Christopher Humphrys

Greece was a country that John Humphrys was beginning to fall in love with as he visited his son Christopher and his family there regularly. One time whilst visiting he had the mad idea of buying a property there. They kept looking for the ideal place, and one day he found it; in the Peloponnese was a site with a stunning view over the Aegean. The only problem was it had a semi derelict cottage and the rest was a building site with the foundations of a villa. But surely that wasn’t a big problem as his Greek speaking son could project manage it while John was busy in the UK. What could possibly go wrong?

Quite a lot actually...

Over the next four years Humphrys' would have plenty of time to regret his decision. Christopher dealt with the petty bureaucrats, maddening tradesmen, exasperating builders whilst John dug deeper and deeper into his pocket to make sure that his dream got built.

Both father and son tell the story of how everything as John’s dream slowly is constructed. They recount the mini stories and anecdotes of the dealings with neighbours, builders and life in general in this intriguing country, from harvesting their first olives to keeping the concrete cool in the height of summer. There are several very funny moments too, making this a delight to read. It has a self depreciating style too, similar to A Year in Provence, the classic book by Mayle, and was a delight to read.… (meer)

It's the classic "woe is me" dinner party tale of red tape and builders that don't show up, set in Greece. But John Humprys redefines the concept "Whingeing Pom". Vestigial colonial superiority feelings or just insular stubbornness leave this man unable to deal with emotions, be it those of others (especially when confounded by cultural or language differences) or his own. He repeatedly quotes his own sarcastic rants, which paint a very unattractive personality. Just as well then that his sonn who seems to be a well-adjusted and culturally more sensitive person, intervenes now and then. Conclusion: rather unpleasant, and certainly not what the cover would have you believe..… (meer)