What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sea and the Stone
A POWERFUL NOVEL OF ELEMENTAL LOVE AND FURY ON A DOOMED, ENCHANTED ISLAND WORLD….
In the cradle of civilization, rocked by the waters of the blue Aegean, lies the tiny, barren island of Kalymnos. It is cloaked in antiquity and rich with the vibrant life of a proud and passionate people who have stubbornly endured the ravages of man and nature for three thousand years. And yet Kalymnos is dying, its means of survival crushed beneath the juggernaut of progress.
Here is a moving story of this doomed, enchanted island, of a strong man and a strange, haunting woman who lived there, of a tormented girl who fled there, and of a wanderer who came, seeking...
It is a story of unique power and simple splendor, a fiction rooted deep in truth.
“...stirring...It is an elemental story of the raging sea and the rocky land, of the fundamental urges of man and woman...a story of great beauty and surging excitement...”—Boston Herald
“...what they have seen, heard, felt in Kalymnos...make a vivid story, written as modern painters paint, not lingeringly, nor sentimentally, but with great splashes of significant color...”—New York Herald Tribune
“...a lyrical and rugged account...of a virile race, almost pure descendants from the men who once sent their war galleys to ancient Troy...”—Springfield Republican
“...a powerful and sad, beautifully written tale.”—Newark News
“This is stark, brutal fiction based on fact. The dynamic, incisive and beautiful prose is worthy of a Hemingway...”—Grand Rapids Herald
“Kalymnos as a place is most effectively presented, with a fine feeling for wind and weather, sea and sky, and a sustained brightness of natural detail. Also, the collective life of the islanders is very convincingly treated, with understanding and concern.”—Chicago Tribune
“…superb…It paints murals of truth…”—Saturday Review
In the cradle of civilization, rocked by the waters of the blue Aegean, lies the tiny, barren island of Kalymnos. It is cloaked in antiquity and rich with the vibrant life of a proud and passionate people who have stubbornly endured the ravages of man and nature for three thousand years. And yet Kalymnos is dying, its means of survival crushed beneath the juggernaut of progress.
Here is a moving story of this doomed, enchanted island, of a strong man and a strange, haunting woman who lived there, of a tormented girl who fled there, and of a wanderer who came, seeking...
It is a story of unique power and simple splendor, a fiction rooted deep in truth.
“...stirring...It is an elemental story of the raging sea and the rocky land, of the fundamental urges of man and woman...a story of great beauty and surging excitement...”—Boston Herald
“...what they have seen, heard, felt in Kalymnos...make a vivid story, written as modern painters paint, not lingeringly, nor sentimentally, but with great splashes of significant color...”—New York Herald Tribune
“...a lyrical and rugged account...of a virile race, almost pure descendants from the men who once sent their war galleys to ancient Troy...”—Springfield Republican
“...a powerful and sad, beautifully written tale.”—Newark News
“This is stark, brutal fiction based on fact. The dynamic, incisive and beautiful prose is worthy of a Hemingway...”—Grand Rapids Herald
“Kalymnos as a place is most effectively presented, with a fine feeling for wind and weather, sea and sky, and a sustained brightness of natural detail. Also, the collective life of the islanders is very convincingly treated, with understanding and concern.”—Chicago Tribune
“…superb…It paints murals of truth…”—Saturday Review
405 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 27, 2018
5 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Charmian Clift
19 books55 followersCharmian Clift was an Australian writer and essayist during the mid 20th century. She was the second wife and literary collaborator of George Johnston.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 18, 2021
An enchanting portrait of a lost world
I read this novel while on holiday in Greece. It was a beautiful and evocative homage to the Greek island of Kalymnos and its ancient traditions of fishing and diving for sea sponges. There are also love triangles and tragedies. Written in the 1950’s, it does seem a little dated, slow, over written and at times pompous but on the whole it is a remarkable and powerful book.
I read this novel while on holiday in Greece. It was a beautiful and evocative homage to the Greek island of Kalymnos and its ancient traditions of fishing and diving for sea sponges. There are also love triangles and tragedies. Written in the 1950’s, it does seem a little dated, slow, over written and at times pompous but on the whole it is a remarkable and powerful book.
April 26, 2024
lost the plot
Tried very hard the read it, but gave up. Completely lost the plot. Managed to read The End of the Morning and quite enjoyed it, but not The Sea and the Stone
Tried very hard the read it, but gave up. Completely lost the plot. Managed to read The End of the Morning and quite enjoyed it, but not The Sea and the Stone
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews