Synopsis
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis is a philosophical novel about the friendship between a reserved intellectual narrator and Alexis Zorba, a passionate and free-spirited Greek labourer. Seeking deeper meaning, the narrator moves to Crete to manage a lignite mine and hires Zorba, whose exuberance teaches him to embrace life’s pleasures—love, music, and adventure.
Through triumphs and tragedies, including a failed mining project and a doomed romance, the narrator learns to balance intellectual pursuits with the vitality of living fully. Zorba’s unyielding zest for life highlights the novel’s central themes of freedom, joy, and the human spirit’s resilience.
My Notes
This is a book that teaches you how to live, how to face death, and how to truly enjoy life.
It’s also a lesson in avoiding the trap of overthinking — the kind of endless thoughts that pull you away from what really matters: the earth beneath your feet and the people around you.
One of the most powerful moments for me was the image of Zorba at the end — clinging to the window, his eyes wide and full of life even as he stared out at the mountains, dying. It brought tears to my eyes.
What I take from this story is simple yet profound: live more, think less. Laugh, dance, sing, shout — just be.
Certain scenes will stay with me forever:
- Zorba and the narrator dancing together on the beach, when Zorba admits he’s never loved anyone more.
- Zorba’s desperate attempt to save the widow.
- Their first meeting in a sailor’s tavern.
- The bittersweet farewell on the boat.
And above all, the setting — the Cretan beach, the endless sea. It’s a place that feels alive, much like Zorba himself, and it stays in your soul long after you’ve turned the final page.
I will treasure this book for life, revisiting its wisdom and beauty with every re-read.
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