(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
Nikos Kazantzakis, a popular post WWII Cretan writer, died in October 1957. His works included Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ. Many thought he was a Communist and a heretic, and the Greek clergy tried to ban his books. Some even wanted him excommunicated. His enemies not only included the Greek Orthodox Church, but also politicians, writers, and journalists.
He went into self-imposed exile, but he was persecuted long after he left. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature nine times but never won. Though Kazantzakis did not want to return to Greece, he still wanted to be buried in his birthplace of Crete. Will the Church grant him a dignified burial? Will the Church in Crete stand up to the Archdiocese in Athens? Whichever way it goes, will Kazantzakis get the support of the Cretan people?
The Unwanted Dead switches mostly between Freiburg, West Germany where his widow Helen will have his body transported from, and Athens. The latter is where twenty-three-year-old journalist Freddy Germanos desperately wants to cover the funeral and controversy but is relegated to write about the arrival of American movie star Jayne Mansfield. He eventually does get to fly to Crete to cover the story.
Helen reminisces about her life with Nikos, both personal, and from experiencing the horrors of the Nazi occupation of Crete. But it is the subchapters with Freddy that I enjoyed the most. He questions that with the tragedies brought about by the Nazi occupation and the Greek Civil War, why were the Church and fanatics intent on persecuting this man, even in death? Freddy fights for freedom of speech but must choose which battles to take.
“It doesn’t matter if you win, only that you choose the battle that best represents who you are. Whether you win or lose, the stakes are what will define you…”
The Unwanted Dead, though very well written, may appeal more to those who are familiar with Nikos Kazantzakis’s work. However, I found that the issues covered regarding the power of the Church and freedom of speech to be particularly noteworthy. Highly recommended.
