2020. 1. 23. 00:24ㆍ카테고리 없음
Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957) was surely the greatest Greek author of the 20th century. His writing is passionate, colorful, down to earth. He almost won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947, losing to Camus by one vote. He's most famous in this country for Zorba the Greek (made into a popular movie with Anthony Quinn), & also The Last Temptation of Christ (made into a controversial movie directed by Scorsese.). I read his books when I was in high school, & this one, The Greek Passion Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957) was surely the greatest Greek author of the 20th century. His writing is passionate, colorful, down to earth.
He almost won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947, losing to Camus by one vote. He's most famous in this country for Zorba the Greek (made into a popular movie with Anthony Quinn), & also The Last Temptation of Christ (made into a controversial movie directed by Scorsese.). I read his books when I was in high school, & this one, The Greek Passion, was my favorite. Re-reading it now, I probably appreciated his use of language more than I did as a teenager. A vivid portrayal of village life in the early 20th century, when Greek was still under Turkish control, & of an intense Christianity, in which all suffering is good because it purifies us!-.The book & movie were both controversial, because the story portrayed Christ as living a real human life.
Kazantzakis was excommunicated by the Greek Orthodox Church, & the Roman Catholic Church put this book on their Index of Forbidden Books. I read this book while in college, more than a decade ago, and I don't remember the details of the plot. I do remember though how much I loved it and how much it affected me. I remember sobbing at 4 am at night while reading Manolios's confession, feeling the suffering he was going through. It is definitely one of my favorite books of all times.I won't do the story justice right now, but if I had to summarize it the way I think of it, I would say it's about the struggle of the man, every man to I read this book while in college, more than a decade ago, and I don't remember the details of the plot. I do remember though how much I loved it and how much it affected me. I remember sobbing at 4 am at night while reading Manolios's confession, feeling the suffering he was going through.
It is definitely one of my favorite books of all times.I won't do the story justice right now, but if I had to summarize it the way I think of it, I would say it's about the struggle of the man, every man to become a better person and fight his selfishness, his darker self. It's about the struggle against your personal interest and comfort in order to provide help to fellow humans that are in need. It's about being able to feel compassion. It's about reminding us how easy it is to shut our eyes, turn our heads away and allow for tragic events to happen.
CRISTO DE NUEVO CRUCIFICADO Autor: KAZANTZAKI, Nikos. CRISTO DE NUEVO CRUCIFICADO 541 pp. Narrativa extranjera.CRISTO DE NUEVO CRUCIFICADO.
The author's style seems, to me, inseperable from that of Dostoyevsky. The difference, however, is that while Dostoyevsky's works usually traverse from darkness to a modicum of light and redemption, Kazantzakis' book starts in the light and shows that when light is fully pursued, it often leads to darkness. The theme, as I see it, is one of conversion. A few characters are compelled, almost by forces outside themselves, to take a fresh look at the life of Jesus and to take it seriously. They qui The author's style seems, to me, inseperable from that of Dostoyevsky.
The difference, however, is that while Dostoyevsky's works usually traverse from darkness to a modicum of light and redemption, Kazantzakis' book starts in the light and shows that when light is fully pursued, it often leads to darkness. The theme, as I see it, is one of conversion. A few characters are compelled, almost by forces outside themselves, to take a fresh look at the life of Jesus and to take it seriously. They quickly find, however, that a life honestly lived in pursuit of the the Gospel makes them enemies of their families, the state, and even the church. Kazantzakis is not so naive that he makes the convert's experience a universal good; it is tempered by implicit warnings that constant spiritual reawakening can lead to destruction as well. But the brunt of his criticism clearly lies with rich individuals and institutions that follow the Gospel of a homeless man, Jesus. It is a deep, thought out picture of hypocrisy that certainly hasn't lost relevance for its age.
Almost-Nobel laureate Kazantzakis is best known for 'Zorba the Greek' and since the film of Scorsese also for 'The Last Temptation of Christ'. This book, 'Christ recrucified' is a little less known, and perhaps it is also qualitatively a lesser book. In this novel the style of Kazantzakis is very 19th century-like: the rural setting (a small Greek village in Turkish territory), the exaggerated dramatics of the main characters, the detailed description of their internal soul stirrings, and finall Almost-Nobel laureate Kazantzakis is best known for 'Zorba the Greek' and since the film of Scorsese also for 'The Last Temptation of Christ'. This book, 'Christ recrucified' is a little less known, and perhaps it is also qualitatively a lesser book. In this novel the style of Kazantzakis is very 19th century-like: the rural setting (a small Greek village in Turkish territory), the exaggerated dramatics of the main characters, the detailed description of their internal soul stirrings, and finally the very clear moral undertone (the good and the bad are clearly distinct from each other); you would not expect all of that in a novel written after the Second World War.Reportedly, Kazantzakis was very affected by the civil war in his country, Greece 1946-1949, and that is very clear in this story.
Among other things, he shows how the communist threat is used falsely by the leaders of the village (economic, political and, above all, ecclesiastical) to protect their privileges and interests. Especially in the second half of the book the fear of the so-called 'Bolsheviks' drives the villagers to frenzied violence, incited by their very hypocritical orthodox priest.The novel seduces by the large and small human dramas that are presented in a touching way, by the fervent sense of justice by which the 'good' characters are driven and their struggle to make the right life choices, and by the lyrical-epic character of the narrative. But equally the story repulses by the exaggerated dramatic, the caricatural moralization, and the all too showy parallel with the Christian passion story. I had expected more of this.
I struggle to find the proper words to describe what reading this book did to me. It was almost a spiritual experience. It moved me to tears, made me question all my ideas about religion, its place in society, morality, justice. Reading Kazantzakis proved to be much more uplifting than reading the Bible or other sacrimonious canonical texts, because belief in Kazantzakis is something real, raw, human.
He adds to belief that element of eternal struggle that the Church would not admit, but we al I struggle to find the proper words to describe what reading this book did to me. It was almost a spiritual experience. It moved me to tears, made me question all my ideas about religion, its place in society, morality, justice. Reading Kazantzakis proved to be much more uplifting than reading the Bible or other sacrimonious canonical texts, because belief in Kazantzakis is something real, raw, human. He adds to belief that element of eternal struggle that the Church would not admit, but we all feel: the more we want to believe, the harder it gets, especially when all the evidence seems to point in the opposite direction.This was the implicit message of the novel, for me. In the last pages, the refugee priest Fotis has a dream of himself chasing a holy golden bird for millenia, never reaching it, never giving up.
That is all of us, trying to chase God, trying to make him come alive, but never quite managing.The explicit message was a warning about the dire consequences of what happens when you almost succeed in bringing God back into society: it breaks down. Personally I always thought that the actual Christian teachings are revolutionary. They were born of a society under duress, who had to put up with both a foreign invander and a corrupt, complicit elite. They are violently anti-capitalist, almost communist (in fact the characters that were attempting to turn faith into action in the novel were accussed of being Bolsheviks). They ask people to go against all their most deep-rooted instincts, including self-preservation, romantic love or familial attachment. The most important Christian values were always faith and charity: enough faith to follow God's law without questioning it, and enough charity to give everything you have to those in need. Try to apply these rigorously to any human society and watch the chaos unfold.
People will be angry to the point of hysteria, they will call you crazy, they will hate you and do whatever it takes to silence you, possibly forever.And this is essentially what happened in Lycovrissi, the Greek village in Kazantzakis' novel. A group of people are chosen to represent Christ, the Apostles Peter, John, James and Judas, and Mary Magdalene for a Passion Play that takes place in the village every 7 years.
With the exception of Manolios, the would-be Christ, none of them take this very seriously, but the roles end up coming alive and overtaking their lives. They struggle with faith, with love (love of God vs. Romantic/familial love), and with temptation, and come out of it not only as better people, but also as revolutionaries.
When a group of refugees comes to their village, only to be driven out in disgust by the village elders, the would-be Christ and his band strive to help them. This brings them to an open conflict with the village elders, a conflict that will eventually end in blood being spilled. In this conflict, some unassigned roles of the Passion Play make themselves obvious: the local priest Grigoris plays the role of the establishment that killed Jesus, and the Turkish overlord, the Agha, becomes Pontius Pilate. What is incredible is that as they descend further and further into chaos, none of them seem to realize that they really brought the Bible to life.This differs from the Bible in one key aspect, however: the Resurrection, the ultimate proof of God's existence. There is no Resurrection here, no miracle (although a few apparent miracles do happen in the novel beforehand). We see no proof that faith has served Manolios and his band in any way, as they all finish the novel either dead or much worse off than they were at the start. The novel builds up an incredible amount of religious enthusiasm, only to frustrate it at the end.
It's like Kazantzakis asks whether we believe humans can find God in their lifetimes?, and appears to be answering 'yes', before he closes the novel in our face with a resounding 'no'. There's a bittersweet quality to it, a philosophical resignation: this is what it means to be human.
Soneto A Cristo Crucificado Analisis
To believe, to raise yourself to impossible heights on that belief, even, but to never be sure, to never have proof. Chasing God remains, now and forever, our curse. 'There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.' Ernest HemingwayThis is more than just fiction, is more than just a story, but then again, all books are more than just stories, some action in which you can find delight or not; Christ Recrucified felt more like an exploration of human capabilities to reach the highest they can get.It starts as a game, or rather a play. People from a Greek village, Lycovrisi, are chosen by those who held the political, religious 'There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.'
Ernest HemingwayThis is more than just fiction, is more than just a story, but then again, all books are more than just stories, some action in which you can find delight or not; Christ Recrucified felt more like an exploration of human capabilities to reach the highest they can get.It starts as a game, or rather a play. People from a Greek village, Lycovrisi, are chosen by those who held the political, religious and economical power, according to their actions and personalities, to re-act the events of Jesus Christ's trial: Yannakkos ( Apostle Peter ), Michelis ( Apostle John ), Kostandis ( Apostle James the Great ), Panayotaros ( Judas ), Katerina (Mary Magdalene ), and lastly Manolios ( Jesus Christ ). It's beautiful how at the beginning they don't think of themselves as being worthy of / suitable for the roles, but as days pass, they become more and more who they are supposed to impersonate.The writing: It is exquisite.
With no exaggeration. Kazantzakis is a talented author. The phrases are not too short, the dialogue is not hollow ( I don't think there were any shallow remarks or dull conversations ) and the paragraphs give a lot of information regarding: the weather, the places, the mentality that governed those times, the ideas, the vices of men, the people and their beastly instincts, how they separate from animals, how they fight against what threatens them and their beliefs. Everything comes to life and draws you in.
One minute you are Manolios, in his attempts to sacrifice his nothingness to God, the other you are Yannakkos, a merchant-peddler talking with his donkey ( his only treasure ). Then you get some bits from Panayotaros and his loathing of the elders and the village for forcing him into becoming Judas. But wait, you are once more determined Michelis, trying to cut lose the ropes that tie him to Earth and so empty himself of anything that could turn into vices, so he can fill up with Light.You can empathize with all characters: you understand their reasons because you understand their way of thinking, Kazantzakis really gives you a glimpse of what expectations or mentality certain people have according to the environment they grew up in. Love them, hate them, laugh at them etc, they exist and you know they do, because they are real. They are believable and surely you've met one or another.
You cannot classify them in good or bad: there is no black or white, but shades of grey, lighter or darker.At first, I read books out of curiosity, of desire for living in an unreachable world, narrowed between two hard covers and showed in black letters on a white paper, of longing for a different life lived through different eyes. Then, when I grew, I started looking for understanding, not necessarily an author's understanding of me, but rather the exact opposite. I want to know how, why and for what he is writing: what is he trying to prove, what does he feel, what is he looking for, what is he feeling. When I first started reading one of Kazantzakis' books, I knew what I would find: a man trying to find the Truth, or perhaps, trying to understand a small part of what he thought the Truth is. I will not tell you if he achieved his purpose, or if he managed to heal his wounds ( because we know that art is a way of healing or of emptying oneself of unbearable emotions ), because not even after finishing it I could not answer it.
I think he did not expect the same people to read more than one of his books. Because shortly after, I read ( which had been written a few years before ) and I felt as if I was reading the same book once more. Same questions, same doubts, same answers. Or better said: same lack of answers.Now you might ask 'why would he write such a book?' In my opinion he tried to understand how far can a man go in emptying his mind of himself and filling it up with Light, with understanding of God, with comprehending Him.It's unimaginable what boundaries should break for him to reach the sky. The question is can he still be a man afterwards?
Nikos Kazantzakis came with an answer ( answer that is found in more than one book, so maybe he was unsure? Or perhaps he simply wanted to convince himself of its Truth?).I wonder what's your answer. Christ is crucified once more and after 2000 years mankind is still embrioled in a seemingly endless cycle of tragedy. In a small greek community in Anatolia, the almost superhuman virtues of greek ancient ancestry and orthodox christian faith is put to the test against basic human weaknesses and inclinations.
The high virtues suffer an almost total defeat against the powers of greed, social status, jealousy and hate.What is to be lerned from this book? Perhaps that no nation, religious affilia Christ is crucified once more and after 2000 years mankind is still embrioled in a seemingly endless cycle of tragedy. In a small greek community in Anatolia, the almost superhuman virtues of greek ancient ancestry and orthodox christian faith is put to the test against basic human weaknesses and inclinations.
The high virtues suffer an almost total defeat against the powers of greed, social status, jealousy and hate.What is to be lerned from this book? Perhaps that no nation, religious affiliation or ancestral descent, embodies the people it is supposed to encompass with a higher morality in practice.
We are all sinners basically! This is a remarkably clever, emotional and challenging novel.
It is in essence a simple story: a Greek village re-enacts the life of Christ every four years, individuals are given parts to play - how much are they inherently like or do they taken on themselves the biblical/personalities roles? The long novel of 470pages deepens the idea on so many levels you'll love it.Ok a little more detail. The location is a smallish town called Lycovrissi on mainland Turkey (Anatolia) occupied by Greeks in This is a remarkably clever, emotional and challenging novel. It is in essence a simple story: a Greek village re-enacts the life of Christ every four years, individuals are given parts to play - how much are they inherently like or do they taken on themselves the biblical/personalities roles? The long novel of 470pages deepens the idea on so many levels you'll love it.Ok a little more detail. The location is a smallish town called Lycovrissi on mainland Turkey (Anatolia) occupied by Greeks in the 1920s. This marks the end of my journey with Kazantzakis's main works, at least for now.
Niko Kazantzakis Cristo Nuevo Crucificado
The central themes of Kaznatzakis's thought are very present here, namely the conflict between flesh and spirit and the idea that the path of men is the one that rises. Manolios's transformation from a lowly shepherd to a mirror for Christ is very captivating. The inner turmoil that he faces as he struggles to attain the Christian ideal is universal to all those who suffer. The characters of Michelis and Pope Fotis This marks the end of my journey with Kazantzakis's main works, at least for now. The central themes of Kaznatzakis's thought are very present here, namely the conflict between flesh and spirit and the idea that the path of men is the one that rises. Manolios's transformation from a lowly shepherd to a mirror for Christ is very captivating. The inner turmoil that he faces as he struggles to attain the Christian ideal is universal to all those who suffer.
The characters of Michelis and Pope Fotis are also very interesting. Michelis's journey from a young archon to an ascetic works nicely in parallel with Manolios, and Pope Fotis lends a lot to the story.I don't think that one has to identify with Christianity to enjoy this work. Kazantzakis uses the gospels in the way many other authors use Greek mythology - as a way to identify their story with stories familiar to us all. I went to Greece for the first time recently, and so it was natural that I bring along some Greek reading to better my experience. And what better write to choose than the great Nikos Kazantzakis? Most people start with Zorba the Greek, but I got this novel instead to shake things up.And I must say, I made an excellent choice!
This is a grade A novel that should have an exalted place next to all the other great 20th century classics. Maybe it doesn't because of the religious roles, but Christ R I went to Greece for the first time recently, and so it was natural that I bring along some Greek reading to better my experience. And what better write to choose than the great Nikos Kazantzakis? Most people start with Zorba the Greek, but I got this novel instead to shake things up.And I must say, I made an excellent choice! This is a grade A novel that should have an exalted place next to all the other great 20th century classics. Maybe it doesn't because of the religious roles, but Christ Recrucified is not exactly a pro-Christian novel. It has more to do with Greeks living under the Turkish yoke, and this is a book I'd recommend to anybody who believes that everything was happy between the Muslims and their Christian and Jewish underlings.
Though it depicts the cruelty of the Turks in raw form, it doesn't exactly give the oppressed Greeks a free pass either. The Greeks in this story are flawed and mostly greedy people whose greed proves to be a greater enemy to them than the Turk can be and puts Christian values into question without saying that Christian values are bad, a very clever balance that few writers are good at reaching. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,This book is titled 'Christ Recrucified' in some editions. I prefer the title on my book 'The Greek Passion'. I probably would not have even considered reading the book under the former title - doesn't sound like a novel - sounds too much like theology.This prolific Greek writer (no longer living) has more than one book on the 'passion of Christ'.
This one is very good.Manolos, the shepherd, chosen to play Christ, is a sympathetic character. It is very difficult to portray the life of Christ in This book is titled 'Christ Recrucified' in some editions. I prefer the title on my book 'The Greek Passion'. I probably would not have even considered reading the book under the former title - doesn't sound like a novel - sounds too much like theology.This prolific Greek writer (no longer living) has more than one book on the 'passion of Christ'.
This one is very good.Manolos, the shepherd, chosen to play Christ, is a sympathetic character. It is very difficult to portray the life of Christ in writing, so this method of writing of a person who takes on the role of Christ offers more freedom.When we read about Christ in the gospels he comes across as apolitical - though he was crucified for political reasons. Manolos takes up politics, since there is no need for him to accomplish what Christ did once for all, and it leads to his death. Like Christ, Manolos dies for political reasons.
This is a 'Greek' passion, though, so it is at the hands of the Greek Orthodox church that Manolos dies. This book has no problem portraying this church of being capable of doing the same to Manolos as the Jewish 'church' did to Christ. Fortunately there is a sympathetic Orthodox priest in this story as well so the Greek Orthodox faith is not all painted with one wide brush.This book made me want to continue to read Kazantzakis' writing as he definitely has something to say. By Goodreaders comments and quotes I'll probably look for 'Zorba The Greek' next and then 'The Last Temptation of Christ' to see if the movie version totally ruined what Kazantzakis wanted to say.
The first thing that strikes you when you read this book is the language and setting. Written more than 50 years ago, and describing events taking place nearly another 50 years before that, it at times feels like a fantasy setting. I suppose this will be doubly the case for those who have had little contact with Christian imagery and traditions.The book's title basically summarises the plot, and you can guess its broad outlines and the role of each character after the first few pages. What makes The first thing that strikes you when you read this book is the language and setting.
Written more than 50 years ago, and describing events taking place nearly another 50 years before that, it at times feels like a fantasy setting. I suppose this will be doubly the case for those who have had little contact with Christian imagery and traditions.The book's title basically summarises the plot, and you can guess its broad outlines and the role of each character after the first few pages.
What makes the book interesting is the description and transformation of characters, the depiction of life in that era and region, the social dynamics, and the theme of new immigrants as outcasts and undesirables, which is particularly relevant these days.The Christian themes maybe a bit too much for some people, but they certainly didn't bother me that much, even when people go into extended monologues. They are juxtaposed with the everyday brutality of life in a small agricultural community, which is a great contrast. I certainly didn't expect to like the book so much, but it is flawlessly executed.I have read this in the original Greek, and have no idea what the quality of translations is. One of Kazantzakis great book, exploring his concerns about the human condition, inequalities and the use of religion to oppress the weak. He does this through the story of a small Greek village in Turkish territory where, every five year or so, the Passion is enacted. The villagers who will play the key characters are selected soon after Easter the year before, so that they can prepare themselves spiritually to embody holy personages.
However, the arrival of refugees from a Greek village that h One of Kazantzakis great book, exploring his concerns about the human condition, inequalities and the use of religion to oppress the weak. He does this through the story of a small Greek village in Turkish territory where, every five year or so, the Passion is enacted. The villagers who will play the key characters are selected soon after Easter the year before, so that they can prepare themselves spiritually to embody holy personages. However, the arrival of refugees from a Greek village that had been destroyed by the Turks and the aspirations of the amateur actors to emulate their characters Christian ways will lead to numerous tensions and frictions, revealing the true nature of the villagers. It is through this prism that Kazantzakis explore the issues mentioned above, and like Ilya Ehrenburg in The Stormy Life of Lasik Roitschwantz, comes to the conclusion that the religious and political authorities of Christian countries would unavoidably recrucify Jesus should he appear in their neighbourhood.
This is beautifully written book with a very mixed message. The story begins with a fairly prosperous Greek village selecting the players for the next year's Passion play. As the year goes by Manolios, chosen as the Christ, becomes more Christ-like, while the Judas becomes a dangerous antagonist to not only Manolios, but to all who might be influenced to follow him in selfless devotion to the poor, specifically the refugees from a nearby village which has been pillaged by the Turks. The inevitab This is beautifully written book with a very mixed message.
The story begins with a fairly prosperous Greek village selecting the players for the next year's Passion play. As the year goes by Manolios, chosen as the Christ, becomes more Christ-like, while the Judas becomes a dangerous antagonist to not only Manolios, but to all who might be influenced to follow him in selfless devotion to the poor, specifically the refugees from a nearby village which has been pillaged by the Turks. The inevitable plot evolves, with the 'sacrifice' of Manolios, but he doesn't accomplish his vision of peace and goodness in the village. There is even a 'Pilate-like' figure in the Turkish Pasha, who is apparently the occupying force's representative in this pre-WWI community.A rather depressing commentary on the nature of the humanpredicament-but the beauty of the landscape, the cycle of the seasons, and the unfolding of the characters made this a 'good read', even for a non-believer like me. With his tendency of creating obsessive characters, Kazantzakis shares much in common with his Russian counterparts like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.
This obsession could be on books & women Zorba the Greek,and in the case of Russians, drinking & spirituality Brothers Karamazov; or they might be idealists repenting their former ways Restoration. Spirituality is a common note, and in this particular novel Kazantzakis shows through Manolios how to practise Christ's words in real life.Pla With his tendency of creating obsessive characters, Kazantzakis shares much in common with his Russian counterparts like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. This obsession could be on books & women Zorba the Greek,and in the case of Russians, drinking & spirituality Brothers Karamazov; or they might be idealists repenting their former ways Restoration. Spirituality is a common note, and in this particular novel Kazantzakis shows through Manolios how to practise Christ's words in real life.Plato has said that constant impersonation represses individuality and leads to the weakening of one's character but the impersonation of noble heroes will stimulate virtuous actions in the actor. As far as this plot is concerned it is perfectly true.Zorba the Greek is universally acknowledged as his greatest work but in my mind this one always takes the first place.
Novel gives some peace of mind like all other novels of Kazantzakis, though the ending needs some finishing touches. Thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful, and at times, even funny, this is the third book I've read by Kazantzakis, and it's quite possibly my favorite so far. In a nutshell, this is a story of Christ reimangined. The cast is set, and the villains are the clergymen who only 'love' Christ because it gives them power.
But when a true representation of Christ comes along, it scares them, just as Christ did back in his era. What follows is an unorthodox novel that has a lot to say, and an elegant way of Thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful, and at times, even funny, this is the third book I've read by Kazantzakis, and it's quite possibly my favorite so far. In a nutshell, this is a story of Christ reimangined. The cast is set, and the villains are the clergymen who only 'love' Christ because it gives them power. But when a true representation of Christ comes along, it scares them, just as Christ did back in his era.
What follows is an unorthodox novel that has a lot to say, and an elegant way of saying it. The ending will make you angry, but how else could it possibly end with a title like that? A masterful achievement. Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek: ) was a prolific Greek writer, whose works include essays, novels, poems, tragedies, travel books, and translations of such classics as Dante's The Divine Comedy and J.W.
Von Goethe's Faust.Like his hero, Odysseus, Kazantzakis lived most of his artistic life outside Greece-except for the years of World War II. 'I am a mariner of Odysseus with heart of Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek: ) was a prolific Greek writer, whose works include essays, novels, poems, tragedies, travel books, and translations of such classics as Dante's The Divine Comedy and J.W. Von Goethe's Faust.Like his hero, Odysseus, Kazantzakis lived most of his artistic life outside Greece-except for the years of World War II. 'I am a mariner of Odysseus with heart of fire but with mind ruthless and clear,' Kazantzakis wrote in TODA RABA (1934).Several of the author's novels deal with the history and culture of his own country, and the mystical relationship between man and God.
In 1957 he lost the Nobel Prize by a single vote to the French writer Albert Camus.