Peter Bien je emeritní profesor angličtiny a srovnávací literatury na Dartmouth College. Je známý jako překladatel, zejména děl Nikose Kazantzakise, a jeho práce se zaměřuje na moderní řeckou literaturu a její vztah k širším literárním a filozofickým tradicím. Jeho akademická práce poskytuje hluboký vhled do komplexních témat, která zkoumají jeho překládaní autoři, a zdůrazňuje univerzální lidské otázky, které rezonují napříč kulturami.
A biography of Nikos Kazantzakis. It describes his struggle with political questions that were in reality aspects of a fervent religious search. It features his experiments with communism in turbulent Greece, his visits to Soviet Russia, and the publication of his epic Odyssey in 1938.
Focusing on the latter part of Nikos Kazantzakis's life, this biography explores his spiritual journey and the political turmoil of 20th-century Greece. Peter Bien presents Kazantzakis as a complex genius, whose artistic endeavors, while not always successful, were profoundly impactful. This second volume delves into the years following 1938, highlighting the creation of his most famous works, including Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ, which solidified his legacy.
Kazantzakis' deep connection to demotic Greek, the everyday language of the people, profoundly influenced his literary work and political engagement. This obsession shaped his writing style and ambitions, but also posed challenges in his epic, the Odyssey. However, it found its true expression in his translations of Homer's Iliad and in notable novels like Zorba the Greek, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Greek Passion, illustrating the tension between his artistic aspirations and the cultural context of his time.