This work by Ritsos is a novel with an emphasis on the question mark that the poet himself adds; Is it a romantic vein, in the sense of Proust in "Remembrance of Things Past"? Is it a wild adaptation of poetic prose into a "sarcastic climate"? Or is it an autobiography of the most human poet of Greece, whom Aragon proclaimed to be the "greatest poet of his time"?

And what about the strange title? How are the established Orthodox saints, who traditionally adorn the panels near the altar, replaced by anonymous people? - everyday people from Ritsos' neighborhood? members of his large family and simple residents of Monemvasia? humble fellow prisoners on islands of exile and a closely knit group of friends. All these "anonymities" are juxtaposed with the hero - Ion - and the heterogeneous Ion - Ariostou, weaving into an exciting tapestry of memories and thoughts, vivid memories of childhood and adolescence, conjectures about the recent history of Greece, confessions that balance on psychoanalytic introspection, and, at times, surreal dreams.

Ritsos' Iconstasy is adorned with an almost Joycean richness of words, including provocative puns, unprecedented, yet imperceptibly "poetic" themes of love, and wondrous journeys of language. In Part Three, Ritsos adds the final touches to his extensive mosaic, bringing his visionary cycle to full circle.