Greece in Books

by | Apr 28, 2025 | Best Books by Setting, Country Pages | 0 comments

Book set in Greece (Syros-Cyclades): The Great Chimera by M. Karagatsis
Novel set in Greece (Kifissia-Athens): Three Summers by Margarita Liberaki
Novel set in Greece (Crete): Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

Best Books Set in Greece

 

Discover the best books set in Greece, from award-winning Greek novels to internationally acclaimed modern classics.

Explore the best books set in Athens   –   Discover the best books set on the Greek islands. 

 

Books Set in Greece: A Guide to Modern Greek Literature

 

Greece has one of the richest literary traditions in the world. Many readers first think of ancient Greek literature, from The Iliad and The Odyssey to classical tragedy and poetry. This guide, however, focuses on modern Greek literature and on books set in Greece from the nineteenth century onwards. It looks at how Greek writers have portrayed their country, its landscapes, cities, islands, wars and changing society.

 

For readers looking for books set in Greece, modern Greek literature offers far more than beautiful scenery. It tells the story of a country shaped by it struggle for independence, migration, occupation, civil war, dictatorship, exile and renewal. It also offers memorable portraits of Athens, Crete, the Aegean islands, the Peloponnese, northern Greece and many other regions.

Nineteenth-Century Greek Literature

 

Greek literature in the nineteenth century was strongly influenced by the Greek war for independence from the Ottoman Empire and by the gradual expansion of the new Hellenic state. Many novels and poems of this period were marked by nationalism, romanticism and a desire to define modern Greek identity.

 

Among the important prose writers of the period was Emmanuel Rhoides, best known for The Papess Joanne. Demetrios Vikelas wrote Loukis Laras, while Andreas Karkavitsas became known for works such as The Beggar. Gregorios Xenopoulos was also an important figure, especially in theatre, and Georgios Vizyinos made a lasting contribution with short stories such as The Only Journey of His Life. The memoirs of Yannis Makriyannis, based on his experiences during the Greek War of Independence, remain one of the most powerful first-hand accounts of the birth of modern Greece.

 

Poetry held a particularly prestigious place in Greek culture. Important nineteenth-century poets included Andreas Kalvos, Dionysios Solomos, Aristotelis Valaoritis, Elizabeth Moutzan-Martinegou, Georgios Tertsetis, Alexandros Rizos Rangavis, Alexandros Soutsos and Panagiotis Soutsos. Later in the century, Kostis Palamas, Georgios Drossinis, Ioannis Polemis, Ioannis Gryparis, Kostas Krystallis and Lorentzos Mavilis helped shape the poetic language of modern Greece.

Greek Literature at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

 

At the start of the twentieth century, Alexandros Papadiamantis became one of the great chroniclers of Greek island life. Much of his fiction is set on his native island of Skiathos in the western Aegean Sea. Works such as The Murderess and Tales from a Greek Island are essential reading for anyone interested in books set on the Greek islands. Andreas Karkavitsas continued to write short stories and novellas, including The Archaeologist and The Beggar.  Stratis Myrivilis became famous for Life in the Tomb, a major anti-war novel based on fighting experiences at the Macedonian Front during the First World War. He also wrote The Mermaid Madonna, another important work of modern Greek fiction.

 

The 1930s and 1940s brought a remarkable generation of Greek prose writers. Among the leading prose writers of this period were Yiorgos Theotokas, author of Argo; Pandelis Prevelakis, whose best-known work is The Tale of a Town; Giannis Skarimpas, remembered for Mariambas; Melpo Axioti, author of Difficult Nights; Kosmas Politis, who achieved acclaim with Eroica; and Lilika Nakos, whose The Children’s Inferno remains one of the notable novels of the period. Penelope Delta became especially well known for historical novels and children’s stories such as Secrets of the Swamp. Elias Venezis transformed his experiences of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 and the subsequent refugee exodus from Asia Minor into a series of powerful works, including Number 31328, Aeolian Earth and Serenity (also published as Tranquility).

 

Greek poetry also flourished in the early twentieth century. Constantine P. Cavafy became one of the most internationally influential Greek poets. His poem Waiting for the Barbarians, resonated far beyond Greece. It is often cited as an influence on Dino Buzzati’s The Tartar Steppe and directly inspired the title of J. M. Coetzee’s novel Waiting for the Barbarians. Other important Greek poets of the period included Kostas Karyotakis, Angelos Sikelianos, Kostas Varnalis, Napoleon Lapathiotis, Kostas Ouranis and Maria Polydouri.

Mid-Twentieth-Century Greek Literature

 

The mid-twentieth century was one of the most turbulent periods in modern Greek history. Greek writers were deeply affected by the German and Italian occupation during the Second World War, the Resistance, and the Greek Civil War of 1946–1949. Later, under the dictatorship of the Colonels from 1967 to 1974, many books were censored or forbidden, and authors were persecuted or forced into exile.

 

The most internationally famous Greek novelist of this period was Nikos Kazantzakis. His classic Greek novels include Zorba the Greek, Christ Recrucified, Freedom or Death (also known as Captain Michalis), and The Last Temptation of Christ. Kazantzakis is particularly important for readers interested in Crete, since Cretan history and identity are central to much of his work.

 

Several notable female Greek novelists came to the foreground after the Second World War, particularly Margarita Liberaki with Three Summers, and Dido Sotiriou with Farewell to Anatolia.

 

Angelos Terzakis, author of Princess Isabeau, was another important novelist, although his work is unfortunately not available in English translation.  M. Karagatsis is best known for The Great Chimera and The 10, while Antonis Samarakis gained international recognition with The Flaw. Costas Taktsis wrote The Third Wedding, a modern classic of Greek literature that offers a vivid portrait of Athens and Greek society in the first half of the twentieth century. Vassilis Vassilikos achieved worldwide fame through his political thriller Z, and Stratis Tsirkas explored the upheavals of the modern Greek world in his trilogy Drifting Cities. Other notable voices included Menis Koumandareas, whose works include Koula, and Georges Sari, remembered for The Treasure of Vaghia.

 

Crime fiction also developed in Greece during this period. Yannis Maris stands out as a key figure, especially with Crime in Kolonaki, set in a neighbourhood of Athens.

 

The Greek poets of the period before and after the Second World War were equally important. Giorgos Seferis, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1963, was one of the leading figures of the Generation of the ’30s. This generation also included poets such as Andreas Embirikos, Nikos Engonopoulos, Yiannis Ritsos and Nikiforos Vrettakos, as well as novelists such as Stratis Myrivilis, Elias Venezis, Yiorgos Theotokas, Lilika Nakos and Kosmas Politis. Together, they played an important role in the development of the standard modern Greek language, often referred to as Demotic Greek. Other significant Greek poets of this period include Melissanthi, Nikos Kavvadias, Nikos Gatsos, Manolis Anagnostakis, Aris Alexandrou, Tassos Livaditis, Takis Sinopoulos, Nanos Valaoritis, Miltos Sachtouris, Eleni Vakalo, Nikos Karouzos, Zoe Karelli, Kiki Dimoula, Dinos Christianopoulos and Odysseas Elytis, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979.

 

Greek theatre also became particularly fruitful after the Second World War. Important Greek playwrights included Iakovos Kampanellis, author of The Courtyard of Miracles, Dimitris Psathas, author of Madam Shoushou, and Loula Anagnostaki, known for Trilogy of the City.

 

During and after the Colonels’ Regime, Margarita Karapanou became an important novelist with Kassandra and the Wolf, while Maro Douka stood out with Fool’s Gold. Important poets of this period included Lefteris Poulios, Nasos Vagenas, Jenny Mastoraki and Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke.

Late Twentieth-Century Greek Literature

 

In the late twentieth century, Greek literature became increasingly diverse and internationally visible. Rhea Galanaki is probably one of the most widely translated contemporary Greek novelists. Her works include The Life of Ismail Ferik Pasha (a historical novel set mainly in Crete), Eleni, or Nobody and An Almost Blue Hand.

 

Eugenia Fakinou‘s Astradeni and Zyranna Zateli’s family saga At Twilight They Return are among the most acclaimed novels of the period, while Lili Zografou‘s Love Arrived a Day Late and Andreas Mitsou‘s The Feeble Lies of Orestes Chelkiopoulos explore the complexities of modern Greek life. Thanassis Valtinos turned to Greece’s recent past in Data from the Decade of the Sixties, Pavlos Matesis gained international recognition with The Daughter, and both Ioanna Karystiani in The Jasmine Isle and Ersi Sotiropoulou in Zigzag Through the Bitter Orange Trees created memorable portraits of contemporary Greece.

 

Petros Markaris became one of the best-known modern Greek crime writers with his Costas Haritos detective novels, including Late-Night News, also published as Deadline in Athens. His books are especially useful for readers interested in crime fiction set in Athens.

 

Late twentieth-century Greek poetry remained rich and varied. Important poets included Odysseas Elytis, Sotiris Trivizas, Katerina Gogou, Charis Vlavianos, Giorgos Blanas, Nikos Davvetas, Ilias Lagios, Thanasis Chatzopoulos and Maria Koursi.

Twenty-First-Century Greek Literature

 

In the twenty-first century, Greek literature has continued to develop new voices and new approaches to history, family, politics and identity. Christos Chomenidis gained attention with his award-winning family chronicle Niki, while Amanda Michalopoulou became known for novels such as God’s Wife and Why I Killed My Best Friend, as well as the short-story collection I’d Like. Makis Tsitas is another notable contemporary Greek writer, especially for God Is My Witness.

International Books Set in Greece

 

Greece has also inspired many international writers. Some wrote travel books, others historical novels or literary fiction set in Greece, or modern retellings of Greek myth.

 

Henry Miller’s The Colossus of Maroussi is one of the classic foreign literary portraits of Greece. Glenway Wescott’s Apartment in Athens is set during the Second World War in the Greek capital, while Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals offers a much-loved portrait of family life on Corfu during the 1930s.

 

In travel literature, Patrick Leigh Fermor’s Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese and Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece remain among the finest travel books about Greece, as well as Kevin Andrews’ The Flight of Ikaros: Travels in Greece During the Civil War, which paints a vivid picture of Greece before the arrival of mass tourism.

 

International authors have frequently turned to Greece as a backdrop for historical fiction, with ancient Greek civilisation proving an enduring source of inspiration. Mary Renault’s The Last of the Wine returns readers to ancient Greece, as well as William Golding’s unfinished novel The Double Tongue, which is set in ancient Delphi. Thornton Wilder’s The Woman of Andros is set on the fictional island of Brynos around 200 BC. Modern reinterpretations of Greek myth include Christa Wolf’s Medea, Colm Tóibín’s House of Names, Margaret Atwood’s novella The Penelopiad , Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls (set mainly in Troy rather than in Greece), and Madeline Miller’s acclaimed The Song of Achilles. Greek mythology has also reached a wide audience through the bestselling non-fiction works of Stephen Fry, whose books Mythos, Heroes, Troy and Odyssey retell the myths and legends of ancient Greece for modern readers.

 

The Second World War and its aftermath appear in works such as Louis de Bernières’ international best-seller Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Anne Michaels’ Fugitive Pieces.

 

John Fowles’ The Magus is one of the most famous modern novels set in Greece. Don DeLillo’s The Names also uses Greece as an important setting. Other notable international books connected with Greece include Fleur Jaeggy’s S.S. Proleterka, set on a cruise to the Greek islands, Victoria Hislop’s best-selling The Island, Rachel Cusk’s Outline and Petar Andonovski’s Fear of Barbarians.

Complete List of Books Set in Greece

 

Books set in Greece allow readers to experience the country from many different angles. Some works evoke Athens or the Peloponnese, while others lead readers to the Greek islands of Crete, Skiathos, Corfu, or Kefalonia. 

 

Below is a complete list of the books set in Greece, as featured on this website: 

 

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