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N
ikos Kazantzakis, the most widely translated
author in modern Greek literature, is an au-
thor with substantial influence on the Hellenic and
international scholarship and literary world. More-
over, his novels and ideas have been the object of
fiery debates and controversies.
The book by upcoming scholar, Dr Charitini
Christodoulou (PhD-University of Birmingham,
2007), offers a new perspective into one of his
most debated novels,
The Last Temptation
, sug-
gesting a new analytical model for his work. Her
interdisciplinary approach considers the text as an
open vessel, welcoming new interpretation, rather
than a closed literary work.
The book presentation, which took place at the
ARTos Foundation, was aimed at individuals in-
terested in Kazantzakis as an author and literary
persona, as well as those with an eye for cutting
edge literary analysis. The evening included a
presentation of the book by the author, interven-
tion by international literary scholars, readings of
excerpts from the novel, in addition to a Q&Ases-
sion at the end, providing opportunity for dialogue
between Christodoulou and the audience.
In the words of the author:
“It is argued that a certain perception of openness
that I call
dialogic
permeates Nikos Kazantza-
kis’
The Last Temptation
. Partly based on Um-
berto Eco’s theory in
Opera Aperta
and Mikhail
Bakhtin’s notion of dialogism, the term
dialogic
openness
refers to the idea of antithetical forces
clashing and thus revealing different forms of ten-
sion that are not resolved at the end of the novel.
Thus, it is shown that subjectivity and meaning is
always in the process of becoming.
The different aspects of identity formation unfold
before the eyes of the reader, who becomes a wit-
ness to the leading characters’ process of becom-
ing. It is demonstrated that there are dialogic ele-
ments in tension, which can only be brought forth
not as a synthesis, such as the stylistics of a genre
implies, but as openness perceived as a process of
identity formation.”
The book is published in English by Cambridge
Scholars Publishing and is available for online or-
der at www.amazon.com and www.c-s-p.org. It is
also available at the
Moufflon Booksto
re in Sofouli
Street, Nicosia (www.moufflon.com.cy).
Dialogic Openness in Nikos Kazantzakis
Book by Charitini Christodoulou
Presented at ARTos Foundation – 2 February 2013