The Last Dance and Other Stories by Victoria Hislop

 
They stood close, smiling into each other's eyes, drowning in the pleasure of seeing each other again. For a few brief minutes they were oblivious to where they were and their reasons for being in these anonymous surroundings that could have been anywhere in the world.

Victoria Hislop became an instant success with her debut novel The Island. You may have also read The Thread or The Return? If you are looking for the same quality but in smaller doses I can recommend this short story collection inspired by her love of Greece, giving us some insight into typical Greek customs and traditions, the reality not the fantasy.
The Last Dance is full of life's ironies and sad. The setting is Athens for the lavish wedding of Theodoris and Nefeli. Ironically, businesses had closed because of the recession although weddings were as extravagant as ever. No expense spared. Everyone seemed to be getting married and Hislop writes about nuptial gridlock which destroys the whole romantic notion of love and marriage.
A posh international hotel is where the reception is held. 600 guests were invited for a 5 course meal with miniature, designer-type portions which resembled a work of art rather than anything substantial. Theodoris' father, uncomfortable, looked out of place. He was a village man, a fisherman from Milton, uneducated, not a successful or rich businessman. He had never left his village before now. His secret wish was for his son to have married an island girl and they would be celebrating with a whole sheep and not a piece of lamb the size of a biscuit. An interesting balance between showiness and modesty.

Every bride in the fairy story was a beauty and every groom a prince and around the happy couple there always shone a halo of light.

Nefeli was sweet enough and adored Theodoris but it was more of a convenient union. It seems he wasn't in love with her. Theodoris seemed to be as uncomfortable as his father and he excuses himself feeling a bit overwhelmed by the fuss. Three other wedding receptions are also being held and they are playing his song, the one he associated with Agapi, the love of his life:
S'agapo yiati eisai oraia                   I love you 'cause you're beautiful

It was a lightning strike ,a coup de foudre, keravnovolos erotas, the most powerful feeling either had ever experienced.

When they separated he was gripped by sadness. He believed that love was what mattered and the break-up shattered his dreams of a happy ever after. Imagine the shock and surprise to see Agapi looking beautiful in her wedding dress, the same day, the same place as his own wedding. Fate allowed them one last opportunity to express their love for each other by sharing an intimate moment before walking away with a heart of lead. Not the first dance but the last one. C'est la vie!

Aflame in Athens shows how oppressive life can be for a university student who has been indoctrinated by a strict and controlling father. The story was inspired by demonstrations in Athens during 2008.
Irini becomes infatuated with a good-looking boy who seems charming but as we know, looks can be deceptive! She meets her godmother, Dimitra who is elegantly dressed with freshly coiffed hair to celebrate her saint's day. They meet up in one of the smartest cafes in Athens-Zonars, a bourgeios cafe when a demonstration is taking place amongst the university students over educational reforms. A stark contrast in social groupings and distribution of wealth. Irini felt a gulf open up between her godmother and herself.
Fotis, the beautiful boy lived in an apartment in a crumbling block, with yellowing walls in a state of squalor. The scent of grubbiness did not distress Irini or the dark paintwork. Surprisingly, she felt less claustrophobic than her bland if airy home.

Their relationship is passionate. She kept returning to his dark apartment and his unyielding bed. Unlike The Last Dance  this relationship was never going to end in marriage. Irini comes to her senses in the nick of time when she realises the truth about lover boy and it quells all that passion within her.

For all those weeks she had only seen their perfection but now she saw them twisted by an all-consuming rage and noticed again the devilish look she had seen in the street that night. And in that moment the flame went out. Even the memory of it chilled her, right to the heart.

Ten very different yet wonderful stories to enjoy reading. You won't be disappointed.

Publisher: Headline Review.              ISBN: 978-1-4722-0602-2.

Copyright 2013. Permission must be obtained from the author before any of this review is reproduced.


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