Zorba the Greek

Author's name: Nikos Kazantzakis

On a Cretan beach, two men meet to invest in a lignite mine. One of them, the narrator, is trying to escape the frustrating world of intellectualism. He meets a companion, the Macedonian Alexis Zorba, a remarkable, adventurous, and untamed man, and entrusts him with managing the business. A deep friendship quickly blossoms between this cultured man, steeped in Eastern philosophy, and this wonderful wildling, driven by powerful instincts, who lives life to the fullest, loves nature and women, recounts his romantic adventures with unparalleled vigor, and speaks with wisdom more eloquent than any philosopher. The mine investment ends in failure, but the story the reader experiences with these two protagonists and the others, especially the adventurous woman who falls in love with Zorba, remains one of the great masterpieces of modern literature. It was recently adapted into an excellent film starring Anthony Quinn as Zorba, alongside Irene Papas as the widow who sacrificed herself for the glory of the village. A remarkable novel that will remain at the forefront of world literature.