Before we get to the vote results, I have to ask if you’ve heard of the award-winning Chef Diane Kochilas who’s considered to be the “Julia Child of Greece”? I hadn’t until I picked up the fascinating book below which focuses on the food & culture of Ikaria. This remote & lush island in the northeastern Aegean is home to one of the longest-living populations in the world, making it a “blue zone” with many inhabitants relishing good health into their 90s & beyond.
I was immediately intrigued by the book’s subtitle—Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die.
But it was the book description which convinced me to pick it up: “Part cookbook, part travelogue, Ikaria is an introduction to the food-as-life philosophy of the Greek island blue zone and a culinary journey through luscious recipes, gorgeous photography, and captivating stories from locals. Ikaria is more than a cookbook. It’s a portrait of the people who have achieved what so many of us yearn for: a fuller, more meaningful and joyful life, lived simply and nourished on real, delicious, seasonal foods that you can access anywhere.”
With 496 pages in the book, I appreciated the value & variety of delicious recipes which imparted “nutritional wisdom that has kept Ikarians healthy for so long.” But the cultural food elements & local stories included added such flavor, it made me feel as if I traveled to this Greek island as well.
BUT WHAT BOOK ARE WE READING NEXT?
Interestingly enough, the chosen book wasn't originally translated by someone who knew Greek. It was translated into French before the French version was translated into English. This created errors as ideas were altered across the different cultures. But even worse was the discovery noted in the new translation we’ll be reading—when you compare the earlier translation next to the original Greek, there are omissions of many sentences as well as additions that were never written by the author! Plus, some of the original Greek references would have been difficult for any translator in pre-Internet times to determine without the wide variety of help & resources available today. This is why we recommend this new translation by Peter Bien which “brings the clarity and beauty of the Greek language and story alive as the author meant it to be.”
One of the greatest life-affirming novels of our time.
First published in 1946, Zorba the Greek, is, on one hand, the story of a Greek working man named Zorba, a passionate lover of life, the unnamed narrator who he accompanies to Crete to work in a lignite mine, and the men and women of the town where they settle. On the other hand it is the story of God and man, the Devil and the Saints; the struggle of men to find their souls and purpose in life and it is about love, courage and faith.
Zorba has been acclaimed as one of the truly memorable creations of literature—a character created on a huge scale in the tradition of Falstaff and Sancho Panza. His years have not dimmed the gusto and amazement with which he responds to all life offers him, whether he is working in the mine, confronting mad monks in a mountain monastery, embellishing the tales of his life or making love to avoid sin. Zorba’s life is rich with all the joys and sorrows that living brings and his example awakens in the narrator an understanding of the true meaning of humanity.
Part of the modern literary canon, Zorba the Greek, has achieved widespread international acclaim and recognition. This new edition translated directly from Kazantzakis’ Greek original by Peter Bien is a more faithful rendition of the original language, ideas, and story, and presents Zorba as the author meant him to be.
(A special thank you to book club member, Beth Cummings for the suggestion.)
Note: While there is another translation of this book, this particular translation by Peter Bien is the one we recommend.