The Fratricides

The story is set in Kastellos, a remote village in Macedonia, at the time of the Greek Civil War. The village is controlled by the army, but is being besieged by the guerrillas. Father Yiannaros, the village priest, stands between the two warring factions and tries to reconcile them.

All his exhortations fall on deaf ears, since both factions regard him as an instrument of the opposition. Father Yiannaros wonders where right lies; although some aspects of the guerrillas' vision of society seem valid to him, he is concerned by their inhumane conduct.

When the situation at Kastellos reaches a tragic impasse, he makes the bold decision to meet Kapetan Drakos, the guerrilla leader who is his son, and agrees to hand over the village on condition that nobody is harmed. He then addresses the villagers and persuades them to agree to reconciliation. Yet the moment the guerrillas enter Kastellos, Kapetan Drakos executes twelve people.

In shouldering the burden of their death, Father Yiannaros declares his intention to travel around all the villages to reconcile people and tell them to believe neither the "blacks" nor the "reds". He is already on his way when Kapetan Drakos orders that he be killed.

Author: Nikos Kazantzakis

Category: Novels

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Dimensions: 17.50 x 11cm

Bookbinding: Paperback

Pages: 254

Language: English

ISBN: 9780571105069