A Collar for Cerberus

A naïve English graduate arrives in Greece seeking experience and perhaps an encounter with his literary hero: Nobel laureate and irascible old hell-raiser Irakles Bastounis. Agreeing to act as driver for Bastounis, the young man finds himself on a hectic, adventurous and always challenging tour of Greece’s wonders – an apprentice in how to live life to the fullest.

Matt Stanley was born in Sheffield in 1971. Following a degree in English and American Literature at the University of East Anglia, he taught English in Greece, China and Poland. Along the way, he’s worked as a bookseller, a holiday rep, a hack journalist and a subeditor. For the last few years, he’s been a freelance copywriter and – as James McCreet – is the author of a series of Victorian detective novels and a textbook on novel structure (Before You Write Your Novel, Routledge 2016).

“I would love to read more by this author. This book is so good I hardly know how to word my review. It is fantastic.”
Cherie Homan (Reviewer)

“An interesting, literary book that is character-driven. The title alone made me curious enough to check this one out. Nicely done.”
Reading and Literary Resources

“I love this book to the moon and back! There is much to be savored in the words, much to be learned from the characters who jump off the page. Wow.”
Kaye Barley (Reviewer)

“A quote from the book is ‘Acclaim is a dangerous currency’, but I hope the author won’t mind if I acclaim his work. It’s compulsive reading and is rich and multi-layered. Throughout this excellent story are references to the twelve labours of Heracles (Hercules). Bastounis and his chauffeur share the same physical journey but embark on separate spiritual journeys, both facing their own labours – challenges they need to tackle. There are wonderful, vibrant characters and vivid settings in the book that captivate. You’ll find the sights and soul of Greece within these pages. A marvellous novel.”
Books Are Cool

“A Collar for Cerberus is one of those delightful reads that creeps up on you. What at first glance appeared to be a road trip tale became a deep reflection on how we experience life, and what we want to get out of it, with wonderful discussions on Greek myth and the art of writing along the way. Marvellous writing.”
Nicki J. Markus

“You will savor every page of this book… filled with eloquent descriptions, ripe with vocabulary. The descriptions and thoughts on life can be more solid food than those of used to baby food may want. Literary fiction can be like that. However, the pace of the book was energizing enough to keep pulling me through the hard currents.”
Goodreads

“The depth of writing and character development is astounding and having a young man’s naive dreams and an old man’s regrets mixed in this story made it an enjoyable read… an unforgettable experience.”
Dora Archie Okeyo (Reviewer)

“I am engrossed… there are snippets of gold in between the lines.”
Nilichoandika

“When I read the description of this novel, I thought it was going to be a travelogue of Greece. However, it is so much more than that. It is about the journey of life and how to experience life to the fullest. This book delves into the deepest resources of our lives and transports the reader into Greek history and mythology, revealing their timelessness in today’s world and in our own lives. The use of the English language is absolutely exquisite. The vocabulary is wonderfully rich. It was a true joy to experience this novel. I sincerely hope that Matt Stanley will grace us with more of his extraordinary gift of writing.”
Nan Williams (Reviewer)