Scan barcode
lizi_e's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ajkhn's review against another edition
5.0
I've read a lot of Kadare at this point, and I'm starting to wonder if there has ever been a sunny day in Albania. This book is very similar to The Siege, in that it's about war, it's brutality, and its aftermath. The plot, following an Italian general 20 years after World War II, really goes in to the guts of how war affects small towns, in both Italy and Albania.
The growing creepiness of the plot reminds me of some of Roberto Bolano's short stories and Marcin Wrona's film The Demon. By the time you meet the one-armed German (?) general, you know things are about to get very awful, very quickly.
Kadare does a great job managing the pacing of the book to build a couple different crescendoes — once you think you're safe, it gets a bit more terrifying by the end. Not in a full-out horror way, but again in a magical-realist, unsettling, sort of way. I really enjoyed this book, and if you want to read a World War II book that's less about heroism and more about devastation, it's for you as well.
The growing creepiness of the plot reminds me of some of Roberto Bolano's short stories and Marcin Wrona's film The Demon. By the time you meet the one-armed German (?) general, you know things are about to get very awful, very quickly.
Kadare does a great job managing the pacing of the book to build a couple different crescendoes — once you think you're safe, it gets a bit more terrifying by the end. Not in a full-out horror way, but again in a magical-realist, unsettling, sort of way. I really enjoyed this book, and if you want to read a World War II book that's less about heroism and more about devastation, it's for you as well.
libronika's review against another edition
2.0
I was expecting something better. The publisher's description was way more exciting compared to the actual story. A reader can easily spot a biblical style inspiration, where characters and locations are symbolical and archetypal. In the end, the story lack depth which is a shame considering the subject of The General of the Dead Army.
edwardgrey's review against another edition
4.0
Found this book while going through Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century list and decided to pick it up since the author was Albanian.
The book was a little slow and hard to keep going at times, but it also had it's shining, memorable moments. I would say that it wasn't what I expected it was gonna be. The way the albanian landscape and weather is described is quite melancholic. In my immaginations I would often see grey.
As always I'm glad I read this book, thought I'm not sure how many people I could recommend it to.
The book was a little slow and hard to keep going at times, but it also had it's shining, memorable moments. I would say that it wasn't what I expected it was gonna be. The way the albanian landscape and weather is described is quite melancholic. In my immaginations I would often see grey.
As always I'm glad I read this book, thought I'm not sure how many people I could recommend it to.
doppy's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
cizt's review against another edition
4.0
Ruggigt laddad roman. Varje scen är fylld till bredden med tvetydighet och atmosfären är ofta som en mörk bakgatan en sen kväll, man oroar sig för vad som kan hända – ändå händer det sällan något alls.
zazine's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5