Description
THE FORGOTTEN SMILE
Book summary
A novel of travel, humor, and unexpected encounters on a Greek island lost on the map. Professor Selwyn Potter and the eccentric professor Percival Challoner set out together on a journey to Keritha, a place where outsiders are not welcome. Between translations, misunderstandings, and a goat as a travel companion, this work combines modern fiction with the spirit of classic travel literature, offering an agile, ironic, and deeply human read.
What is it about?
On the island of Thasos, the young, roundish Greek professor Selwyn Potter runs into Percival Challoner, a pompous, egocentric, and unsociable former professor who pretends not to recognize him. Challoner is heading to the mysterious island of Keritha, far from any tourist route, to claim an inheritance from some uncles who, to his annoyance, were younger than he was. His command of classical Greek is absolute, but his knowledge of modern Greek is non-existent. Potter then offers to accompany him as a translator. Both embark on a tiny boat loaded with several crates of Coca-Cola and a goat, headed for an island where foreigners are not welcome. What follows is a journey full of contrasts, misunderstandings, and comic situations that reveal the complexity of human character.
Main themes
- Cultural and linguistic clash in a remote island setting.
- Satire of academia and intellectual ego.
- Friendship forged in absurd and adverse circumstances.
- Travel as a transformative and revealing experience.
- Tradition versus modernity in the Greek islands.
Who is it recommended for?
For readers interested in modern and contemporary fiction with a distinct humorous and critical tone. Also for those who enjoy historical fiction set in the Mediterranean, as well as classic travel literature that explores off-the-beaten-path destinations and eccentric characters.
What this book offers
- A fun and biting take on human relationships and academic prejudices.
- A vivid and non-touristy portrait of the most authentic island Greece.
- A light yet profound plot that invites reflection on pride and empathy.
- An entertaining and fluid read, ideal for those seeking escapism with literary substance.
- A tribute to the tradition of the travel novel with a modern and accessible approach.
Technical specifications
- Author: KENNEDY, MARGARET
- Publisher: EDICIONES DEL VIENTO, S.L
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION, HISTORICAL FICTION, CLASSIC TRAVEL LITERATURE
- Collection: VIENTO ABIERTO
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: September 2020
- Number of pages: 304
- Weight: 440 g
Editorial review
An original proposal that combines British humor with the spirit of travel literature. The author constructs a choral plot around two antagonistic and memorable characters, whose interactions sustain interest from beginning to end. The setting on an unknown Greek island provides an exotic and believable framework, far from tourist clichés. Recommended for those looking for a light yet substantive novel that combines social criticism, irony, and an endearing sense of adventure.