Dinner with Persephone : Travels in Greece

by Patricia Storace

Release Date: 02 September, 1997

Edition: Paperback

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Brilliant

First of all, I've read some of the other customer reviews and frankly, I wonder if some of these people got past the first 20 pages. If you're looking for a light, chatty book about restaurants and resorts, this ain't the book for you. If you want easy beach reading, look elsewhere. Storace is an extremely intelligent person who is not just hanging out in Greece, but who really attempts to understand its culture and to make connections with Greece's past and present. I thought this was one of the most delightful travel books I've ever read. And anyone who says that Storace is provincial and has never encountered people from other cultures just hasn't read carefully. (As for the customer who said she's "not a newyorker"--she attended Columbia U, for God's sake!) I love the way that Storace delves into classical Greece. This is perhaps because I studied Greek in college and have read lots of Homer in the original, as has Storace. She tapped into my fascination with Ancient Greece and its remnants in the modern world. I ended up buying copies of this book for several of my friends who I knew would enjoy it, because I couldn't bear to part with my copy of this book.

An American who understands the soul of Greece.

I am an American of Greek descent (my father was born there) who has spent much time traveling and living in Greece. I am also a Greek Orthodox priest who deals with with the transitional pains of the evolving Greek community in America. Ms. Storace's book enchanted me. She somehow was able to gain insights into the Greek soul and psyche that few authors (at least the ones that I have read) have achieved. Maybe something about Ms. Storace's southern roots and what I assume to be her Italian roots (judging by her last name) render her exceptionally sensitive to all that she experienced there. Reading her book was, for me, like taking a short trip back. I was bathed with the distinct and often contradictory sounds, sights, smells, attitudes and world-views that modern Greece is today. If you've never been to Greece and wish to take a peek into its soul -- either because of an impending visit or for armchair travel purposes -- then this is the book for you. If I have a criticism of the book, it is concerning her seemingly boundless capacity to 'theologize' on matters concerning ancient Greek pagan religion and modern Greek Orthodox Christianity. She sometimes gets in over her head. Yet, as a seminary-trained priest, I find that even these present insights and perceived connections present concepts, the likes of which even I have never considered. I heartily recommend this book. It makes me want to seek out other pieces of her work.