Book review: A Kilo of String by Rob Johnson

I have read a lot of books by British authors who moved to Greece or stayed there for long periods. All of these books tell the same kind of story basically… about finding an old house to work on and make a home of. All of the authors experienced endless strife dealing with the language barrier, the culture shock, and the monstrous Greek bureaucracy. Yet, funnily enough, not all these books provided the same reading enjoyment.

Some were interesting, others not so much. Some were hilarious, others didn’t even manage to elicit a chuckle. And a few of them, sadly, put my country and its people in a bad light, highlighting the same bad traits repeatedly, and often blew them out of proportion in an attempt, obviously, to make a bad book with a poor story sound a little more interesting.

But these are all the other books. Rob Johnson’s book, thank goodness, falls under a category of its own.

This is why, for me, it is perfect in all respects. It is both interesting throughout and laugh-out-loud funny while recording life in Greece, its problems and infamous quirkiness, with the kind of exceptional tact and fine precision that makes for excellent journalism. This author doesn’t just know what material to put in; he is also prudent and insightful enough to know the kind of detail that needs to stay out to make his book just perfect.

Indeed, this author, who possesses an unparalleled wit, has a refreshing writing style. You’ll find no nasty rants about the Greeks in this fine memoir, no exaggeration, and no criticism about the Greek way of life. This is an enjoyable read that will take you by the hand and show you the unknown, quaint, quirky world the author and his wife have delved into, and you will live it with all your senses, as if you were there.

Very descriptive writing from an author who can deliver a line and can make every chapter just as delightful as the previous one. This book will have you turning the pages hungrily while laughing like a drain. If you enjoy books on Greek life and especially if you are contemplating taking the same plunge as the author did to make a new start in life in your Greek paradise, then this fabulous memoir is a must!

My rating

5 stars

A hilarious page turner about Greek life!

Do you love memoirs about life in Greece? Interested to read about the type of problems an expat is likely to face while living in Greece?  How about humorous books that make you laugh out loud? Check this out on Amazon today. Chances are you will love it!

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Book review: Better Dead Than Divorced

As I read this compelling memoir I experienced a mixture of feelings and the most prominent one was anger. I felt enraged, not just for the murder of Panayota and for all the cruelty she had to endure in the hands of her despicable husband, but also about the terrible social restraints that led this woman to prefer death rather than become a divorcee. The latter is a notion that’s unthinkable in Greece today but sadly at the time the stigmatization of divorced women was a common phenomenon.

Panayota’s husband was a man of no honor, no ethics and clearly had the characteristics of a true psychopath. I was relieved that he came to pay for his crime and was amazed by the steel determination of Panayota’s cousin (the author’s father) to make sure the killer was brought to justice, regardless of the obstacles he found in his way.

The book amazed me with its storytelling style which was a lot less gruesome/depressing than I’d expected it to be. The author, much to his credit, chose to tell the story in a detached way, thus saving the reader from harsh prose heavy with hard feelings. As a result, this read like fiction even and made my reading pleasure so much better for it.

I would greatly recommend this to anyone interested to sample Greek village life in a bygone era, at a time when life often led young women to impossible choices and victimized them unfairly in the hands of men.

 

My rating

5 stars

A compelling tale of a murder foretold

 

Interested in memoirs, stories of true crime, or tales of Greek village life in the old days? This book is bound to deliver all you’re hoping for.

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