 "Paramythia
apo tin Afriki"
(Tales from Africa - retold)
Patakis 1983 - 13th edition 2016. 48 pp.
Illustrator:
Alekos Foundouklis
ISBN:
960-293-109-4 (hardback), 978-960-164-670-1 (paperback)
Broadcast in Greece (Piraiki
Ekklisia, Ioannina Radio) and Cyprus (RIK)
Two stories were published in English, in the magazine
Helios/������ (Rhodes, Greece)
Summary:
This book contains three tales: (a) The Sun and
the Water: The Water visits the Sun and the Sun's palace
is flooded. The Sun and his wife the Moon seek refuge
in the sky (Nigeria); (b) The Tortoise's Victory: Antelope
excepts to be the winner in a race and become the king
of all animals, yet the tortoise is unexpectedly the winner
(Cameroon); (c) Yomo's Dream: Young Yomo buys a beautiful
dress and wears it everyday, until torn out; then he makes
a vest, then a cap, a button, and finally a tale our of
the torn out beautiful dress (Ghana). |
Reviews:
"An illustrated book with much of art and
sensitivity, in which tale wisdom is presented clad
with word enchantment".
ETHNOS newspaper - 20.1.1983
"Those lands' wisdom (Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana)
together with their unique sensitivity, are given through
a very discreet and gentle way as well as distinctive
love. The message is kept intact, excellently clad with
the well-known to us style of Loty Petrovits-Andrutsopulou."
Maria Pyliotou, HARAVGI TIS DEFTERAS newspaper - Cyprus,
22.8.1983
"In the fine edition Tales from Africa the authoress
narrates them in her own style, with her individual
sensitivity that sets off and illuminates the virtues
of the fable. Her sentences are plain and short, the
word prompt. Her rhythm of word is based on repetitions,
alliterations and reclassification of the clause terms.
Of course, we do not know how far the authoress' interference
goes as far as the folktale fiction is concerned and
if this is extended to the shaping of the plot too.
That is why it is preferable to look on them as "inspired"
by their folk models rather than their "versions"
and thus, to enjoy the successful combination of individual
artistic creation with anonymous folk imagination: a
fine needlework on fine woof."
Zoe Valasi, RIZOSPASTIS newspaper - 24.2.1985
"Loty Petrovits' tales enclose the power and liveliness
of the people, however, they are controlled by the new
and very experienced writing of an authoress-poetess".
Rena Karthaiou, August 1986
"Three tales we would like to listen to or read
when we were kids, but we also enjoy them, in the same
intense way, now that we are adults. They are not only
three tales. They are texts that the wisdom of the East
World carries in its cell, texts which in the hands
of the skillful authoress became whisper, breath, poem.
They became a ship on which those who have not been
corrupted travel. The Sun and the Water, the first primitive
life-giver elements. The turtle of the wick voice which
says the most important things. A suit of clothes that
wears out, it becomes a vest, a button, and finally
a poem. A book that will captivate every single reader".
Galatia Grigoriadou-Soureli, DIADROMES magazine - no
9, Spring 1988 |
