ZORBA THE GREEK BOOK (FIRST EDITION)

A highbrow meets an old man in Piraeus minadoro Macedonian origin, and returns to his natal island to exploit a lignite mine. Wishes to dedicate to a manual labor, hoping to heal from its theoretical inertia. But soon change targets, because the old-Alexis Zorbas reveals an inexhaustible treasure of experiences that enchant the intellectual. The exploitation of the mine thus becomes a pretext, allowing them to enjoy endless discussions and punk adventures, caused by the presence of an aged Frenchwoman santezas, owner of the nearby inn. The Zorba is a being insatiable, without prejudice, calm and accepts poverty and the reality of the island, made his new partner. However, the two friends have something in common: anxiety, the passionate Zorba, the narrator subjugated, before the mystery of life. The style, very rich and bold as reliefs depicting the marked difference between the two characters and two opposing conceptions of the world, makes Zorba one of the best works of Kazantzakis.

(On the Italian version Nikos Kazantzakis Zorba il greco, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano 1976.)