is a story that moves away from conventional plot to focus on politics, culture, religion and mythology.
Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger, Hachette
When a backpacker goes missing on the island of Mykonos, no one is sure if it is her body that is found in the ancient church. Andreas Kaldis, the new chief of police, recently arrived from Athens, is faced with an island of locals who are used to doing things their own way. The case reminds him, and veteran homicide investigator Tassos Stamatos, of the ritualistic murders of a few years ago, but the suspect has since killed himself. So who could the killer be? The book reveals its author’s intimate knowledge of Mykonos, with very visual descriptions and lots of information about the historic churches. Perhaps it’s no surprise this was a bestseller in Greece.
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, Penguin
In the newest novel by the author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, Hamid tells a story about migration, in which the refugee journey happens through a portal. While living in an unnamed country taken over by war, Nadia and Saeed hear of “doors that could take you elsewhere, often to places far away”. The couple pass through a portal and find that they are on the Greek island of Mykonos, in a refugee camp. Here, “everyone was foreign, and so, in a sense, no one was”. Exit West is a timely tale about the global refugee crisis, much of which Greece has witnessed first hand. This modern history of the country is just as compelling as its mythology.
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières, Audible
Set on the Greek island of Kefalonia, the novel follows Antonio Corelli, an Italian army captain who comes to the island in the early days of the second world war. Corelli begins a love affair with Pelagia, the daughter of local doctor Iannis. Their relationship is complicated, as is to be expected in wartime, and atrocities mount around them, in both their personal lives and the life of the island itself. This is a love story and a war story – a tale of an island that is occupied first by the Italians, then the Germans. The characters are gloriously rendered and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin uses its magical setting to tell a now-famous story about romance and courage.
Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell, Laughing Stock
You’ve probably seen the film, adapted from the play of the same name. Shirley is a lonely middle-aged Liverpudlian woman in a loveless marriage. When her friend offers to take her on holiday to Greece, she packs her bags and heads for the sun. The gorgeous island of Mykonos is a strong attraction for both tourists and, seemingly, many of the writers who go there. And it’s the same for Shirley, who rediscovers herself here, along with the happiness she’s been longing for. Hers is a story of finding self-confidence, and recognising it’s never too late to start again.
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis, Recorded Books
Maybe you’ve seen the film too? Written by Cretan Kazantzakis, the novel tells the story of a Greek intellectual who befriends working man Alexis Zorba. Zorba is a larger than life and unpredictable, unlike the narrator, who is modest and reserved. The two become friends, and the passion in Zorba’s character reminds both narrator and reader of the joys of living. Set in Crete, the tale captures the island’s passionate spirit – full of its smells, tastes and wines.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Isis
This is The Iliad skilfully told from another perspective. Writing from the point of view of Achilles’s best friend, Patroclus, Madeline Miller convincingly reimagines the relationship as a romance, casting a different light on the Trojan War. Achilles is given a human touch. He is gentle and capable of love. It’s a new side to an ancient story and it’s super smart. The men are not positioned as brothers in arms, but as the soul mates that Homer hints they might be. Greece’s wealth of mythological and classical literature is complemented by this masterful modern interpretation.
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, Audible
This autobiographical work tells the story of British zookeeper, conservationist and TV presenter Gerald Durrell’s childhood on the Greek island of Corfu, where he discovered his interest in the natural world. Home-schooled during this period, Durrell became friends with a Greek doctor, Theodore Stephanides, who acted as a mentor to the boy and kindled his fascination with local fauna. The book is as much about the author’s family experiences as it is about Corfu. “It was originally intended to be a mildly nostalgic account of the natural history of the island,” wrote Durrell, “but I made a grave mistake by introducing my family into the book in the first few pages.” My Family and Other Animals is as charming as it is full of sunny olive groves and cypress trees, and all the more enjoyable for it.
Mythos by Stephen Fry, Penguin
Ancient Greek literature has inspired creators from Shakespeare to Walt Disney. The Greek myths are told to you here by the ever-soothing voice of Stephen Fry, who takes you from Zeus to Athena with his typical humour. The Greek gods of the past become relatable, as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven into their stories. It is joyfully informal, yet full of the literary legacy threaded through so much of the tapestry of contemporary Greece.
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