The Greek House: The Story of a Painter's Love Affair with the Island of Sifnos [Idioma Inglés] - Softcover

"After reading The Greek House by the painter Christian Brechneff . . . I wanted to drop everything and go to Sifnos, the rocky island in the Aegean Sea lovingly portrayed in his memoir." --Steven Kurutz, The New York Times "Swiss painter Christian Brechneff's story--a beguiling mix of genres, from travelogue to art guide--is the next best thing to actually going to a Greek island." --Richard Horan, The Christian Science Monitor "In this enjoyable memoir/travelogue, Christian Brechneff, a young artist, spends several idyllic years on the Greek island of Sifnos . . . Brechneff provides a stirring portrait of his magical experiences in this sexually charged island atmosphere . . . The stories are all illuminating, offering insights on human nature and finding a sense of belonging. The book might even send readers to Sifnos in search of their own Greek fantasy." --Gary M. Kramer, Instinct "This enchanting memoir by Swiss-born painter Brechneff illuminates the simple beauty of a remote Greek island where the painter found solace over a 35 year career . . . Brechneff's narrative is an unadorned yet sensuous tribute to the adopted land and people that inspired his work." --Publishers Weekly "Punctuated by spare, evocative sketches--seascapes, landscapes, portraits--[The Greek House], written with Brechneff's partner, Lovejoy, is no mere travelogue of an idyllic retreat . . . The author's alluring narrative combines erotic liaisons with vivid portraits of islanders and visitors . . . his candor is winning, and hard to resist, as we follow his growth from na ve young man to worldly, accomplished adult." --Kirkus Reviews "Brechneff paints a portrait as vivid and captivating as anything he ever committed to canvas." --Carol Haggas, Booklist

When Christian Brechneff first set foot on the Greek island of Sifnos, it was the spring of 1972 and he was a twenty-one-year-old painter searching for artistic inspiration and a quiet place to work. There, this Swiss child of Russian emigres, adrift and confused about his sexuality, found something extraordinary. In Sifnos, he found a muse, a subject he was to paint for years, and a sanctuary. In The Greek House, Brechneff tells a funny, touching narrative about his relationship to Sifnos, writing with warmth about its unforgettable residents and the house he bought in a hilltop farm village. This is the story of how he fell in love with Sifnos, and how it became a haven from the complexities of his life in Western Europe and New York. It is the story of his village and of the island during the thirty-odd years he owned the house-from a time when there were barely any roads to the arrival of the modern world with its tourists and high-speed boats and the euro. And it is the story of the end of the love affair-how the island changed and he changed, how he discovered he had outgrown Sifnos, or couldn't grow there anymore. The Greek House is a celebration of place and an honest narrative of self-discovery. In its pages, a naive and inexperienced young man comes into his own. Weaving himself into the life of the island, painting it year after year, he finds a place he can call home.. NOTA: El libro no está en español, sino en inglés.