Translated from the Greek, not the French …

… Zorba the Greek - Nikos Kazantzakis. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Larger-than-life Zorba can seem too good to be true, but -- despite the original Greek title of the novel being The Saint's Life of Alexis Zorba -- Kazantzakis' portrayal isn't simply adoringly simplistic. While much about Zorba seems exaggerated, Kazantzakis adeptly humanizes the portrait with a dose of self-doubt and the occasional uncertainty.