The core of these inquiries, first published in May 1974, belongs to the circle of reflection on the application of realism in Greek narrative, with particular sensitivity to issues of freedom, as mandated during the years of dictatorship.

The themes and writing styles chosen by Greek prose writers during the imposition of realism in Europe, with works both realistic, such as those of Kalligas, and anti-realistic, such as those of A.R. Raggavis, clearly reflect the ideological orientation of the authors, some of whom deemed it necessary to showcase the tragic reality to produce the sense of place, while others preferred to silence it or falsify it.

These same choices became more pronounced with the spread of ethnography, from 1883 onward. These studies marked a new way of viewing realism in Greece, particularly ethnography, and the subsequent significant works on the same subject entered into dialogue with these to advance or challenge them.

For this reason, a return by the same researcher to the same issues was necessary, aimed at revising the whole problem from today's perspective, which was done in the introductory chapter.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]