The Cypriot

Having recently read Andrea Busfield's Aphrodite's War, which was excellent, I purchased The Cypriot wondering how anything I was about to read could live up to its predecessor. The Cypriot, however, far exceeded my expectations and is excellent in its own right. It's not the longest book you will ever read but it takes you on such an incredibly powerful journey, it's difficult to forget even after you've finished reading it. I loved the way the author flitted from present day to the past so seamlessly. I also recognised some of the Cypriot proverbs and the songs in the book and this made me laugh. But most fascinating was Andonis' transition from a village in Cyprus to London life, and the contrast too, which was made more striking by the constant reliving of the past. Really amazing. I didn't however like the phonetic translation of some Greek Cypriot words (which were also inconsistant at times). 'Nikos' is incorrectly spelt 'Nigos', 'gumandaria' is used instead of 'koumantaria'. And in other places 'Makarios' is spelt correctly and other times 'Magarios' (?). I think this is either sloppy writing, or the author did this deliberately in an attempt to convey village-speak. Whatever the reason, as a Greek speaker with Cypriot parents myself, it didn't really work for me - I thought it was unnecessary and a little irritating. I felt it made the language sound quite ugly to a non-Greek Cypriot reading it, which is a shame. That said, I think it would be churlish for me to knock a star off for this point, as it is an otherwise excellent book! I cried at the end, I'm not sure why some reviewers didn't like the ending because I certainly was not disappointed. I thought it all came together neatly and the story was beautifully told throughout. Highly recommended.

I have to begin by saying that having read this novel I am surprised by the plethora of 5-star reviews it has had. Don't get me wrong, it has something to offer, but it just isn't that good. 4 stars may even be slightly generous. The plus points for me came mainly from the light the book shines on the background to partition in Cyprus and the roles of the various factions involved. The author maintains a balanced approach to this aspect throughout the book. The surface story line is conventional but strong enough to carry the back-story and the structure is well-tried. Stylistically however I found the prose style wooden and some of the characterisation unconvincing, to the point where early on I was having to make myself continue reading, in the interests of finding out more about the twentieth-century history of Cyprus. It was worth doing so.

I must admit I am left surprised, impressed and inspired. After buying this book, I kept it on my bookshelf for a few days without even glancing at it until the day I finally decided to give it a brief look in order to at least justify the fact that I got into the trouble of buying it! What a "dreadful mistake" that was to make in the middle of an exam period...By the 20th page I was literally hooked and did not want to put it down, not even to eat. I ended up reading it back to back in less than 2 days. I rarely catch my self reading anything that can keep me so "magnetised", let alone for hours. Being familiar with Cypriot culture and history obviously meant that I could relate to the characters, sceneries and events described a bit easier than the average reader(I suspect) but this takes away nothing from the proficiency and charisma with which these have been depicted on paper. "The Cypriot" was for me an unexpected surprise and a thoroughly entertaining read. I highly recommend it!

This was a lovely story!I could not put the book down! It was nice to have Cypriot words and songs written between the English. Have your tissues ready for the end of the book. I could not stop crying.

Cosy reading of a complex and disturbing topic. It whetted my appetite to read more about leprosy in Cyrpus during partition and beyond. Koumi simplifies and sanitises the subject, wrapping it in a romantic story to help the medicine go down.

Great read hard to put down, have read this book several times now. Recommended to many friends who have said the same once buying.

I bought this book on the off chance and am so glad I did. I like reading travel novels/biographies,this is something a little different. Set in Cyprus in the 50's brings to life the trials of falling in love with someone from a different culture, and overcoming the extreme difficulties that stem from it.Also some nice observations regarding the military prescence on the island at this time. A recommended read for anyone who loves Cyprus or modern history.

This is an excellent read for anyone interested in Cyprus. Its a love story and a history book giving an insight to the problems of youth at that time.