The Summer of My Greek Taverna [Anglais] [Cassette]

Stone moved to Greece more than 20 years ago to work on a novel and, upon its completion, found himself unable to leave the beautiful country. In this memoir, he colorfully recollects his life there, particularly one summer when he runs a restaurant on the island of Patmos. The reading complete with appropriate translations of some Greek phrases and expressions adequately conveys the experiences of an American who thinks of himself as a native but is still an outsider, as he learns when a "friend" cheats him out of a substantial sum of money. Part autobiography and part travelogue, this audiobook should appeal to listeners who've spent time in Greece; Stone's descriptions of the landscape and the people will be recognizable to those already familiar with the country. The author's humility in accepting some of the more difficult aspects of his stay the financial struggles and the physical labor, among them seems genuine. However, perhaps because of the length, this audio grows somewhat tiresome. Listeners may grow weary of Stone's observations about tourists (after all, he was once one) and his deprecating comments about the Greek people; James's reading of these sentiments is at times smug.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Patmos, the small Greek island where St. John lived and wrote, is the setting of this brief but charming autobiographical travelog with recipes. Stone (Greece: An Illustrated History) is in love with Patmos, most of the people who live there, and especially his French-born wife, Danielle, whom he met and married there. One summer, when asked to take over a friend's restaurant at the height of the summer tourist season, Stone was able to turn his cooking avocation into a real job. In this bittersweet memoir, he recounts the reality of working from early in the morning to late at night, with almost no time for friends and family which ultimately forced him to reconsider the allure of his dream island and start thinking about how to live his life in the future. Stone also relates the seesawing friendship between himself and the taverna owner, an old friend who cheated him of thousands of dollars. Although written in the genre of Peter Mayle and Frances Mayes, this down-to-earth travelog certainly does not present a vacation world viewed through rose-colored glasses. Recommended for larger travel as well as cooking collections. Olga B. Wise, Compaq Computer Corp., Austin, TX
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

Any devotee of Peter Mayle, Frances Mayes, and Bill Brysonmight rush to enjoy another tale of a stranger in a foreign land andhis encounters with colorful locals and lush scenery. As the titlereveals, Stone's memoir captures the events surrounding a summerpartnership in a beach tavérna on the Greek island of Patmos. Thereis promise here, but the pacing is uneven, and the tone unclear. Thebest part is Stone's relationship with his wife, but even that getslost in misplaced retellings of local stories and shallow descriptionsof other people and places. Reader Lloyd James also seems confused bythe ambiguous tone, for at times his performance drags, only to spikeinto almost manic glee and enthusiasm without provocation. Theaudiobook is ultimately rewarding, but the listener must be patient.L.B.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --Ce texte fait référence à l'édition CD .

When an old acquaintance offers Stone a chance to be part owner and chef of a restaurant on the island of Patmos, he leaps at the opportunity, seeing it as a romantic, profitable summer escape from the drudgery of his teaching job in Crete. Stone turns out to be a success in the kitchen, in part because he supplements the Beautiful Helen's standard Greek menu with diverse dishes, such as Roman spaghetti carbonara and Texan chili. He also becomes infatuated with Patmos' history, famed as the site of St. John's exile and his ecstatic visions of the apocalypse. But what at first seems merely quaint about the natives' ways soon turns sinister as their superstitions become oppressive. Stone's discovery that his Patmian partner has been cheating him out of his share of the restaurant's profits turns the idyllic summer into a nightmare. Despite Stone's deep love for Greek culture and language, he has painted a compelling, but scarcely flattering, portrait of a genuinely insular way of life. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

I've come to believe that these memoirs, well and honestly written like Stone's, are extremely important... --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

John Chapple publisher, Lycabettus Press A delight. Funny, poignant, and genuine, a clear presentation of what expatriate experience can be like in the wonderful cauldron of Greek life. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

Tom Stone went to Greece one summer to write a novel -- and stayed twenty-two years. On Patmos, the tiny island where St. John received the apocalyptic visions recorded in the Book of Revelations, he fell in love with Danielle, a beautiful French painter. His novel completed and sold, he decided to stay a little longer.

Seven idyllic years later, after the birth of their second child, they left Patmos for Crete, where Stone taught English to civil servants and Danielle painted icons for tourists. But Stone's heart was still on Patmos, and when a Patmian friend, Theológos, called and offered him a summer partnership in his beach tavérna, The Beautiful Helen, Stone jumped at the chance -- much to the dismay of his wife, who cautioned him not to forget the old adage about Greeks bearing gifts.

Back on Patmos, Stone quickly discovered that he was no longer a friend or a patron but a competitor. He learned hard lessons about the Greeks' skill at bargaining, and about how truly effective the curse of the Evil Eye can be. There was no longer time to leisurely sip Greek coffee in the morning or linger over oregano-scented lunches with friends. The tavérna closed for the tourists at 3 A.M. and opened for the fishermen at 7; work sometimes seemed little more than a battle to stay awake. Spurring him on were the enormous profits that Theológos had assured him would materialize in August. And there were still the many joys of being back in Patmos: the beauty of the island, the friendships he had made over the years, and the adrenaline rush of success as news began to spread about Stone's cooking; yachts sailed over from Mykonos for dinner. But then came August, and the realization that Theológos had been cheating him out of thousands of dollars. His illusions shattered, Stone turned to his wife and children, who had been there all the time, offering their support. And their love.

Featuring Stone's recipes, including his variation on the traditional Greek tzatzíki, his own Chicken Retsina, and the ultimate moussaka, The Summer of My Greek Tavérna is as much a love story as it is the grand, humorous, and sometimes bittersweet adventure of an American pursuing his dreams in a foreign land, a modern-day innocent abroad. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

Tom Stone was a Broadway stage manager and assistant director for ten years before he moved to Greece, whence, after twenty-two years of paradise and heartache, he moved to London and finally California. He has published a novel and several books about Greece and has six screenplays under option. He now lives in Venice, California. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.