Nikos Kazantzakis Books

I read Kazantzakis absorbing and compelling verse novel over a two-month period, rich and crazy as a Christmas fruit cake, and only to be nibbled in small doses. This is a deeply flawed work of consumate art; flawed, because it expresses a weltangshaung and philosophical stance utterly at odds with the complexities and values of the human spirit which it still succeeds in celebrating in verse of passion, intensity and beauty. Flawed, because it defines the human spirit in terms of the unsubtle, extroverted, violence of masculinity at its most obnoxious, a Nietzschean ubermensch driven to sweep through the human mind like a panzer division; flawed because it present a vision of utter and self-serving solipsism.

But of consumate art in that within those paramaters it creates, with a richness and intensity rarely encountered in modern literature, a detailed, elaborate and sensory world of image, passion and experience; and in positioning the human spirit dancing at the edge of the abyss, in celebrating the defining moments and relationships of life, it ultimately triumphs over its own weakness.

Its stages of the soul's evolution, its imagery and its passionate invocation of the sun link it with the old warrior-cult of Mithras; and while the leopards, elephants, drunkards and maenads seem at first more of Dionysos, the elegance and elegaic elements also link the work with the Greek Apollo, and the discipline of an exact and exacting verse.

Essential to an understanding of the twentieth century vision - and also to an understanding of what made so many of us passionately feminist.

A long, long time ago, I read this book and it changed the way I read literature. Kazantzakis' book goes beyond writing - it is a vivid exploration of the flame that consumes man. To go back to reading the frivolous so-called literature of today almost seems pointless. I am just thankful that Kazantzakis left us with such a rich body of work to read. The libraries were full of his books twenty years ago, but today I rarely find them on any shelf. To those of us who were lucky enough to discover him early, we know that he is the best kept secret of the twentieth century.

This is the best book I have ever read. Granted, I have read it in greek but still, there is no match. Homer would have loved his hero over again.

I read this in a period of weeks while homeless in a city, each day I would return to the library and read another huge section,never missing a day...the incredible prolixity and repetition, far from being burdensome, were like great rolling waves of majesty and freedom upon which I floated until the last cantos, surely one of the greatest climaxes in all world literature, brought me to rest and peace as Odysseus was united with Christ, and sailed off through the ice. And then I knew that for the rest of my life I would be as free as Odysseus had showed me how to be in this work. How's that?

This is the best book I have ever read. Granted, I have read it in greek but still, there is no match. Homer would have loved his hero over again.

A truly challenging work. A consumate traveller, truth-seeker, inetellectual, Kazantzakis creates a remarkable memior. The fact that Christ, Buddha and Lenin were the author's three primary heros and inspirations should be enough to pique anyone's interest. I would especially recommend this book to anyone feeling disillusioned with modern life. See how the world was just 100 years ago, and how it still might be for those adventurous enough to think they can redesign it...

I have read the book in both the original Greek and the translated version. The translated version is exceptional which is a rarity in literature. The book is a quasi-autobiography of Nikos Kazantzakis but the main theme is not his life. It's the spiritual struggle of man to find his place on earth and to understand the concept of a God. A deeply spiritual person, Kazantzakis, struggled throughout his life trying to draw the right path for him. He traveled throughout the world in order to witness how other cultures dealt with the same notions. He returns home at the end because the call of his birth land is too strong. The book is written supposedly as an account to his grandfather, an arab pirate, but a view also exists that it is a report to El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), a famous Greek artist (1541-1614). Kazantzakis was a great admirer of El Greco and a visit to his homeland is described in the book. Kazantzakis is a literary giant, Albert Camus was one of his friends and admirers, and the book is not for the casual reader.
To me this is the book I would choose to have if I was only allowed to own one book.

Autobiography of the Greek novelist, poet and philosopher. In his own words, the author of Zorba the Greek, Saint Francis, and The Last Temptation of Christ tells the story of his life and art. Translated from the Greek by P. A. Bien.

Report to Greco is comparable in importance to The Education of Henry Adams. It is not a formal autobiography, but rather the summing up, by a great artist, of a lifetime's ideas, work, experiences and friendships. In it, Kazantzakis searches for the roots of his own genius, describes his early interest in Nietzsche, his apprenticeship with Henri Bergson, his travels through Russia in the early days of the revolution, his tempestuous and deeply moving friendships and loves and -- above all -- the agonizing and never-ending process of artistic development that culminated in a whole series of inspired masterpieces.

It is a book of epic themes, dominated by Kazantzakis' agonized search for a means to combine his love of life and art with his ceaseless quest for spiritual truth -- a quest that led him from Bergson to Freud, from Freud to Lenin, from Lenin to Buddha, compelled by a deep desire to bring about, not only in art, but in life, a spiritual revolution, a 1917 of the soul.

Kazantzakis has been acclaimed as one of the truly great writers of our century by both Albert Schweitzer and the late Thomas Mann. Report to Greco is his credo, his summing up, his report to posterity on the efforts and the journeys of a lifetime. Together with The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel and The Saviors of God: Spiritual Exercises, it forms the cornerstone of his work.

The spiritual travels to find himself and his inner soul are fascinating and the geography covered is extensive and with Kazantzakis' descriptions of the scenery, one feels that they are walking right along side him from Europe to Greece, the Mid East and beyond.

At one point, Kazantzakis is traveling with his friend Buddhaki to Mt. Athos to visit the many monasteries there and they come upon a Father Makarios. They muse on the ego, separation from God, etc., and when it is time to go, the good Father says, ["Good luck. God be with you." And a moment later, mockingly: "Regards to the world." "Regards to heaven," I retorted. "And tell God it's not our fault but his-because He made the world so beautiful."] (p 225)

On a trip to Jerusalem they meet a young man who ["...was passionately condemning the dishonesty and injustice of present-day economic and social life. The masses went hungry while the great and powerful piled up fortunes. Women sold themselves, priest did not believe, both heaven and the infernal pit were here on earth. The afterlife did not exist; here was where we had to find justice and happiness.... Cries rang out: "Yes, yes, you're right!" "Fire and axe!" Only one person attempted to object." ..."It was frightening. The purpose of trip was to worship the sweet, familiar face of God-so gentle, so tortured, so filled with hopes for life everlasting." ..."...we were carrying as a terrifying gift the seed of a new, dangerous, and as yet unformed cosmogony."] (p 245)

Later and on the road to the Dead Sea, "I had found it necessary to purge my bowels and expel the demons inside me-wolves, monkeys, women; minor virtues, minor joys, successes-so that I could remain simply an upright flame directed toward heaven. Now that I was a man, what was I doing but enacting what I had so ardently desired as a child in the courtyard of our family home! A person is only born once; I would never have another chance!" (p 252)

*Kazantzakis begins to summarize his spiritual journey with, "Our journey to the fatal intellectual Golgotha thus becomes more loaded with responsibility because now, looking at the Cretans, we know that if we fail to become human, the fault is ours, ours alone. For this lofty species-man-exists, he made his appearance on earth, and there is no longer any justification whatever for our deterioration and cowardice." (p 441)*

At the end is, "Just then-as fate was in a mood to play games-I made the acquaintance of an elderly mineworker named Alexis Zorba." (Zorba the Greek). This leads Kazantzakis to an introductory chapter on Zorba wherein he states, "My life's greatest benefactors have been journeys and dreams. Very few people, living or dead, have aided my struggle. If, however, I wished to designate which people left their traces imbedded most deeply in my soul, I would perhaps designate Homer, Buddha, Nietzsche, Bergson, and Zorba."
(p 445)

Kazantzakis was a prolific writer with incredible insight and wisdom and some of his best known works are: "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Zorba the Greek". Start in on any book, though, and one will most likely feel compelled to read them all!

This superb tome is meant to be read as part metaphor, part autobiography, and part myth. A truly glorious and inspirational work. Here, fellow readers, is the essence of the book: "Rise up, brothers! Join the struggle of life! Have no fear! Yes, all is vanity, but by boldly confronting the Abyss and experiencing each day anew, we can overcome the pettiness and sheepishness of the Age! Stand and fight! Though life is but a finite struggle, do not despair! Live life to its fullest! By doing so, each one of us may existentially triumph over our own mortality." Remember what is written on Kazantzakis' tombstone in Crete: "I want nothing, I fear nothing. I am free!"

I picked up this book from a Greek Store in Astoria, NY since it was not avilable here at Amazon. This is not a book which can be red by all us materialistic humans of today. I spent many sleepless nights thinking on how to approach " ftoxia" or poorness and how to hamble myself without humilition.

An incredible book; do not read it if you do not fasten your seatbelt. It will move you.

How heartbreaking to find this book out of print. Kazantzakis' spiritual fiction cut through the labyrinth of doctrine/dogma and, literally, aimed for the heart of all mystical experience, ecstatic union with the Divine. Nowhere does he expound his ideas better than in this lovely book about a rare man in any age. Francis was all the rage in the 60's and early 70's with the counterculture. Now in our current obsession with materialism and status he is all but forgotten. Francis, like Kazantzakis, aimed for what was true in human experience. Hopefully the wheel will turn again and Francis and Kazantzakis will return in popularity.

I cannot say too much about this book,words are not enough.The best story I have ever read. Changed my life forever

How can this book be out of print? That is a real tragedy, although I hope the person who decided to take it out of print will read these glowing reviews. This is the best book out there about Francis, and it is as poetic as it is moving. Francis can speak to us today more than ever about our complex lives and the way to find simplicity. Find this book if you can!

I borrowed the book from the local library and after reading the first few pages, I knew I was going throught the same stuff as the main charactor. I proceeded to bye the book from Amazon.com's Marketplace and am very happy with their service. But through that transaction, I realised that the book is still being printed in London by the publisher Faber and Faber. So you can still get a new copy...Good Luck!

I read this book three times and never get tired of it. It impressed me both as a teenager and as an adult when I could better appreciate the force of Nikos Kazantzakis' messages. Once you start reading his novels, you won't want to stop until you have read more. His range of topics is impressive.

I read this a number of years ago. It is not a paen to freedom, but a description of the hatred between the Cretans and the Turks made virtually unabateable by regligious prejudice and historic experience.

Today, it informs my view of the unabateable hatred in the Middle East.

The book is excellent. The characters are larger than life in their strengths and in their flaws--from the Homeric captains to the pitiful (not pitiable) Hadji, the Muslim fool unable to resist Captain Michaelis' demand to drink and who thereafter spreads dung on his head in further self-abasement and repentence.

Wonderful character development, a plat that moves and develops well, and an ending leaving food for thought in the early 21st Century on planet Earth.

In the island of Crete the Teacher was born. In the island of Crete where his people remained under Turkish occupation for more than two centuries. Is there a diamond in the greek history which cannot be linked to Crete? Incredulous one might remain to extreme stories described-imagined by Kazantzakis, but then let this "Thomas" read into the history of the Cretans, their constant revolts against Othoman occupation, their "aposyrsis" to the mountains where their life displayed the attrocious but noble feature of Freedom. Was/is it really the Turks? No, Kapetan Michalis was not the man to enjoy peace, war and fighting were his nature, there abolished he the tornment of having been given life. Kazantzakis shares: I asked my mother, "How was my grandfather?" "Like your father only darker." "What did he do? " "He fought." "And where there was no war?" "He smoked his pipe and looked at the mountains."

It is the nature of man, the nature of the warrior who restrained from life, restrained because life he has been given , choses he to continue by fighting... It is in this isolation of the self, in this denial of peace that man reaches the crest of alienation, the crest of silent freedom, Death...

This book is incredible. It is an accurate portrayal of Greeks because it was written by a Greek. "Freedom or Death" is too good to be out of print. This is one of Kazantzakis' best novels, even better than "Zorba." It needs to be put back into print, by gum!

Nikos Kazantzakis is one of the most under appreciated authors of the 20th century. The fact that this book, arguably his greatest work, is out of print is a prime example of that fact. Many readers have come to the mistaken conclusion that this book is primarily about the Greek, more specifically Cretan, struggle for freedom from Ottoman rule. The subject of this book is far greater. This book is truly about man's struggle for freedom from his own shortcomings. Some may even argue that Kazantzakis is seeking not only to define his own struggle, but also to understand his father. Captain Mihalis (The primary character in the books) is patterned after the author's own father.

I've had the opportunity to read this edition, and Greek editions of this book numerous times over the years, and have never grown tired of this book. I've come away with something new after each reading. I typically find myself conserving pages (reading slower) towards the end of this book because I don't want it to end. This is one of those books that will haunt you after you've read it.

I have this book in Arabic and I decided to read the english version, but to my utter disappointment i could not find such a great book on amazon!!!..

So Amazon, I need that book desperately... help !!!!... What is the answer?!!!!!!!

"Report to Greco" is Kazantzakis "autobiography" although even his widow in the introduction admits both that the book is a mixture of "fact and fiction" and that there are some "small modifications" when he speaks about his own adventures. So, think of it as another novel, or philosophical tract.

The work begins with some of the most profound and true words about death I have ever read: "I collect my tools: sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, intellect. Night has fallen, the day's work is done. I return like a mole to my home, the ground. Not because I am tired and cannot work. I am not tired. But the sun has set."

The book is full of sayings and brief passages like this, revealing at every turn the familiar Kazantzakis struggle for "ascent": growth, unity, passion. "It is our duty to set ourselves an end beyond our individual concerns, beyond our convenient, agreeable habits, higher than our own selves, and disdaining laughter, hunger, even death, to toil night and day to attain that end. No, not to attain it. The self-respecting soul, as soon as he reaches his goal, places it still farther away. Not to attain it, but never to halt in the ascent. Only thus does life acquire nobility and oneness." (p. 80)

In this quest for ascent, Kazantzakis is led into both a journey of ideas and to physical travel. The book abounds with accounts of his adventures in Israel, Mt. Athos and throughout Europe in addition to his encounters with the great ideas.

It is the significance of the stories that captivate me, as I remain suspicious of the biographical value of the material. He speaks of the "balance" of the ancients as not effortless but difficulty won against the forces of chaos that triumphed before and after the magic moments of the 5th century. As he describes the decline: belief in the country replaced by individual self- sufficiency; the arts shifting their attention to glorification of the indulgences of the wealthy; and to ever more "realistic" descriptions of degradation (p. 170); he could be describing our time as well. Other striking stories of original sin (p.25) or an encounter with a monk who found the one true joy of his life not in worship but in illicit sex (p. 225), his warning of the dangers of the "minor virtues" (p. 142, 213) are worthy of reflection and study.

His struggle for oneness, to unite passion and discipline, the Dionysian and Apollonian sides of the Greek heritage (p. 323-4), remains our struggle. Or at least it should be the struggle of those who wish Christianity to speak to the full person, not just to the self-flagellating ascetic.

I found this book, used, for a dollar outside the Strand in NYC. It was like finding a diamond ring in a box of Crackerjacks.

What is the matter with the American publishing industry that a giant of modern literature like Nikos Kazantzakis and a book like `Report to Greco' can possibly be out of print? What...are 45 bazillion copies of the latest John Grisham nonsense not enough? Certainly an entire wall of the new James Patterson novel is sufficient, especially inasmuch as its exactly the same as the first 300 James Patterson novels. Are publishers and booksellers *that* greedy that they can't spare three inches of shelf-space like they used to back in the days when books weren't marketed like fast-food burgers? Sure, it's great to read, everyone says so, but does it make absolutely no difference *what* we read? Is it worthwhile to read any old junk? Why is it good to read anyway...just to boost the economy?

Reading is of value *because* of books like `Report to Greco.'

`Report to Greco' is the philosophical/spiritual autobiography of a truly extraordinary seeker. To call Kazantzakis merely a `poet' or a `novelist,' even an `artist,' is to short-change a man whose remarkable life and work records the effort to live at the highest possible level. `Report' lays out Kazantzakis's personal philosophy perhaps more directly than in any of his other works. Much more than a strictly factual biographical chronicle, `Report' is a kind of mythological record of the most important aspects of his life. Kazantzakis provides the key to understanding `Report'--and his spiritual approach in general--when he describes his habit of amplifying and interpreting the major events and turning points of his life in archetypal terms. His father isn't merely a `father' but a Father. His mother isnt any old 'mother' but the Universal Mother. His first experiences of sex, death, love, and violence are all elevated to the colossal proportions that they assume in our soul--and thereby more `real' than real. For Kazantzakis, reality doesn't consist of a simple recitation of facts...but of the monumental emotional and spiritual inner truths that those facts elicit from our souls.

Yes, Kazantzakis speaks seriously about the `soul,' about `God,' about `meaning' and a `spiritual life.' And he does so in a way that doesn't embarrass an educated human being in the 21st century. Indeed, if a spiritual life is possible at all at this point in human history, if a search for `God' can be anything other than a charade of retrogressive nostalgia or fundamentalist lunacy, then Kazantzakis shows, if not the path, then a way to find the path. A way to live with fire, spirit, and heart.

This is a book of discoveries, dramas, and ideas writ large. The kind of book that isnt written any more, or, if its written, apparently isn't published. It's more than only a shame that 'Report to Greco' is out of print--it's a disgrace. I suppose we can always hope for the movie version to inspire some publisher to run off a few copies. After all, it got Kazantzakis's `Zorba the Greek' and `The Last Temptation of Christ' back on the shelves. For now.

How ridiculous.

This novel derives from a series of stories written byKazantzakis for a youth's magazine. The novel utilizes Kazantzakis'graceful style to add even more magic to this fantastic myth. In the beginning, a young traveler is found surveying the grounds of the Palace of Knossos, raising suspicions with security guards and catching the eye of the young princess Ariadne. The young traveller turns out to be Theseus, a prince who desires to free his people from the tyranical King. Included is the infamous minotaur and many greek gods. This novel remains interesting and exciting all throughout the story, and can be recommended to any age group. END

How do you write a "children's" book that will hold readers' interest 50, 100 years from now? James Barrie, Francis Hodgson Burnett, and Terry Pratchett have. So has Nikos Kazantzakis.
This book is a gem, and deserves much wider recognition.
Mythology is usually presented, even in the much-lauded D'Aulaire series, as little more than a plot line. Here, the familiar story of Theseus and the Minotaur is enriched with well-developed characters. My favorite is Princess Ariadne: as imperious, sensitive, and curious as Elizabeth Tudor in her youth. Kazantzakis describes the splendors of the Minoan city-palace as lushly as one can infer from the historical artifacts that have been unearthed, then he enriches the picture with details of folkways that still exist today in Greece.
What raises this book from the merely entertaining to the classic is the author's dedication to his real mission: to impart the great truths of the world to his young readers. In the Palaces of Knossos, we learn a little about the nature of despotism, and how to test the long-term viability of a civilization beyond the veneer of its present power and wealth.
Teachers and parents, read this wonderful book, and be awed and entertained yourself before you read it to your kids. While you're at it, bring out a book like BBC's Civilizations by Jane McIntosh and Clint Twist so your charges can see the strange and beautiful paintings from the palace of Knossos of bull-leaping youths, the bronze dagger that Theseus himself might have carried, and one of the odd little iconic statues of the Great Goddess worshipped throughout ancient Crete.

Before reading the book the title confused me; shouldn't it be Freedom OR Death? You would think....until you read the book. I won't spoil it for you by telling you what message Kazantzaki is trying to convey; you can find this out for yourself. What I can tell you is the setting is in Crete late 1800's while Crete was still under Turkish rule. It's a story of one family's (perhaps Kazantzaki's?) pride in their Greek Christian heritage and their irrepressible and explosive drive for freedom. Might I add that I have never read a book where an author displayed more love for his native land than Kazantzaki's passion for Crete and his "mother" Greece. This novel is classic Kazantzaki; powerfully raw but deeply profound all at the same time. It left me feeling like I had a knife stuck in my heart, like after reading an ancient Greek tragedy - absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend this book.

I was kind of surprised not to see any reviews on this amazing novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. Let me start by saying that I 've read this novel only in the original Greek version. Nevertheless, I feel I can comment on the content and the feelings that this "journey" inspired me.

I originally felt that you have to be Greek to really feel the intensity of the ideas that storm through this story that takes place during the Greek Revolution era (1820's) against the Turkish oppression in the island of Crete. However, any reader can rise above the distinctive historical and cultural context (which with marvel you will experience its description) and get swept by the powerful ideas of love for one's home, love for one's family and such love for one's freedom that death is a duty. It is suggested however to familiarize yourself with some facts about Kazantakis' life and work by reading "Report to Greco" or/and his classic "Zorba the Greek". The fight for freedom is an idea that can be symbolized in many aspects of our lives and that sadly has now become a very commercial and misunderstood concept. It is in this book however that I read about it being given in its purest form as the ultimate fight for an idea that is more precious than life itself. The title of the book encompasses its substance: it is Freedom AND Death.

The writing by Kazantzakis is greatly colorful with beautiful details that create the reality of that time. At the same time, his writing is very affecting; being a Cretan himself you can see his deep love for his home testified on the pages. This is not an easy read, I feel you need to be in a specific mood to engage in this book since it requires your soul to be present and not just your mind. It is emotionally drenching, the human struggles (both psychological and physical, inner and overt) depicted are fiercely touching and the glorious and bloody climax builds up in a ceremonial way. In the end of this book I trully experienced a catharsis, for the first time at such strength, having gone through so many emotional stages with the characters and the plot of the story. As in other Kazantakis books, people might find sexist elements or even misogyny, but bear in mind the historical era and the patriarchic structure of society at the time.

I realize this review is quite personal, but I just felt the need to share my thoughts and feelings about this masterpiece. Approach this novel with an open mind and an open heart and I assure you, you will be rewarded.

I have read this book in the original text under the title ''Kapetan Michalis'' and have returned to it many times. Every new reading as with everything this author has written gives you a new insight on a new level about the story and the writer's mind. Though it is not one of his more complex more philosophical works this book urges you to rethink some of the most fundamental emotions of human existence. Friendship, the need for freedom both personal and national, family and society bonds, attraction between the sexes, passion in all its diverse forms but most of all the fact that we are all the sum total of our choices. I very enthusiastically recommend this book.

Reading Kazantzakis' St. Francis is a consistently joyful, frequently ecstatic experience. A fictionalized account of the life of St. Francis, this novel allows the reader to know the saint almost personally. Told through the eyes of his loyal companion, the story not only chronicals the historic events in the life of St. Francis, but also captures the tumultuous essence of a life lived in longing for ever more service to God. This is one of the best books about St. Francis in existence.

This book offers what most authors are afraid or fear to talk about into their books about cultural diversity. The reader has the ability to review who these people are and how the great mind of the author interpreted their social system, religion, customs. If one decides to take the long journey the author is suggesting in this book, he/she will not view people the same way he/she did in the past.