Description
Georgios Vizyenos (1849-1896) is one of Greeces best-loved writers. Moskov Selim is set in Thrace, a corner of Europe where Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria meet. Selim is a Muslim name, yet Moskov implies that he is a Russian. Vizyenos fascinating and moving story is set during a time of constant wars between Russians and Turks whose outcome would decide the future of south-east Europe: Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria were becoming independent of the Ottoman empire, while Greece was to gain huge territories at the empires expense. Although Istanbul would remain in Turkey, it would no longer be the seat of the Ottoman Sultan, who, as caliph, was the leader of the worlds Muslims. Vizyenos story evokes a time when Greeks and Turks could share each others joys and pains despite the hostile relations between their governments. Listening to the protagonists life story, the narrator of Moskov Selim discovers that this Turk is a kindred spirit, despite the gulf of nationality and religion that separates them.
About the Author
Georgios Vizyenos was born in 1849 in the small town of Vizye (Vize in Turkish), to the north-west of Constantinople (Istanbul). His whole life was a struggle with family and personal tragedy. His father died when the boy was five years old; two of his sisters perished in early childhood; and one of his brothers died in mysterious circumstances. Despite these inauspicious beginnings, he studied in Germany and became one of the leading Greek poets and short-story writers. Eventually, however, his psychological traumas took their toll, and he spent his last four years in Daphni mental asylum, where he died in 1896.
Reviews
" Refined language and close observations mark Vizyenos's dense prose. Charged with strong emotions and a love of nature, it is a triumph that the stories' romanticism comes across fresh and true today. The demanding, complex tales are replete with character development, probing psychology and detailed descriptions. Publishers Weekly " Vizyenos brings into question the nature of identity and of reality as constructed by reason and senses. Roderick Beaton Director, Centre of Hellenic Studies, Kings College London
Book Information
ISBN 9786185048273
Author Georgios Vizyenos
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Aiora Press
Publisher Aiora Press
Weight(grams) 150g
Dimensions(mm) 205mm * 130mm * 8mm
About the Author
Georgios Vizyenos was born in 1849 in the small town of Vizye (Vize in Turkish), to the north-west of Constantinople (Istanbul). His whole life was a struggle with family and personal tragedy. His father died when the boy was five years old; two of his sisters perished in early childhood; and one of his brothers died in mysterious circumstances. Despite these inauspicious beginnings, he studied in Germany and became one of the leading Greek poets and short-story writers. Eventually, however, his psychological traumas took their toll, and he spent his last four years in Daphni mental asylum, where he died in 1896.
Reviews
" Refined language and close observations mark Vizyenos's dense prose. Charged with strong emotions and a love of nature, it is a triumph that the stories' romanticism comes across fresh and true today. The demanding, complex tales are replete with character development, probing psychology and detailed descriptions. Publishers Weekly " Vizyenos brings into question the nature of identity and of reality as constructed by reason and senses. Roderick Beaton Director, Centre of Hellenic Studies, Kings College London
Book Information
ISBN 9786185048273
Author Georgios Vizyenos
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Aiora Press
Publisher Aiora Press
Weight(grams) 150g
Dimensions(mm) 205mm * 130mm * 8mm
