Fey Folk

by Alexandros Papadiamantis

Generally recognized as one of the foremost Greek prose writers of the modern period, Alexandros Papadiamandis holds a special place in the history of modern Greek letters, but also in the heart of the ordinary Greek reader. Fey Folk is characteristic of Papadiamandis’s work. Its characters are quaint, simple-hearted folk living their humble lives in accordance with centuries-old traditions and customs, delightfully described by Papadiamandis with both reverence and humour. The setting is the hinterland of his native island of Skiathos with its intoxicating vegetation, its hillsides, springs and ravines, where the belief in spirits and the supernatural is deeply rooted in the consciousness of the otherwise God-fearing and devout inhabitants. The ‘saint’ of modern Greek letters... Papadiamandis wrote with graphic realism and unequalled passion. — Times Literary Supplement The greatest Modern Greek prose writer. — Milan Kundera

Genres: Greece, Fiction

78 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Alexandros Papadiamantis (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Παπαδιαμάντης) was an influential Greek novelist and short-story writer.
He was born in Greece, on the island of Skiathos, in the western part of the Aegean Sea. The island would figure prominently in his work. His father was a priest. He moved to Athens as a young man to complete his high school studies, and enrolled in the philosophy faculty of Athens University, but never completed his studies.
He returned to his native island in later life, and died there. He supported himself by writing throughout his adult life, anything from journalism and short stories to several serialized novels. From a certain point onwards he had become very popular, and newspapers and magazines vied for his writings, offering him substantial fees. Papadiamantis did not care for money, and would often ask for lower fees if he thought they were unfairly high; furthermore he spent his money carelessly and took no care of his clothing and appearance. He never married, and was known to be a recluse, whose only true cares were observing and writing about the life of the poor, and chanting at church: he was referred to as "kosmokalogeros" (κοσμοκαλόγερος, "a monk in the world"). He died of pneumonia.

Reviews

[India Louise]

A sweet, simple tale of village life on a Greek island, Fey Folk did an enchanting job of describing the ways that ancient folklore intertwined with devout Orthodoxy. I've found reading more modern Greek literature over the past few months to be a really interesting way of looking at the culture around me, especially as it's rich array of classical work normally over shadows more recent works. Papadiamantis however, is an author popular amongst Greeks for his use of language, apparently he was able to intertwine Greek language and dialects beautifully and this is sadly lost in translation, hence the lower rating.

[K's Bognoter]

En lavmælt, charmerende, lille historie om menneskers simple liv på den græske ø Skiathos i det 19. århundrede. Om overtro, sladder og generationsfejder, men også om kærlighed og jalousi.
Læs min anmeldelse på K’s bognoter: https://bognoter.dk/2022/10/18/alexan...

[João]

Sweet short story; with some insight to the greek orthodox superstitious nature, focusing on Skiathos local beliefs

[Anastasia]

folksy superstitions and simple greek village life...a very scenic read

[Helen]

This is a charming story about rural life on the island of Skiathos - specifically, an incident involving visiting monks, and a husband who wanders into an all-night Easter-related vigil to pray, without considering that his family might worry about his whereabouts. It's actually a very good story about island life, with rich descriptions of mountain scenery, plants, and so forth. There is also incisive commentary on the horrors of small-town life anywhere - the gossiping, and in Greece, the propensity to hold grudges over small misunderstandings and so forth. The feuds occur and are particularly vicious among relatives, especially over inheritances, and there are myriad disputes over land boundaries and so forth. The Greeks were always litigious so it is not surprising that the tendency to uphold their rights, and not to compromise, continues into the modern era. As a Greek-American, of course I'm familiar with the feuds and so forth but also the effort to call out misunderstandings and thus avoid feuds. They say money is the root of all evil. Actually, it could be a perceived slight about anything that could lead to a feud.

So this story presents in a rather refined, and "devout" way another side of Greek village life - the rather "real" underside of life in small isolated towns. It is a wonderful glimpse nonetheless of how people tried to get by, with few resources, and retaining a simple Christian faith. I am certainly going to look for additional works by the author, who was a Skiathos native and died in 1911, who I had never heard of before I stumbled on this book. A fast reader could probably read the book in less than an hour, but I don't have the uninterrupted time and I'm not a fast reader so it actually took me a couple of days to read the book. It's fascinating and you will find yourself turning the page to see what will happen next.

[Jamie]

Fast read. I liked the Greek island setting plus the references to local customs and Orthodoxy.

[R.L.]

English review below the Greek one...

Νομίζω ότι όσο περνάνε τα χρόνια, οι συγγραφείς που γράφανε στο γύρισμα ή/και στις πρώτες δεκαετίες του 20ου αιώνα, θα φαίνονται όλο και πιο μακρινοί λόγω της γλώσσας που φαίνεται σε μεγάλο βαθμό ακαταλαβίστικη σε γενιές που δεν έχουν γνωρίσει την καθαρεύουσα. Παρόλο που ο Παπαδιαμάντης χρησιμοποιεί ένα μείγμα καθαρεύουσας, δημοτικής, εκκλησιαστικών ιδιωματισμών κτλ και θεωρείται κάπως πιο προσβάσιμος, εμένα ο τρόπος γραφής με κουράζει πολύ. Έτσι μου είναι πιο εύκολο να τον διαβάζω στα Αγγλικά -και ντροπή και αίσχος μου και κράξτε με όσο θέλετε.

Θεματικά, το βιβλίο είναι μία ευχάριστη ιστοριούλα χωρίς ιδιαίτερη πλοκή, που έχει το ενδιαφέρον της γιατί ανοίγει ένα παράθυρο στον τόπο και τον χρόνο, αλλά από την άλλη το όλο περιβάλλον και κλίμα είναι ξεπερασμένο. Συνεπώς δεν μπορώ να πω ότι είναι ένα βιβλίο που θα μου μείνει για καιρό ή που θα συστήσω σε κάποιον να διαβάσει για να μη χάσει κάτι...

I'm affraid that as the years go go by, writers writing around the turn of and/or on the early decades of the 20th century will seem more and more distant to as Greeks, because of the language that seems largely incomprehensible to generations who have not known the "katharevousa" language. Even though Papadiamantis used a mix of "katharevousa", demotic,, ecclesiastical idioms, etc. and is considered somehow more accessible, the way he writes really tires me out. So it's easier for me to read his works in English -and shame on me and scold me all you want!

Thematically, the book is a pleasant little story, lacking a particular plot. It has its interest because it opens a window to a specific place and time, but on the other hand the whole setting and climate is outdated. So, I can't say that it's a book that will stay with me for long or that I will recommend someone to read it so as not to miss something...

[dododo]

Fey Folk by Alexandros Papadiamantis is a whimsical short story set on the island of Skiathos. I was lucky enough to read it whilst visiting. I loved his imaginative language when it came to aligning nature with Greek folklore. I specifically liked the bit about the St Basil Cake, which my family and I have done a few times before (I’ve never gotten the coin though…maybe one day!) I thought the edition I read had a helpful introduction and relevant footnotes without going overboard. Overall, I wasn’t a huge fan of the plot itself, but it was a short and vivid read whilst here on the island.

[Sara G]

It's a very Christian sort of fairy tale, told in a very folklore type cadence, though it clearly loses something in the translation. It's interesting. I was surprised that it ended as gently as it did.

[Ella]

3.5 stars
A sweet, quick read. The writing is lovely. The plot felt a bit random, not sure what I was supposed to get out of it, but the writing and characters and the depiction of nature did it for me.

[Howard]

Short story ending more as a fable. Skiathos, rural, traditionally, old Greece. Afendra awaits Agallo's return, he's late so has he died in a drunken fall?

Could have been the basis of a long narrative in my view so too short.

[David Top]

An interesting little story of greek traditions, folktales, superstition and orthodox christianity. It is too short to judge Papadiamantis's authorship, but seems interesting.

[Radonja]

Pročitao na obali Pireja.. Grci sa ostrva su isto što i Crnogorci u suštini

[Alexios Shaw]

Like late Tolstoy in the Aegean

[Cristina Mestre]

Una historia magica sin magia que pasa en una sola noche en la isla de Skiathos. Me encanta cómo escribe Papadiamantis y cómo describe la naturaleza de la isla.

[w gall]

Short, but sweet. There's depth here.

[Nikhat Hoque]

Short and sweet: a great introduction to modern Greek literature.

[Natalia Fantetti]

An interesting short story about the ways of Greek villagers, though the ending was a bit abrupt

[Lisa]

I picked up this book in a small shop in Greece knowing absolutely nothing about it or its author. I went into it with no expectations, and ended it wishing that I had chosen another book from the shelf. This book made me feel nothing. I had no particular attachment to the plot or characters. I didn’t derive any deeper meaning. The writing and setting were nice. But my overall sentiment was lukewarm.

[Keso Gagoshidze]

I love Balkan literature. Authors have sweet teeth there.