10 of the Best Books Set in Greece That Will Take You There

Few countries have inspired as many stories as Greece – from Homer's epics to modern bestsellers set on sun-baked islands. Reading a novel set where you're travelling adds depth to every village, ruin and taverna. These ten books will transport you to Greece, and tell you which places to visit when you get there.

Island novels

1. Captain Corelli's Mandolin – Louis de Bernières (Kefalonia)

A love story set during the Italian and German occupation of Kefalonia in the Second World War, with a vivid picture of island life. Visit Sami and Antisamos beach, where the film was shot, and the hilltop castle of St George.

2. The Island – Victoria Hislop (Crete)

Set around Spinalonga, the former leper colony off the coast of Crete, this family saga brought thousands of readers to the island. Take a boat from Plaka or Elounda to walk its abandoned streets.

3. Zorba the Greek – Nikos Kazantzakis (Crete)

Crete's most famous writer tells the story of a bookish narrator and the larger-than-life Zorba. Visit Kazantzakis's grave on the walls of Heraklion and the Kazantzakis Museum in Myrtia.

4. My Family and Other Animals – Gerald Durrell (Corfu)

Strictly a memoir, but as funny and vivid as any novel: Durrell's childhood on Corfu in the 1930s. Visit Kalami, where Lawrence Durrell lived in the White House, and the island's north-east coast.

5. The Magus – John Fowles (Spetses)

A psychological mystery set on a fictional island inspired by Spetses, where Fowles taught in the 1950s. Spetses is car-free, elegant and easy to reach from Athens.

Myths retold

6. The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller

A moving retelling of the Trojan War through Patroclus and Achilles. Read it before visiting ancient sites such as Mycenae and the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

7. Circe – Madeline Miller

The witch of the Odyssey tells her own story. Perfect beach reading for a trip to the Ionian islands, traditionally linked to Odysseus's homeland, Ithaca.

8. The Odyssey – Homer

The original Greek journey, in a modern translation. Ithaca, the island of Odysseus, is a quiet, green escape near Kefalonia.

Cities and history

9. The Thread – Victoria Hislop (Thessaloniki)

A story spanning much of the 20th century in Thessaloniki, Greece's vibrant second city, touching on its Jewish, Greek and Turkish communities. Walk the waterfront, the White Tower and the Ano Poli old town.

10. Prospero's Cell – Lawrence Durrell (Corfu)

Gerald's older brother wrote this lyrical travel memoir of Corfu in the late 1930s – a lovely companion to My Family and Other Animals.

Tips for literary travellers

• Combine books and places: read on the island where the story is set.
• Look for local bookshops in Athens, Chania and Corfu Town with English-language sections.
• Pack an e-reader to save luggage space on island hops.
• Love stories about places? See our review of a book about the world's most beautiful cemeteries.