Broken April

Ismail Kadare born in 1936 in the mountain town of Gjirokaster near the Greek border is Albania's best-known poet and novelist. Since the appearance of <i>The General of the Dead Army</i> in 1965 Kadare has published scores of stories and novels that make up a panorama of Albanian history linked by a constant meditation on the nature and human consequences of dictatorship. His works brought him into frequent conflict with the authorities from 1945 to 1985. In 1990 he sought political asylum in France and now divides his time between Paris and Tirana. He is the winner of the first ever Man Booker International Prize. <p>From the moment that Gjorg's brother is killed by a neighbour his own life is forfeit: for the code of Kanun requires Gjorg to kill his brother's murderer and then in turn be hunted down. After shooting his brother's killer young Gjorg is entitled to thirty days' grace - not enough to see out the month of April. <br><br>Then a visiting honeymoon couple cross the path of the fugitive. The bride's heart goes out to Gjorg and even these 'civilised' strangers from the city risk becoming embroiled in the fatal mechanism of vendetta.</p> His work is as immense as Balzac's as unrelenting in its critique of dictatorship as Orwell's and as disturbingly fantastical as Kafka's. It is an invention as well as a reflection of what it means to be Albanian and an exploration of both the ugliness and the dignity of a small ancient oppressed nation. Kadare is perhaps the last 'national writer' of European history <i>Broken April</i> a haunting account of the paroxism of the vendetta in northern Albania between the wars is one of the twin peaks of Kadare's career The story is plain the telling plainer yet the overall effect is mysterious and elusive as only a fable can be With <i>Broken April </i>Mr Kadare comes to the forefront as a major international novelist Forcefully and simply written...completely authentic <p>From the moment that Gjorg's brother is killed by a neighbour his own life is forfeit: for the code of Kanun requires Gjorg to kill his brother's murderer and then in turn be hunted down. After shooting his brother's killer young Gjorg is entitled to thirty days' grace - not enough to see out the month of April. <br><br>Then a visiting honeymoon couple cross the path of the fugitive. The bride's heart goes out to Gjorg and even these 'civilised' strangers from the city risk becoming embroiled in the fatal mechanism of vendetta.</p>