Thracian Tales

Georgios Vizyenos (1849-1896) is one of Greeces best-loved writers. His stories, written in 1883-4, are set in his native Thrace, a corner of Europe where Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey meet. Each title poses an enigma: Where did Yorgis grandfather travel on his only journey? What was Yorgis mothers sin? Who was responsible for his brothers murder? At the end of each story the narrator possesses some knowledge that forces him and his readers to revise their earlier assumptions, which were based on incomplete knowledge. Because Vizyenos wants us to experience the difficult transition from ignorance to knowledge, he leaves us in suspense until the very end.