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All Windows Open
All windows open... Chrissie Triantafillou is your average Greek girl growing up in Melbourne in the 1980s. Dark hair, art student, bit of a princess. Other distinguishing she has no sense of smell, has been cursed by her mother, and is passionately in love with her cousin George. Hariklia Heristanidis is a writer and blogger. Her stories open up a world of dreams, desires, and women who either tell fortunes, or - hopefully - make their own.
162 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2012
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About the author
Hariklia Heristanidis
3 books13 followersHariklia is a Melbourne-born writer and blogger. Her novella and short story collection, "All Windows Open and Other Stories" was Shortlisted for the 2013 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, in the Community Relations Commission for a multicultural NSW Award.
In 2011 she was the winner of the Lord Mayor's Creative Writing Award, in the eBook category, for "What She Said - a month in a decade in a lifetime", based on her blog.
Hariklia is currently hard at work on her first novel, which is inspired by her Pontic Greek (Asia Minor) roots.
In 2011 she was the winner of the Lord Mayor's Creative Writing Award, in the eBook category, for "What She Said - a month in a decade in a lifetime", based on her blog.
Hariklia is currently hard at work on her first novel, which is inspired by her Pontic Greek (Asia Minor) roots.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 29, 2015
I grew up in the sixties and seventies on the Northern Beaches of Sydney where Italian and Greek families ran the local greengrocer shop, fish and chip shop and takeaway milkbar. My best friend in primary school was Suzi Lentini and one day her parents visited the school and she had to translate for them. I thought she was the smartest girl in the world. And when a Greek man sang Young Girl to me (something an Australian born man would never do) I thought that's it I'm travelling overseas as soon as I can.
So for me reading Hariklia Heristanidis's book All Windows Open (a novella and seven short stories) was a chance to see inside the world of migrant's families. In the title novella, Chrissie Triantafillou is an average Greek girl growing up in Melbourne in the 1980s. She has no sense of smell, has been cursed by her mother and is in love with her cousin. Every second chapter is told from the point of view of Magda, a widow in her early fifties who reads people's fortunes from coffee cups.. Heristanidis handles the alternate points of view with great skill. I love the depiction of Chrissie's world - the close knit family, the superstitions, the food but more than anything I love the humour. "We didn't go to church. My mother's true calling was sanitation; and in that I was her reluctant accomplice...When she said, "Smells clean," my mother's face had the same look as saints in icons did, flushed and fit for heaven."
In the remaining stories the author delves into a range of issues facing us all. I particularly liked Spouse Cycle in a case of "Is the grass really greener?" The story is told from various points of view with a slight tongue in cheek. Tight Fitting is different again and is written in the first person with a surprise ending. Another favourite is Cinnamon about Kanella, a young Greek girl who we catch up with every ten years. All Windows Open is a varied and very enjoyable collection. Highly recommended.
So for me reading Hariklia Heristanidis's book All Windows Open (a novella and seven short stories) was a chance to see inside the world of migrant's families. In the title novella, Chrissie Triantafillou is an average Greek girl growing up in Melbourne in the 1980s. She has no sense of smell, has been cursed by her mother and is in love with her cousin. Every second chapter is told from the point of view of Magda, a widow in her early fifties who reads people's fortunes from coffee cups.. Heristanidis handles the alternate points of view with great skill. I love the depiction of Chrissie's world - the close knit family, the superstitions, the food but more than anything I love the humour. "We didn't go to church. My mother's true calling was sanitation; and in that I was her reluctant accomplice...When she said, "Smells clean," my mother's face had the same look as saints in icons did, flushed and fit for heaven."
In the remaining stories the author delves into a range of issues facing us all. I particularly liked Spouse Cycle in a case of "Is the grass really greener?" The story is told from various points of view with a slight tongue in cheek. Tight Fitting is different again and is written in the first person with a surprise ending. Another favourite is Cinnamon about Kanella, a young Greek girl who we catch up with every ten years. All Windows Open is a varied and very enjoyable collection. Highly recommended.
February 27, 2013
Won this in a First Reads Giveaway. Received my copy on the 18th February 2013, which was a nice surprise to come home from work to.
Really really enjoyed the novella 'All Windows Open'. It wasn't too long, was told in short, snappy chapters from various character viewpoints and didn't lose the momentum it built up from the beginning.
I enjoyed the little tidbits of information about Greek traditions, superstitions and lifestyle, including some recipes and also found the descriptions and meanings of Greek words explained simply and easily.
The other short stories were also very good - again, not to long, short, snappy and fun, with the occasional curveball or twist which added that little something special.
Would definitely recommend a read!
Really really enjoyed the novella 'All Windows Open'. It wasn't too long, was told in short, snappy chapters from various character viewpoints and didn't lose the momentum it built up from the beginning.
I enjoyed the little tidbits of information about Greek traditions, superstitions and lifestyle, including some recipes and also found the descriptions and meanings of Greek words explained simply and easily.
The other short stories were also very good - again, not to long, short, snappy and fun, with the occasional curveball or twist which added that little something special.
Would definitely recommend a read!
February 22, 2014
All Windows Open and other stories brings with it a piece of Australian fiction that tantalizes and speaks of women, the world, their dreams and their desires. Hariklia Heristanidis takes the reader on the separate journey within each story but on a heartfelt road of intrigue within the book as a whole. So this is life and love from a Greek woman’s point of view.
I am not usually a short story person, preferring to sink my mind into a journey with length, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my 8 short trips within All Windows Open. Hariklia provides character of culture and wisdom that grab at your heart and mind, provoking thought and providing a place to get lost within another world.
I did not feel a need to read All Windows Open and other stories from front to back in one sitting but instead needed to allow my mind to absorb and enjoy each story for what it offered. As a day or two passed between each reading I continued to live the journey Hariklia provided, enveloping myself in the enjoyment of the read.
It is easy to see why All Windows Open was shortlisted in the NSW Premiers Literary Awards 2013. Here we have a book that embraces and celebrates the multiculturalism within Australia whilst also celebrating what is means to be a woman of today. I laughed, gasped and got lost within each story as it unfolded. This is more than a book, it is a neighbourhood of woman who embrace the joy and romance within life.
One of the great things about this book is the lightheartedness feel that provides an engaging easy read. The cover, in the first instance, has one wondering what the book is all about. I would have liked to have seen a little more of an informative back blurb as I did feel a little confused as to whether I was about to embark on a journey of short stories that only related to Chrissie Triantafillou, your average Greek girl growing up in Melbourne in the 1980s, or taken on a journey of individuality. What I found within the book was not what I was expecting when I first picked the
January 13, 2014
"All Windows Open" is a recently published book that includes a namesake novella and a collection of short stories each running about 10 pages long. To summarize the group would be to say that they all deal with longing, lust, and desire, sometimes fulfilled, often times not.
The novella is dual narrated by lovesick Chrissie and the widow Magda who knows everyone's secrets, both those spoken and those surmised. The author Hariklia Heristanidis has created a genuine neighborhood of people who interact in a tightly knit, sometimes oppressive, but always caring fashion. To say anything more about the plot would be to spoil the surprises and humor that follow. My biggest compliment is that the story is thoughtful and well considered. Random events and comments come full circle and build character or have meaning later in the story.
A very good read and a highly recommended book. Also posted: http://leslieinadamsmorgan.blogspot.c...
The novella is dual narrated by lovesick Chrissie and the widow Magda who knows everyone's secrets, both those spoken and those surmised. The author Hariklia Heristanidis has created a genuine neighborhood of people who interact in a tightly knit, sometimes oppressive, but always caring fashion. To say anything more about the plot would be to spoil the surprises and humor that follow. My biggest compliment is that the story is thoughtful and well considered. Random events and comments come full circle and build character or have meaning later in the story.
A very good read and a highly recommended book. Also posted: http://leslieinadamsmorgan.blogspot.c...
October 19, 2012
I can truly say I loved these stories. What an entertaining cast of characters. I found them all funny, warm and very real. I have a soft spot for All Windows Open and really loved learning so much about Greek culture, so many superstitions! I also enjoyed Mrs Mavros' character very much. Would love to read more from this author.
February 13, 2013
This book is full of a bunch of short stories. I haven't read a lot of short stories before but they are great when you don't have the time to sit down and really read. I also really enjoy learning about other cultures and the Greek culture I find very interesting.
I won a free copy of this book on GoodReads.
I won a free copy of this book on GoodReads.
May 12, 2016
A really enjoyable read. I liked the authors style, pace and quirky observations of life from all angels.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews