“Fighting to save Crete, what do you think we do? We fight to save our soul.”
Nikos Kazantzakis grapples with Captain Michalis for many years. This is a historical novel that focuses more on the people than on history.
Crete is an island where an unquenchable flame burns, and the people there are driven by a demonic fire. They do not fear death and love life in an intoxicating 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 ultimately is death.
In Captain Michalis, the drive of man towards 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 brows, his eyes played; he looked around at his companions, down towards 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 fighter! Freedom and death!”
