“Fighting to save Crete, what do we do, you think? We fight to save our soul.” Nikos Kazantzakis wrestles with Captain Michalis for many years. This is a historical novel that focuses more on the people than on the history.
Crete is an island where an unquenchable flame burns and the people there are driven by a demonic fire. They are not afraid of death and love life in a captivating way. The story unfolds in 1889, when the enslaved Greeks attempt to free themselves from the Turkish yoke with a new uprising.
This uprising, this fiery rebellion is part of the endless quest for freedom, even if the price is ultimately death. In Captain Michalis, the drive of mankind toward justice against tyranny is clearly depicted, composing a mosaic of faces and cultures that clash while simultaneously trying to find common ground.
For a moment his lips, his eyebrows, his eyes played; he looked around at his companions, down at Turkey, up at the uninhabited sky… “Freedom or death!” he murmured, shaking his head wildly. “Freedom or death, you poor Cretans! Freedom and death! This is what I must write on my banner; this is the true banner of every warrior! Freedom and death!”
The new editions of Nikos Kazantzakis's books, with new covers and specially designed fonts, are accompanied by introductory texts and an epilogue, offering more details about the work itself and the era in which it was written.
