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O TELEFTAIOS PIRASMOS, Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek Νίκος Καζαντζάκης
February 18, 1883, Heraklion, Crete - October 26, 1957, Freiburg,
Germany) was a Greek novelist, poet, playwright and thinker. Arguably
the most important Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century, he
acquired wide fame after Michael Cacoyannis made his novel Zorba the
Greek (Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά) into a film in 1964. He is
the most translated contemporary Greek author.
His first work was the narrative Serpent and Lily (Όφις και Κρίνο),
1906, which he signed with the pen-name Karma Nirvami. After his studies
in Paris, he authored the tragedy "The Master Builder" (Ο
Πρωτομάστορας), based on a popular Greek folklore myth (1910).
His numerous trips all over the world inspired him to start the series
"Travelling" (Ταξιδεύοντας), which became known as masterpieces of Greek
travel literature. This series included Italy, Egypt, Sinai, Japan,
China, England.
Kazantzakis himself considered The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel 1924-1938 to
be his most important work. He wrote it seven times before publishing it
in 1938. According to another important Greek author, Pantelis
Prevelakis, "it has been a superhuman effort to record his immense
spiritual experience". Following the structure of Homer's Odyssey, it is
divided in 24 rhapsodies and consists of 33,333 verses.
His best and most famous novels include Zorba the Greek (1946); The
Greek Passion (1948), published in Great Britain as Christ Recrucified;
Freedom or Death (1950) published in Great Britain as Freedom and Death;
The Last Temptation of Christ (1951); and Saint Francis (1956),
published in Great Britain as God's Pauper: St. Francis of Assisi.
Report to Greco (1961) contains both autobiographical and fictional
elements. In Report to Greco, Kazantzakis summed up his philosophy as
the "Cretan Glance."
Since his youth, Nikos was spiritually restless. Tortured by
metaphysical and existential concerns, he sought relief in knowledge, in
travelling, in contact with a diverse set of people, in every kind of
experience. The influence of Friedrich Nietzsche on his work is evident,
especially by his atheism and the presence of the superman (άbermensch)
concept. However, religious concerns also haunted him. To attain a union
with God, Kazantzakis entered a monastary for a brief stay of six
months.
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