One could say that our outstanding author Alki Zei (Greek: ) has raised with her books lots of children, apart from bringing up two of her own. Today鈥檚 children in Greece have additionally the chance to know her work in their textbooks where her novels have been anthologized. Among the various national and international distinctions she has obtained for her work, the greatest recognition comes from the readers, who read passionately her books and place them in the top of the best seller lists. But what makes Alki Zei鈥檚 work really significant is the impression it evokes out of Greece. Her books have often been awarded abroad: Mildred Batchelder in the U.S.A. for Wildcat under glass, Petros鈥� war and The sound of the dragon鈥檚 feet, Acerbi Prize in Italy for Achille鈥檚 fianc茅e, Bookworms prize in France for Tina鈥檚 web. Above all Wildcat under glass which has marked contemporary Greek juvenile literature since it was first published in 1963. Through various trans-national republications, cataloguing for school study and frequent awards, it is considered to be one of the best books for children worldwide according to librarians, literary critics and teachers.
Alki Zei is therefore a precious asset for Greek contemporary literature. She may mainly write for children but she equally addresses to adults. Within the stories of her books she transforms her own experiences into novels, however always keeping enough distance from autobiography but allowing her heroes to view things through her own angle. As she belongs to a generation of people who have sacrificed their ambitions and private lives for the sake of collective dreams and fight for peace, freedom and democracy, having herself actively participated in Greece鈥檚 bitter historical moments of Resistance, persecutions and overthrows during and after World War II, she considers it her duty to record those important historical events so that younger generations know. But although her stories are set in really lived historical context, she is neither exhaustive in History account nor instructive towards readers. Her intention is to ensure awareness and give a chance for further questioning on a multitude of universal moral and social issues.
Naturally, the greatest virtue of her books remains their exquisite literary value which derives from masterly expression, perfect plot and a subtle sense of humour, thus resulting to breathless reading.
Diria que 茅s el primer llibre que llegeixo de literatura grega. M'ha agradat molt el context en qu猫 se situa (guerra civil, exili...) i la hist貌ria de la Dafni, "la xicota de l'Aquil路les". Pel que sembla, part de la novel路la est脿 basada en la vida de la mateixa autora.
Post modern narrative a la greque. Translated into English by one of the best. Check out the interweaving of different close third narrative perspectives, the splitting of self, the war, the suppression of the woman, the problem of communism...
Una historia que me ha cautivado, de las que te apetece saborear poco a poco. La historia de Grecia entre la ocupaci贸n alemana durante la IIGM y la dictadura de los coroneles hacia los a帽os 鈥�70, contada a trav茅s de los ojos de una mujer que pasa m谩s tiempo exiliadla que en casa. Muy recomendable.
驴C贸mo es ser siempre la mujer de alguien, ser recordada por con qui茅n estabas en un momento clave de la historia, de la suya pero tambi茅n de la de toda una generaci贸n? Heleni es la novia de Aquiles pero tambi茅n es Dafne, una muchacha involucrada en la Resistencia Griega que se enamora perdidamente de otro guerrillero, Aquiles, que la marcar谩 para siempre. A lo largo de los a帽os Heleni lucha contra los alemanes, luego contra los ingleses y m谩s tarde luchar谩 para sobrevivir y pasar谩 por la c谩rcel. Tras esto recorrer谩 medio mundo tras unos a帽os en Italia, un peque帽o respiro para su lucha, para acabar en la estepa sovi茅tica por fin con un hombre, su hombre, aquel con el que se le relacionar谩 para siempre pero que tras tantos a帽os ya no lo reconoce, ya no puede comprender el engranaje perfecto de la maquinaria comunista, el hombre que no critica y obedece. Ella es distinta, lucha por si misma y por aquellos que ama adem谩s de por una causa. Ella est谩 siempre rodeada de amigos que le ayudan a avanzar poco a poco para ser una mujer completa que cuando consigue volver a Grecia tiene que volver a huir y no solo eso, tiene que escuchar las quejas de los m谩s j贸venes, "驴por qu茅 no hicist茅is nada?" cuando ella lo intent贸 todo por ser libre y vivir en un pa铆s mejor.