Reviews

Those Who Are Loved by Victoria Hislop

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anna93_'s review

4.0

Incredibly detailed insight into the turbulent past of Greece and how this affected the families that lived there.
The book focuses on Themis and her family, her bravery, her loves and betrayals.

sofialibrary_sofia's review against another edition

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5.0

Atenas, Abril de 1941
Sobre a história de vida da Themis que vive numa família dividida pelos seus ideais políticos. Num cenário de incerteza, discórdia, miséria e guerra que marcam o país nesta altura.
Desde a 2a Guerra Mundial, passando pela Guerra Civil e terminando nos nossos dias vivemos a vida desta família e enriquecemos o nosso conhecimento sobre a história da Grécia ao longo de todos estes anos.

Gostei muito por, apesar de ser sobre a 2a Guerra Mundial, ser passado na Grécia, o que não é comum, e não só me permitiu aprender mais, como ler sobre o impacto da Guerra de um outro ponto de vista.
Gostei muito por se passar no seio de uma família, sobre a relação entre irmãos com pontos de vista muito diferentes, sobre como a política afasta e junta as pessoas e interfere nas relações.

Gostei mesmo muito porque dentro do género acaba por ser muito diferente.

Sobre o amor, a amizade, as preferências e as afinidades, os ciúmes, o sofrimento, a perda, o perdão, a aceitação, sobre os ideais políticos e as crenças, sobre o passado, o arrependimento e a verdade.
Mas sobretudo sobre pessoas, sobre a família, sobre o amor e sobre os que ficam para sempre em nós e nos nossos corações mesmo depois de partirem.

portybelle's review

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4.0

I didn't know an awful lot about Greece in the second world war except that it was occupied first by Italy, then Germany. I didn't know there was a subsequent civil war with Greek fighting against Greek. Through Themis' story, I feel I have a better understanding of what life was like for the Greek people. I really got a sense of the terrible conditions people had to live in under occupation and the desperation they felt. "Hunger drove people to desperate behaviour." Even the political differences in Themis' own family seemed to echo what was happening in the wider community.

Those Who Are Loved is an impeccably researched book bringing wartime Greece vividly to life. Themis' story mirrors the story of Greece and its people through a very turbulent time. Themis is such a strong character and through her we see that strength of human spirit which can persist in the darkest of times and places, the love that drives people to do anything they can to protect their loved ones. An epic read indeed.

tuvrok's review

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

amyvl93's review

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dark informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I went to Athens earlier this year and it left me very intrigued as to the more recent history of the city, and Those Who Are Loved provided me with that insight, focusing largely on the occupation of the city and the ensuing Greek civil war which I'll admit to knowing very little about.

The novel follows the life of Themis, a teenager growing up with her three older siblings in Athens. Following the (literal) collapse of their family home, they move in with her Grandmother, their mother is admitted to a mental hospital and their father abandons the family. The siblings find themselves split on political lines with the coming war and occupation, a split which continues after the conflict. Inspired by what she witnessed during the occupation, Themis joins the Communists, fighting with them and then being arrested by the government.

This is a sprawling novel, and Hislop has clearly spent a long time researching the history of this period. At times, this meant the novel's pace took a bit of a nosedive and at times it felt like a bit of a slog. It also sometimes turned characters into slight ciphers as they exist to represent specific experiences, rather than being nuanced characters in themselves.

That being said, I found the content in this undeniably moving and interesting, and Hislop does a very even handed job of portraying a conflict whose aftermath can still be seen in the city and Greek politics today. I certainly left this novel ready to read more about this period.

Content Warnings