Ismail Kadare

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Has anyone here read any of his books? I was looking at some in Waterstone's and they looked interesting, and quite short. I feel no shame in confessing that I'd never heard of him until he won the Man Booker International Prize (is that the correct name? I'm sure the sponsors will lean on me if not) and I'm curious to know if you already knew about his work / were inspired by the award to check his stuff out. (Or could be shortest thread ever!)

― alext (alext), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 09:18 (twenty years ago)

I've read "Spring Flowers, Spring Frost" and "Three Elegies For Kosovo", as part of my ongoing Harvill fetish.

"SFSF" I loved a great deal, although (strangely) (I'm ashamed to say) I can't remember it as well as I would like. Folk tales bound in to a story of post-Soviet life. I remember worrying when the book started that it would turn out to be saying something along the lines of "you can change a political system but you can't change the folk-bodied blood of the land" but it's more complex than that, and mnore ambivalent, and better.

"TEFK" I managed to get to grips with after the second or third go. I've managed to elide it a little in my mind with "The Nature of Blood" by Caryl Phillips, which also traces bloody lines across history, but it's a "TEFK" is perhaps sadder and less harrowing.

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 09:47 (twenty years ago)

Thanks Tim! Those both looked good, but were more expensive than the other book on the stand at the time, so I was erring towards that one (I R Cheap-skate). but yr recommendation pushes me to SFSF maybe. (but 11 pound for a slim paperback!! [yes yes I know support the struggling under-dog and translator to pay ect. ect.])

― alext (alext), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

I had heard of him before the award (as my husband is Kosovan), but haven't ever read anything by him. Have definitely been inspired to investigate some of his stuff since him winning tho.

― LadyLazarus, Thursday, 14 July 2005 07:03 (twenty years ago)

Alex I think I know where there's a £3 copy of SFSF (it was there 3 weeks ago and has been for some months) so I'll try to grab it for you at the weekend.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 14 July 2005 08:57 (twenty years ago)

Thanks Tim, you're a star. You could bring it up to Edinburgh rather than post it if you find it.

― alext (alext), Thursday, 14 July 2005 20:13 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

so how was it, alex?

― Josh (Josh), Saturday, 27 August 2005 05:19 (twenty years ago)

It is on the long list of books I have started this summer and not finished :-( I am going to stay with my parents for a week in a few days to recharge batteries so maybe I will take it with me.

― alext (alext), Sunday, 28 August 2005 13:42 (twenty years ago)

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