MEET THE GREEK LITERATURE
Hi! This is a different post about the literature and hopefully the first of a series!
Every country has some writers and works to be proud of. So does Greece.
I have read lots of Greek books in the Greek language and I can now tell, without any doubt, that Greek literature is a diverse, rich and magnificent literature that has a lot to offer to the readers’ minds and shelves. This post is very informative and contains facts that any dedicated reader needs to know!
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The history of the Greek literature
Traditional Songs
The traditional songs were created by the people and have their roots back in the prehistoric years. They are characterized as a form of literature because of their rich content.
Crete’s literature
It started to develop in the fifteenth century. It was influenced by the West’s first pieces of literature then since Crete was under Venice’ rule. It mainly combined Crete’s tradition with the new era that was evolving that century in Europe.
Modern greek enlightenment
The literature of the modern greek enlightenment consists of all the scripts that were written during the period 1770-1821. A big group of writings of these ages reflects the unsatisfaction of the Greeks for the condition of the Ottoman Empire, of which they were a part of, and the will to free their nation.
Memoirs
Memoirs are basically autobiographies. What is very interesting about the autobiographies of the 19th century is the memoirs of those illiterate people, who took part in the Agon (the tries of the Greeks to get back their freedom), and wrote their experience.
The literature of the Ionian islands
The Ionian islands never met Turkey’s rule. Instead, they were for many years under the rule of England and France. As a consequence, they easily came in touch with the West’s literature, with which they have many things in common. Some remarkable poets of the 19th century in Greece were Andreas Kalvos and Dionysios Solomos.
The Phanariots and the romanticists of Athens
The Romanticism is a wide and complex school of artists which developed in the whole of Europe. It showed up towards the ending of the 18th century and lasted all the 19th one. Romanticism was characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as glorification of all the past and nature, preferring the medieval rather than the classical.
New Athenian School
The new artistic ideas of this school were visible in the Greek literature until the starting of the 20th century. The most writers of this era tended to the realistic depiction of everyday life. Another landmark of the New Athenian School is its aim to use Demotic Greek instead of Katharevousa (an ancient-like form of the Greek language).
The literature from 1922 to 1945
Τhe Asia Minor Catastrophe brought a great disturbance to the Greek society and that also was something that affected the literature of these times. The poets used to express in a melancholic tone and this is the period when the writers start to develop the novels.
Modern Greek literature
The modern greek literature starts when World War II broke out and contains all the books that have been written until today. The first scripts were affected by the social and political acts of the period. What is true today, though, about the modern Greek literature of the 20th and 21st-century worths a few more words!
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A few things about the Modern Greek literature
Yes, I think that Greek modern literature is special. Especially the classics are so meaningful that I could call them pure gems and you need to have a general idea of it. I will include a full list of the best Greek classics that you need to read below. Of course, all the classics in all the languages have many and different things to offer. In terms of the Greek ones, they are so inclusive that if you read some of them, you will be considered well-read. This is just my opinion.
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List of the best Greek classics
The murderess, Alexandros Papadiamantis
Captain Michalis, Nikos Kazantzakis
Number 31328, Elias Venezis
The lie, George Sari
Tale without a name, Penelope Delta
A child counts the stars, Menelaos Lountemis
The dead are waiting, Dido Sotiriou
Farewell Anatolia, Dido Sotiriou
Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis
The Axion Esti, Odysseus Elytis
In the Heroic Age of Basil II: Emperor of Byzantium, Penelope Delta
Secrets of the Swamp, Penelope Delta
The Iliad, Homer
The Odyssey, Homer
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it’s really unfortunate that greek literature is so underrated. but, on the other hand, only few people can find diamonds while mining lol. as selfish as this may sound, i’d like to keep the diamonds to myself ;)
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