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Nikos Kazantzakis

Níkos Kazantzakis was born in 1883 on the island of Crete. Kazantzakis—writer, playwright, and well-regarded figure in the world of Greek literature—was known primarily for his novels Zorba the Greek (1946) and Freedom or Death (1950).

Kazantzakis was brought up in Crete during its uprising from the Ottoman Empire and fled with his family to the Greek island of Naxos. Later, he studied law and traveled all over the world—experiences which would inspire and color his later literature. He...

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Nikos Kazantzakis Essays

Zorba the Greek

Niko's Kazantzaki's "Zorba the Greek" is a bittersweet portrayal of a romantic idealist that delves into the complex and oftentimes mysterious nature of the human psyche. The novel examines the interpersonal relationships between the two principal...