Nikos Kazantzakis
‘What a strange machine man is!’ he said, with astonishment. “You fill him with bread, wine, radishes and out of him come sighs, laughter and dreams. Like a factory I am sure there is a sort of talking -film cinema in our heads.’ Zorba exclaims.
Zorba the Greek is a wonderful novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, revealing the brightest and darkest corners of human intellect. Zorba as non-prudent as a child can appreciate the wonders of the world with a childlike enthusiasm. The narrator engulfed in the philosophical diabolism of nature and mankind gives a vivid picture of his life and that of Alexis Zorba in the island of Crete in Greece.
Zorba meets the narrator in a Café and they plan to for the Island of Crete with a venture to mine coal. They reach the island and go to an inn of the lady Dame Hortens, Zorba seduces her and calls her Boubulina lovingly. They hire a coal mine form one of the islanders and Zorba starts his work. The narrator identified as boss involves in the process of writing on the teachings of Buddha trying to solves the meaning of the existence of human life on earth. The narrator wonders
“The unfading rhythm of seasons, the ever-turning wheel of life, the four facets of earth which are lit in turn by the sun, the passing of life- all these filled me once, more with a feeling of oppression. Once more sounded within me together with the crane’s cry, the terrible warning that there is only one life for all men, that there is no other, and that all that can be enjoyed must be enjoyed here. In eternity, no other chance will be given to us”
Zorba narrated his adventures with woman. He says that he had married twice in Russia and left them without any promise.
The language of the novel is highly enchanting and retains its beauty even after the translation form Greek to English. A passage for example
On return from Dame Hortense to their dwelling place
“We hurried through the village. The moon light was disturbing. Imagine how it would be if you had been drinking and came out for a walk and found the world suddenly transformed, the roads had turned into rivers of milk, the holes in the road and the ruts over flowed with chalk, the hills covered with snow. Your hands, face and neck were phosphorescent like a glow worms tail. And the moon hung on your chest like an exotic round medal
Zorba plans to construct a Cable ropeway from the mountains to the sea shore to transport timbre. He goes to another place to purchase the materials for constructing the ropeway. Dame Hortens comes to boss to enquire about Zorba, Boss pretends to read the letter of Zorba and he lies that Zorba has gone to fetch the things required for his marriage with Dame Hortens. Dame Hortens believes it and becomes excited and hopes for a dignified life.
Zorba returns with the materials and they get permission from the monastery to construct a rope way. Meanwhile the narrator had one-night stand with a widow who is beautiful and hated by the village elders and other women folk. The author describes his encounter with the beautiful woman
“Under the Olive trees, walking with a springing step along the village road, appeared in red with a black kerchief overhead, the graceful, the slender waisted figure of widow. Her sinus gait was really that of black panther and it seemed to me that an acrid scent of musk was distilled in the air…
She saw me, shook her head, her handkerchief slipped down and her hair appeared black as jet and shining, she cast me languorous look and smiled. Her eyes had a wild sweetness. Hastily she adjusted her kerchief as though she was ashamed at having let me see one of the woman’s deepest secrets, her hair…
Thee reeds surrounding her garden stirred in the wind, the winter sun fell on the golden lemons and the oranges with dark foliage, The entire garden resplendent like a paradise.”
Later the widow was got killed by the village elders at the church in a macabre incident and Dame Hortense becomes ill and dies shattering Zorba temporarily. These events dampen their spirit, but they still managed to live in the island for some more time.
Zorba continues his work to construct the rope way with even more dedication. On the Inauguration day the entire set up collapses and the project fails miserably. The narrator who has invested his funds in it just laughs off on the failure. Zorba leaves the Island followed by the narrator. Their correspondence often infrequent continues.
Zorba once tells about his philosophy and talks about his child hood memories and about an old man who lived near his home. “Hussein’s age was about seventy. One day he took me on his knee and placed his head as though he was giving me his blessing. Alexis said..
“Listen little one. Neither the seven stories of heaven nor the seven stories of earth are enough to contain God. But a man’s heart can contain him. So be very careful Alexis-and my blessings go with you-never wound a man’s heart.”
The in corrigible optimism of Zorba, his most natural ways of life, the philosophical reflections on life by the narrator etc, makes this novel a truly different experience altogether. You can get immersed in the vivid imageries created by a true warrior of life. I have to say it is one the most remarkable novels I have ever read.