George Sarrinikolaou
Autor de Facing Athens: Encounters with the Modern City
1 Obra 21 Miembros 3 Reseñas 1 Preferidas
Obras de George Sarrinikolaou
Etiquetado
Americano/a (1)
Around the world (1)
Atenas (8)
Athens Ref-Min (1)
autobiografía/memorias (1)
ensayos (1)
Europa (1)
Europa continental (1)
FL (1)
Grecia (8)
Griego (2)
Historia social (1)
Kindle Books I Own (1)
Lista de deseos (1)
Literatura de viajes (1)
Mb (1)
Memorias (5)
modern Athens (1)
modern Greece (2)
No ficción (1)
purchased on Amazon.com (1)
Siglo XX (1)
storage (1)
Travel--Athens (1)
Viaje (8)
Conocimiento común
- Género
- male
- Nacionalidad
- USA
- Educación
- Cornell University (BA|English)
Columbia University (MA|English)
Columbia University (MPA)
Miembros
Reseñas
Denunciada
JessiAdams | 2 reseñas más. | Aug 12, 2012 | Sarrinikolaou paints modern Athens as a city of contradictions. True enough. Two major deficiencies, however, quickly surface in Sarrinikolaou’s account: purpose and perspective. At times, “Facing Athens” has the feel of a city tour, examining the changing neighborhoods around the capital. At other times, “Facing Athens” is the personal memoir of a Greek-American revisiting the homeland of his childhood. While this juxtaposition has great potential, it is done sloppily here, giving the reader the feeling of reading two disjointed works. Secondly, “Facing Athens” lacks perspective. Sarrinikolaou is quite critical of many of the changes in Athens, and many of the attitudes he encounters. However, the difficulties and dereliction found in central Athens, for example, only mimic the pattern set forth by other major European and American cities (perhaps a generation later, due to slower development in Greece). Very little of what Sarrinikolaou describes is unique to Athens. The author comes across as condescending and lacking any sense of evenhandedness. D+… (más)
½1
Denunciada
bsanner | 2 reseñas más. | Oct 21, 2008 | A quick and thoughtful travel memoir of Athens by a Greek immigrant to the US who returned to Athens in his 30s and took walking tours around town and comments on his personal recollections and thoughts. George focused on things most people disregard - working class people and neighborhoods, Gypsies and Albanian low-wage workers, the corruption and general systematic disregard for the law. The hospital story of bribes for the doctors is frightening.
As both an American and Greek, George is able to write for an American audience but from a Greek perspective. For those of us who see ourselves as "travelers" and not "tourists", George's focus on the street and dark corners is exactly what we are looking for, a "rough guide", but told with respect, humanity and tact.
I found this book for free at "The Great Sage" restaurant in Clarksville, MD in June 2007 - one of the employees set out a box for anyone to take from her personal collection. Thank you anonymous giver, I would have never read it otherwise.… (más)
½As both an American and Greek, George is able to write for an American audience but from a Greek perspective. For those of us who see ourselves as "travelers" and not "tourists", George's focus on the street and dark corners is exactly what we are looking for, a "rough guide", but told with respect, humanity and tact.
I found this book for free at "The Great Sage" restaurant in Clarksville, MD in June 2007 - one of the employees set out a box for anyone to take from her personal collection. Thank you anonymous giver, I would have never read it otherwise.… (más)
1
Denunciada
Stbalbach | 2 reseñas más. | Jun 26, 2007 | Estadísticas
- Obras
- 1
- Miembros
- 21
- Popularidad
- #570,576
- Valoración
- 3.2
- Reseñas
- 3
- ISBNs
- 1
- Favorito
- 1
In the book “Facing Athens”, George Sarrinikolaou describes and analyzes his trip back to Greece, where he was born and spent a good portion of his childhood. He writes about this place from the perspective of an American returning to his homeland, which he has been away from for 20 years. Sarrinikolaou picks over Greek culture piece by piece. He alternates between sharing stories of the Greece he remembers as a child, and analyzing how Greece is today. He also keeps in the minds of the readers the historical context for the current status of Greece.
By and large, his analysis is not positive. He describes Greece as a place that was dominated by xenophobia, racism, and corruption. He describes Greece in 2004 as being riddled with basic disregard for the safety and necessities of a functional society. He explains some of the difficult problems that Greece faces and attempts to somewhat illuminate the historical path that Greece took to get there.… (más)