Διηγήματα

This mid‑nineteenth‑century anthology gathers eight of Dimitrios Vikelas’s most lively short tales, first appearing in the literary journal Estia and later republished in a richly illustrated volume. Each story sketches ordinary people—teachers, priests, lawyers, and siblings—caught in moments of humor, vanity, or quiet desperation, revealing the tensions of a Greece in transition. The prose balances gentle irony with a warm affection for its characters, making the collection both a social document and a timeless portrait of human foibles.

Highlights include “The Ugly Sister,” a witty glimpse into sibling rivalry, and “Father Narcissus,” where a clergyman’s self‑importance spirals into comic ruin. Other tales such as “The Lawyer’s Reason,” “The Two Sisters,” and “In the Optician’s Shop” explore pride, ambition, and the quirks of everyday professions with subtle moral undercurrents. Complemented by a hundred striking black‑and‑white illustrations from celebrated Greek artists, the listening experience feels like a walk through a historic gallery where words and pictures converse.