THE LAME ANGEL
Alexis Panselinos
THE LAME ANGEL
Alexis Panselinos
A Greek edition of The Lame Angel was first published in 2002 to widespread acclaim. This is the first English translation.
Angel Sotiriou, a young private detective, is forced to flee New York to escape the Mafia. He returns to Greece, the land of his forebears, hoping to establish himself professionally in Athens. During the first years of the Second World War he finds himself trapped in a city under occupation, with little knowledge of the country beyond its language. In order to survive he must navigate his way between an authoritarian state, opportunists willing to exploit him at every turn, and a citizenry made desperate by the Great Famine. When a mysterious and seemingly omnipotent old gentleman appears in his office to engage his services, and endows him with a startling gift, his life is forever changed. This is the story of a man with blighted hopes, who discovers love and friendship and ultimately his own worth and humanity, amidst the miseries, starvation and dogged courage of wartime Athens.
Angel Sotiriou, a young private detective, is forced to flee New York to escape the Mafia. He returns to Greece, the land of his forebears, hoping to establish himself professionally in Athens. During the first years of the Second World War he finds himself trapped in a city under occupation, with little knowledge of the country beyond its language. In order to survive he must navigate his way between an authoritarian state, opportunists willing to exploit him at every turn, and a citizenry made desperate by the Great Famine. When a mysterious and seemingly omnipotent old gentleman appears in his office to engage his services, and endows him with a startling gift, his life is forever changed. This is the story of a man with blighted hopes, who discovers love and friendship and ultimately his own worth and humanity, amidst the miseries, starvation and dogged courage of wartime Athens.
Reviews
‘The Lame Angel’ is set in wartime Athens during the Nazi occupation which produced the infamous Great Hunger ‘that carried off the starving, first the old people, then the babies’. Yet it has for us a contemporary significance. As the eponymous Angel, a private detective savagely maimed at the hands of the New York mafia, says, ‘It was as if some cruel nursery governess had taken over the running of our lives and was making new rules and new plans.’ Despite this grim, brilliantly-realised setting, the novel is immense fun with its deadpan introduction of the mysterious Mr Agathos (Greek for ‘good’) who bestows on Angel the ability to fly in order to carry out his subversive missions. This is an off-beat, hugely entertaining novel, beautifully written and bound to surprise.
—Salley Vickers, author of The Other Side of You and Miss Garnet’s Angel
Masterly... in the true tradition of the great works of modern literature.
—Antonis Kotidis, I Kathimerini
Panselinos sets up his puzzle with virtuosity.
—Mikela Hartoulari, Ta Nea
The most ambitious, probably the greatest novel of the year.
—Demostenis Kourtovik, Eleftherotypia
Truly heartrending pictures of occupied Athens and yet imbued with a discreet, crisp sense of humor.
—Vangelis Hadjivasiliou, Eleftherotypia
‘The Lame Angel’ is set in wartime Athens during the Nazi occupation which produced the infamous Great Hunger ‘that carried off the starving, first the old people, then the babies’. Yet it has for us a contemporary significance. As the eponymous Angel, a private detective savagely maimed at the hands of the New York mafia, says, ‘It was as if some cruel nursery governess had taken over the running of our lives and was making new rules and new plans.’ Despite this grim, brilliantly-realised setting, the novel is immense fun with its deadpan introduction of the mysterious Mr Agathos (Greek for ‘good’) who bestows on Angel the ability to fly in order to carry out his subversive missions. This is an off-beat, hugely entertaining novel, beautifully written and bound to surprise.
—Salley Vickers, author of The Other Side of You and Miss Garnet’s Angel
Masterly... in the true tradition of the great works of modern literature.
—Antonis Kotidis, I Kathimerini
Panselinos sets up his puzzle with virtuosity.
—Mikela Hartoulari, Ta Nea
The most ambitious, probably the greatest novel of the year.
—Demostenis Kourtovik, Eleftherotypia
Truly heartrending pictures of occupied Athens and yet imbued with a discreet, crisp sense of humor
—Vangelis Hadjivasiliou, Eleftherotypia
Book Trailer
Hear excerpts and discussions on The Strange Recital podcast
Excerpt from The Lame Angel
About the author
Alexis Panselinos read Law at the University of Athens and worked as a practicing lawyer. His first book, a collection of stories, appeared in 1982 to great acclaim. In 1985 his novel The Great Procession won the State Prize. His novel Zaida or A Camel in the Snow was nominated for the 1997 European Literary Award. The Dark Inscriptions received the Novel Prize from the Diavazo literary magazine in 2012. His latest novel Light Greek Songs won the 2018 Prize of the Athens Academy. His novels have been widely translated in French, German, Italian, Polish and Romanian. He has received the Great Award for Life Achievement from the eminent literary magazine O Anagnostis (The Reader). He lives in Athens, Greece.
Alexis Panselinos read Law at the University of Athens and worked as a practicing lawyer. His first book, a collection of stories, appeared in 1982 to great acclaim. In 1985 his novel The Great Procession won the State Prize. His novel Zaida or A Camel in the Snow was nominated for the 1997 European Literary Award. The Dark Inscriptions received the Novel Prize from the Diavazo literary magazine in 2012. His latest novel Light Greek Songs won the 2018 Prize of the Athens Academy. His novels have been widely translated in French, German, Italian, Polish and Romanian. He has received the Great Award for Life Achievement from the eminent literary magazine O Anagnostis (The Reader). He lives in Athens, Greece.
The Author's Choice
We ask authors to recommend a book.
Babbit
by Sinclair Lewis
"Of all the great American novels, this one has been a master-class for me, especially in my later period, due to its technical panache, its daring but not extreme modernism and the author's deep, purposeful gaze on the emergent modern society."