Marina, a young French woman with an unstable emotional and mental world, meets Yiannis, a Greek captain... He is the only man who "awakens" her as a woman and that's why she falls in love with him... She follows him to Greece, specifically to Syros, and begins her new calm and happy life... But fate has a different path in store for her... Financial ruin and her husband's long absence lead her into an illicit affair with her brother-in-law and into mental collapse and self-destruction!
I feel very "small" to speak about the "great" Karagatsis and the "Great Chimera." However, with much respect, I would like to share my opinion...
This book is my favorite... It truly shocked me the first time I read it. I continue to feel the same every time I reread it, as I discover a new meaning, another strong point to focus on.
For me, Marina is a weak woman searching for fulfillment and true love in Yiannis... And for a while, we think she finds it...
She goes wherever the wind blows, wherever fate, destiny, or God pushes her, without strong will, self-control, or a specific goal! A tragic and unstable figure driven by her desires and passions.
Her greatest desire is to achieve an unattainable dream, but she doesn't know exactly what it is... Her own Chimera!
Every time she gets close, something happens and she follows a different direction...
By following Marina's life, we get to know the customs and traditions of another era. The closed society on the Greek islands and the difficulty for a foreigner to integrate into the island's norms. The hard life of a sailor and the family he leaves behind.
In this strict era for women, Marina claims her sexual freedom and happiness, and for a while, perhaps she succeeds!
The small size of the book makes it easy to carry, as it fits in all bags, and so it kept me company on many of my journeys.
As much as this book moved me, perhaps even more so, I was moved by the theatrical performance I attended at the Poreia Theater, directed by Dimitris Tarlow, with the ethereal and dreamy Alexandra Aidini in the role of Marina!
The fragile Marina came alive before me and tried to rein in her earthly passions, until her final downfall! Simply wonderful!
The most stunning theatrical performance I have ever attended, for the most stunning book I have ever read!
Now, I can't wait to watch the television adaptation of the book, which I am sure will be equally stunning!