Customer Reviews

The Priest Fainted: A Novel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The theme of this superb novel is change. Change that happens in people and places when people are uprooted, for whatever reason, from places their forebears have loved for centuries. The book's persona spends time in Greece trying to understand the truth of her relationship with her mother and grandmother. In that sense it is a piece of fiction for women, but it also offers plenty about relations among humans in general. By far the most interesting and likeable personage is the over-achieving mother, who actually got a lift uptown from Eleanor Roosevelt. There is lots of sex in this work, all of it honest, none of it forced. The protagonist falls into a manipulative relationship with a gorgeous athlete whose sense of basic humanity is second-rate and of course she suffers. But that's a kind of trade-off because at the same time she is learning things and resolving issues with regard to members of her family, both Greek and American. There is a happy array of flamboyant minor characters here, each with his or her own special character flaw and particular fear or maladjustment. I suspect the author had as good a time writing this book as I did reading it. She comes off as a joyful person. The book is structured by seemingly mythic stories that move the narrative along and at the same time tie us back to what it means to be Greek and Greek American, even though thorough enjoyment of Davidson's book does not depend on any Greek connection.

Davidson's first novel is a smooth and poetic story intertwining Greek myths with the story of the female side of the protagonist's family. Much like Leslie Silko does in her novel "Ceremony," Davidson uses ancient myths to help explain the present, making these myths seem relevant and alive, as well as infusing the present with the weight of the past. Although the novel does not center on mother/daughter conflict as much as Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club," Davidson's story highlights the unspoken spiritual bond that unites mothers and daughters, much like Tan did in her celebrated novel. Having lived in Greece myself and being married to a native Greek woman, I can say that her rendering of this beautiful but hard-to-explain country is accurate. My only point of contention is with the protagonist's ongoing relationship with a clearly abusive man. Other reviewers have pointed out the realism of the story, but this male reader was just looking for some kind of explanation as to why she stayed in this unhealthy situation for so long. Still, I recommend this book to anyone who would like a glimpse into Greek/Greek-American culture.

A convoluted patchwork novel that entrances the reader with it's poetic narrative. Threads of ancient and modern Greece run silver and gold in this book, complementing each other. The stories of generations of Greek women run together in a spiral circle that leads the reader along. A satisfying and dreamy read.

My best book for at least *three* years. A young woman returns to her roots; her mother emigrated to America from Greece. In her exploration of her mother's past, she re-examines ancient Greek myths from her present-day perspective. Magic - and not only for young women of Greek extraction..I am an old woman of anglo-saxon extraction.

Ok, there was a little too much unnecessary sex in an abusive relationship in this story, BUT I loved the way the Greek mythology was referenced, the contrast of this young woman's vists/life in Greece vs, her mother's visits vs her grandmother's life. It was the perfect reading companion to someone who knew nothing about Greek mythology or a womens past and current roles in Greek society. I think it is a must read for any Greek-American woman (which I am not.)

I was very excited to read this book, and I am still recommending it to every Greek person I know; however, while reading this book, I was quite offended by things like Davidson's misuse of the Greek language. (There were several mistakes of spelling and tense.) Couldn't somebody proficient in the Greek language help her out?

The story of her mother is very interesting, but she never fully delves into this; instead, we're bored to tears by her days at UPI and her uninteresting account of hanging out with the model, Isabella. I wished the "narrator" (Davidson?) had a better relationship with her mother so we knew more about this woman.

I did enjoy the feminist twist on mythology. For example, I've always thought of Artemis as the strong and powerful type. I also liked the comparison between the celebration of Dionysus and Easter.

I agree with the reader from Brookline, MA--This was a bit hard to swallow. Consequently, I am now considering writing a book of my own. For that, I am very thankful to Davidson.

It takes courage to reveal your world to strangers, even when it is loosely autobiographical in the increasingly popular genre of "faction". Catherine Temma Davidson's book of her exploratory year in Greece is courageous and beautiful with its ethereal imagry, even when the uglier realities of her relationships are revealed. The complexities of mother-daughter relationships and the two cultures, Greek and American, that bind them are taken apart layer by layer. On the trail of her mother's youth, Davidson takes unexpected paths of her own.

I found Davidson's witty, insightful rendering of Greek mythology hilariously entertaining when read aloud, and read them again separately as they occasionally detracted from the narrative of the main story.

Davidson is right about food and cooking - for most Greek women their skills in the kitchen and the handing down of recipes through generations remain a source of pride and connected with identity.

My enjoyment of The Priest Fainted was distracted. Journalists have a duty of care to check their facts. e.g. Olympic Airways is called Olympic Airlines instead. The large avenue in central Athens, leading from near the ancient gates to the sea, is actually called Syngrou, not Syntagma. Syntagma is the Greek name for Constitution Square up the road, opposite the Parliament. You think this is pedantic? It's like me writing a book set in New York and referring to the Statue of Libertine. New Yorkers would quite rightly frog-march me to the airport!

I also believe Davidson is misinformed when she describes the Athens seaside suburb of Glyfada as a place where "few Greeks went". I lived in Glyfada for years, including the period Davidson was in Greece. The prominent presence of the American air force base at near-by Hellenikon, and expatriates and tourists gave Glyfada a more multi-cultural flavour than most of Athens, but Greeks still went there in sufficient numbers. I also find it questionable that someone who says their Greek is less than fluent, is suddenly able to fully understand the news bulletins on Greek television. These bulletins were often a subject of discussion among Greek-speaking foreigners, as the rapid-fire delivery and the formal speech was not easy to follow.

I really wanted to give this book a higher rating but I strongly feel my reservations are justified.

I liked this book because it incorporated Greek myths and recipes with the story. It was a nice blending of food, tradition, culture and the modern story. The parallels between Greek characters and the characters in the book was smart and sweet. The author was clever and kept most of the book intriguing with eclectic characters. The only problem with the book was the weak "love" relationship. The unhealthy relationship was annoying to me because I had a higher esteem for the protagonist

than she did for herself. I read it for my Ethnic-Amn book group the Salsa Book Group. Part of the development of the character was coming to terms with her Greek heritage and growing from running away from her past to embracing it.

I found this book fascinating! As the daughter of a Greek mother, I could relate to author's descriptions of the relationship between her and her mother. The assocation of the story to the mythological stories was an added bonus! Well written and worth the read!

Although an overall good read, I felt that this story lacked any real cohesion, closure, or message. As a Greek-American woman, I am offended by shallow attempts at conveying Hellenism through descriptions of food and myths, as it is overdone and often abused. There is much more to discovering one's roots than that. Hence, we have a maudlin, contrived tale which is a bit hard to swallow by many true Greeks. Nonetheless, the story is entertaining, engaging, and readable. It's just too bad that it's so stereotypical.