sashas_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Somewhere in my social media feeds, I happened to see "Look, Nikos Kazantzakis' great novel! Published in Russian for the very first time!" So I thought "right, I've been meaning to read "Zorba the Greek", because I liked the movie so much, but here is another Kazantzakis, why not?"
Well, the good thing is that I now know a lot more about Crete, its history, and what it was like to live there in the late 19th century.
Now, on to my complaints... I have read a great many books, but until now I have never come across a novel full of such blatant romanticising of machismo, toxic and false masculinity, and misogyny. There were moments when the author seemed to question the above, but I cannot be certain. And if Kazantsakis' foreword is anything to go by, he MEANT to romanticise. I got tired of cringing.
Also, I strongly suspect that this Russian translation is simply not very good. I had the feeling that I kept missing a lot of nuances. It makes me give Kazantzakis' literary merits (at least) the benefit of the doubt.
It's been a while since I was THAT relieved after finishing a book I was not happy with.
Well, the good thing is that I now know a lot more about Crete, its history, and what it was like to live there in the late 19th century.
Now, on to my complaints... I have read a great many books, but until now I have never come across a novel full of such blatant romanticising of machismo, toxic and false masculinity, and misogyny. There were moments when the author seemed to question the above, but I cannot be certain. And if Kazantsakis' foreword is anything to go by, he MEANT to romanticise. I got tired of cringing.
Also, I strongly suspect that this Russian translation is simply not very good. I had the feeling that I kept missing a lot of nuances. It makes me give Kazantzakis' literary merits (at least) the benefit of the doubt.
It's been a while since I was THAT relieved after finishing a book I was not happy with.
marouloo's review
4.0
This book left me with mixed emotions. In the very beginning, the use of rich language and literature terms made it hard to understand, even for me. But that is what made it interesting. It was captivating and exciting. It describes exactly what the famous “φιλότιμο” is; pride, the sense of honor.
Something I did not like about this book is the description of the Turkish characters. I totally understand that it was war times and Greek people in the 19th century viewed Turks as the greatest enemy, but they were not cowards, they were not weak. From the history I know, the Turkish people were reckless and powerful, they had built a whole Empire!
Let’s not start talking about the final chapter that left me speechless. It so was powerful. I felt it, and it was not like other times. I have read books and books, none like this one.
Something I did not like about this book is the description of the Turkish characters. I totally understand that it was war times and Greek people in the 19th century viewed Turks as the greatest enemy, but they were not cowards, they were not weak. From the history I know, the Turkish people were reckless and powerful, they had built a whole Empire!
Let’s not start talking about the final chapter that left me speechless. It so was powerful. I felt it, and it was not like other times. I have read books and books, none like this one.
roo182's review against another edition
5.0
Another amazing read from Kazantzakis. Having a Cretan grandfather, I really felt my blood boil with pride, passion and bravery as I journeyed into 18th century Crete. I found myself unable to escape the charm and never-passing suspense of a Cretan revolt, and found myself dreaming of a life as a Palikare.
At times, Freedom and Death is exuberantly humorous, while at others it is mind numbing the brutal and horrifically tragic.
I highly recommend this as a must read for anyone wanting a glimpse into the glorified wartime life of Crete.
At times, Freedom and Death is exuberantly humorous, while at others it is mind numbing the brutal and horrifically tragic.
I highly recommend this as a must read for anyone wanting a glimpse into the glorified wartime life of Crete.
devind9bde's review against another edition
3.0
The message of this book appears to be that nationalism is worth dying for, but I think it makes sense more as an exploration of the relationship between violent fathers and their sons. Either way, the topic isn’t really for me. Despite excellent and vivid writing, the glorification of honor, duty, violence, war, death etc is a major drawback.
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