The Island - Victoria Hislop

Review of 'The Island' by Victoria Hislop. I am reviewing the paperback format of the novel. It contains 496 pages, ISBN 978-0755309511, was first published 10/04/2006 and the genre classification is Modern Fiction. RRP £7.99 The Island is the first novel from Victoria Hislop. The Plot Alexis Fielding is a modern twenty five year old woman. She has a degree in archeology and a consuming interest in the past, a trait she shares with her father, Marcus. Alexis mother, Sophia is Cretan by birth but moved to England as a young woman. Sophia has always been reticent about her early years and has ... more

I love reading, but in the last few months I've found it hard to find the time or the energy to read anything other than a newspaper or magazine. Then whilst reading the "Metro" on the way to work last month I spotted a review on this book by debut novelist Victoria Hislop. I registered that it was about Spinalonga, a now uninhabited island off the coast of northern Crete, where from 1903 to 1957 Greek lepers were banished with no hope of ever returning to their friends and families. I spent a wonderful holiday in Crete 2 years ago, as detailed in my very first review here on dooyoo. I visited ... more

The young English woman Alexis plans a trip to Greece with her fiancé which will also include Crete, she asks her mother whether she'd mind her paying a visit to the village where she's from. Her mother Sofia is from Crete, but strangely and incomprehensibly, she's always been reticent about her past, an old photo of a Greek couple on her night table is the only reminder of her Greek past. To Alexis' surprise her mother doesn't evade her as usual but writes a letter to her childhood friend Fotini asking her to tell her daughter everything about her family. This is the frame of the novel ... more

Richard and Judy's book club have selected me another read. This time, Victoria Hislop, the wife of Ian of Private Eye and "Have I Got News For You" fame, authors this book. I believe this is her debut book and has none of the satirical leanings of her husband. If that were what you are expecting then you would be very disappointed. She is a journalist in her own right, after all, so any comment on her husband is really completely unnecessary. But I thought I would point it out as it is an unusual surname and people would probably wonder if there was any connection. Anyway lets move onto the ... more

~~The Island~~ This book is based on the Greek Island of Crete and the mysterious Spinalonga which is a small island off the Plaka coast. I live in Cyprus so I thought it would be a nice summer read which I could read on the Greek Cypriot beaches to help the book enlighten me into Greek culture and an area of Greece I would now like to visit. The book was not a normal choice for me as I tend to read the true stories and sad novels, however when I was recommended this book by a friend I thought I would give it a try. With a bit of research before I purchased the book I found that "The Island" ... more