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A classic Greek children's novel from 1963 about a little girl living in Greece when it goes under a fascist dictatorship in the 1930s, written by a woman who had that exact experience.
Melia and her older sister lead a relatively carefree life, bored when they're stuck inside in the rain and delighted when their uncle Niko spins tales of the stuffed wildcat they have in a glass case, until the fascists take over and Niko becomes a rebel, her sister joins the Youth Fascist League, Melia is stuck in between, and the wildcat takes on both a real and metaphoric life of its own.
The earlier sections focus on the real details of a specific childhood; the later ones are more event-based about "this is what happens under a dictatorship." I was expecting things to get a lot more catastrophic and tragic than they actually did.
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I feel a bit philistine for saying so, as it's obviously an Important Book, I didn't find it terribly memorable purely as a reading experience. I read it because I'm trying to read books that have been sitting on my shelves for ages and I have no idea why I even have them. In this case I suspect that the cover made me think it was about either a living or a magical wildcat. Generally I avoid Important Books for children about historical events, as I very rarely enjoy them.
Wildcat under glass
Melia and her older sister lead a relatively carefree life, bored when they're stuck inside in the rain and delighted when their uncle Niko spins tales of the stuffed wildcat they have in a glass case, until the fascists take over and Niko becomes a rebel, her sister joins the Youth Fascist League, Melia is stuck in between, and the wildcat takes on both a real and metaphoric life of its own.
The earlier sections focus on the real details of a specific childhood; the later ones are more event-based about "this is what happens under a dictatorship." I was expecting things to get a lot more catastrophic and tragic than they actually did.
( Read more... )
I feel a bit philistine for saying so, as it's obviously an Important Book, I didn't find it terribly memorable purely as a reading experience. I read it because I'm trying to read books that have been sitting on my shelves for ages and I have no idea why I even have them. In this case I suspect that the cover made me think it was about either a living or a magical wildcat. Generally I avoid Important Books for children about historical events, as I very rarely enjoy them.
Wildcat under glass
