Not my cup of tea. Interesting bits, to be sure, but over all not the sort of thing that grasps my attention. Too memoir-y. DNF

This is a lovely, readable memoir of the love of language and place. Mary Norris studies Greek, and spends time in Greece, seeking and using the languages (classical and modern) as she explores the places described in myth and legend. I picked up this book because my daughter has a similar love of this language and this place, and has spent the first part of her academic journey immersed in them. I plan to give this to her as a graduation gift, and I hope she finds a kindred spirit in these charming pages. ( )

Lovely short book about the author’s experiences learning Greek (classical and modern) and her travels in Greece. She’s a great writer so I think I’d be happy to read her grocery list if she decided to publish it. I love her tone of voice, it’s educated and plain-talk all at once, with loads of humor, much of it directed at herself. ( )

A somewhat adorable misfire, almost more personal memoir than paean to Greece. It took me over a year to finish it: Norris seems to spend every other sentence of the book's first half explaining virtually every English word with Greek roots, and being the kind of guy who reads books by copy editors (such as Mary Norris), I know that stuff. When I finally returned to the book, it got better, with less etymology (Gk. etymon, a true thing + logos, word) and more travel reporting from places like Crete, and Eleusis, classical site of the Eleusinian mysteries and now an industrial wasteland of tire centers and factories. Norris is an eccentric guide who presents herself as a species of idiot savant, a working-class escapee from the know-nothing Midwest who enjoys the most obscure heights of intellectual pursuit while also admitting huge gaps in general knowledge. This is admirable, but becomes a bit too cute. She'll use the word "autochthonous" in one breath, and in the next, add the phrase "(not the one in Ohio)" to her hundredth mention of Athens, just as a joke.

There are things to learn here, but my patience was tested. Fortunately, the book is small. I would approach the book like a magazine article. Don't work too hard at paying attention. Read quickly, scan over what doesn't interest you, take a few notes for further exploration, and call it good. ( )

Charming. Well written. For language lovers. ( )