PRESENTATION of Christos Desyllas’ book “THE BLONDE HAWKS”
PRESENTATION
The book of Christos Desylla
“THE BLONDE HAWKS”
“POLYHEDRON”, PATRAS, May 17, 2006
Anna Karamanou
former MEP (Member of the European Parliament)
It is a special honor for me to participate in the presentation of the last book of the distinguished author and good friend Christos Desyllas, here in his hometown, Patras, in this beautiful space that is connected to art and the quality of life.
Personally, I do not claim the laurels of a literary critic, nor have I studied literary schools and theories. With all the respect I have for theoretical knowledge, I must confess that I am not particularly inspired by critics. I believe that there are no good and bad books, but books that we simply like or do not like. I, too, enjoyed “The Blonde Falcons” very much. So I clarify that I am not doing a literary critique or analysis, but simply expressing my opinion as a regular reader.
It is a novel, part of which is based on true events, and it concerns a great love that was born between Phoebus and Mari in Santorini and continues in Berlin during the period of the rise of Nazism and the deification of Hitler, just before the 11th Olympics. It is a love that went through fire and iron, but endured the wear and tear of time and unexpected events.
In this adventurous novel, the events are relentless, one follows another with stunning cinematic speed. Christos Desyllas’ writing is fast, simple, atmospheric, and concise, without unnecessary embellishments. A skilled master of the Greek language and of short, elliptical narrative, he manages to immerse the reader in the adventures of memory and imagination. Sometimes tender and sometimes harsh with his characters, the author seems to want to convey that even in the horror of war, even when humanity is tested and passions are excited in a twisted way, feelings and values such as love and solidarity can survive; that ultimately, life is beautiful…
The author certainly does not attempt to give lessons in style. He does not judge or criticize. He simply presents the facts. In the pages of the book, there are no symbols or allegories, nothing is hidden between the lines, nor are there other words implied behind the words. The author has constructed the novel in an absolutely economical way, stripping it of unnecessary descriptions and extensive references to the emotional state of his characters, leaving the reader free to judge them, if he wishes, or to confront them without filters.
This is a story where you cannot classify the protagonists as heroes or traitors, cowards or brave, moral or immoral. Love and death, hope and despair, seem to go hand in hand in this story. These terrible twins constantly roam among the protagonists as if they want to tell us that nothing in life is certain, nothing is permanent, and fate lurks at every step we take.
What I particularly like about the “Blonde Hawks” is the references to historical events, with precise descriptions and dates, which means that the author has consulted historical sources. From Eleftherios Venizelos to the Third Reich and locations ranging from Santorini to Athens, Berlin, and Paris. Christos Desyllas successfully carries out a project full of traps, having to face the difficulties of weaving together historical facts and fiction. The story unfolds in time and place:
It was March 1936, when the newspapers announced the death of Eleftherios Venizelos: “the oak has fallen. Dead is Eleftherios Venizelos, the wizard of international diplomacy. The creator of the New Great Greece has died outside of it, exiled and justified… condemned to death.”
The body was transported to Brindisi from Paris by train, and from there, with the destroyer “Pavlos Kountouriotis” and an honor escort from the destroyer “Hydra” to Crete. The people were divided. Some held memorial services while others staged rallies to curse the accursed Venizelos. Events were unfolding, one following another. The next month, Prime Minister Konstantinos Demertzis died of a heart attack, and Ioannis Metaxas took over the presidency of the government.
A little later in Berlin: “On July 31, the flame arrived late in the evening in the area of greater Berlin, marking the end of preparations for the eleventh Olympiad, which would begin the next day.
Hitler’s racist tendencies became apparent very quickly when, during the Olympics, he did not award the medal to the Black American Olympian Owens, but no one would forget the opening of those games, when Pavlova made her appearance, dancing on a beam of light, with Hitler as the spectator.
Phoebus cared little for all that was happening in the country that hosted him. He enjoyed his meetings – for Lisa’s sake – with people from the artistic world and beyond…
The two protagonists, Phoebus and Marie, both beautiful, meet by chance in Santorini. She, inexperienced and innocent, is captivated by his beauty, impressed by the camera with which he photographs her, and falls in love with him. From this point, a chain of events unfolds. Phoebus arrives in Berlin as a torchbearer just before the start of the 1936 Olympic Games.
It was a time when anti-Semitic hysteria, racism, and theories about the superiority of the Aryan race of the Third Reich prevailed, but at the same time, there was moral decay, as vividly presented in the book. Phoebus, being aware of his beauty and his identification with the ideals of the Aryan race, thinks only about how he will exploit his physical attributes, not only to survive in that difficult time but also to become a famous movie star. Thus, he succumbs to the love of Frau Liza and enters the circles of power of the Nazis.
Mary, driven mad by love, follows him to Berlin. However, she too succumbs to the desires of others, although sometimes she thinks she is resisting. In any case, the attitude of both protagonists does not contain any kind of heroism or resistance against Nazi violence and corruption. That is, Phoebus and Mary, through the events, appear as two individuals who lack any moral foundation, and the only thing that sanctifies their existence is the endurance of their love for each other. But if we accept that the primary instinct in humans is that of survival, then everything is forgiven. Among the two heroes of the book, Mary is the stronger. She is the one who goes through fire and iron and ultimately succeeds.
However, the question arises: Does war allow everything? First of all, war itself and the exercise of violence have nothing to do with morality and human values. That is why people who do not have a stable value system are more vulnerable. Just like Phoebus and Marie.
The book, despite its 270 pages, is read in one breath, keeps the interest undiminished, and the reader can further develop the concerns that the author leaves midway. It is a book that speaks about human values often through their complete absence. It is certain that the readers of this book will remember its characters and many of the episodes for many years to come.
As for the end of this story, we will leave it to you to discover. We suffice to emphasize that it is an exceptional novel that will shock you with its descriptions. This book by Christos Desyllas is a “hard” read but also extremely interesting. It is one of those books that grab you by the throat, that don’t let you breathe. However, Christos Desyllas, a scientist who abandoned chemistry in favor of literature and painting, is an optimistic person. That is why he graciously allows his book to have a happy ending.