Ismail Kadare is an Albanian novelist and poet who emerged as a leading literary figure in the 1960s. His works, deeply rooted in Balkan history and legends, are characterized by a subtle irony that allowed them to withstand political scrutiny. Kadare's writing possesses a distinctive voice that explores the conflict between dictatorship and authentic literature, asserting that the writer is the natural enemy of oppression. His internationally acclaimed novels, which delve into complex human experiences against the backdrop of historical upheaval, have solidified his status as a preeminent contemporary European author.
'A Dictator Calls' is inspired by three minutes in June 1934 when Joseph Stalin allegedly telephoned Boris Pasternak. A gripping meditation on Soviet Russia, authoritarianism and literature, featuring a host of fascinating writers and historical figures.
At the centre of young Ismail's world is the unknowable figure of his mother. Naive and fragile as a paper doll, she is an unlikely presence in her husband's great stone house, with its hidden rooms and infamous dungeon, and is constantly at odds with her wise and thin-lipped mother-in-law. She is not without her own enigmas, and she fears that her intellectual son-- who uses words she doesn't understand, publishes radical poetry, falls in love freely and seems to be renouncing everything she embodies of the old world-- will have to exchange her for a superior mother when he becomes a famous writer
'A fascinating study of a difficult love' John Burnside, GuardianYoung Ismail's world centres around his mother.
Set against a backdrop of complex relationships and societal challenges, this story dives into the lives of its characters as they navigate personal struggles and the impact of their choices. The narrative intertwines themes of love, loss, and resilience, offering a poignant exploration of human emotions. With rich character development and a compelling plot, the book provides an insightful reflection on the intricacies of life, making it a must-read for those who appreciate deep, thought-provoking literature.
"The Man Booker International-winning author of Broken April and The Siege, Albania's most renowned novelist, and perennial Nobel Prize contender Ismail Kadare explores three giants of world literature -- Aeschylus, Dante, and Shakespeare -- through the lens of resisting totalitarianism. In isolationist Albania, which suffered under a Communist dictatorship for nearly half a century, classic global literature reached Ismail Kadare across centuries and borders -- and set him free. The struggles of Hamlet, Dante, and Aeschylus's tragic figures gave him an understanding of totalitarianism that shaped his novels. In these incisive critical essays informed by personal experience, Kadare provides powerful evidence that great literature is the enemy of dictatorship and imbues these timeless stories with powerful new meaning."--Page 4 of cover
When a girl is found dead with a signed copy of Rudian Stefa's latest book in her possession, the author finds himself summoned for an interview by the Party Committee.
The narrative unfurls with the shifting intensity of a dream, enriched by unsettlingly surreal details... It is a brilliant examination of the way that authoritarian structures operate: Kafka on a grander political scale. Sunday Times
1958. In a dorm room in Moscow, a young writer is woken by the sound of angry voices on the radio. Through the fog of a hangover he hears the news that a novel called Doctor Zhivago has earned its author the Nobel Prize. There is uproar. The author, Boris Pasternak, faces exile, the press hound him and demand that he refuse the award. A few days earlier the young writer found a copy of this book - could those simple pages really be so dangerous?Based on Ismail Kadare's own experience, Twilight of the Eastern Gods is a portrait of a city, a story of youthful disenchantment and a reminder of the incredible importance of the written word.
When the new Egyptian Pharaoh decrees that he does not want a pyramid built in his honour his advisers are aghast. So the Pharaoh agrees to the construction of a pyramid colossal beyond imagining, an edifice that crushes dozens of people as each block is added and which inexorably drains the lifeblood from the country.
