This particular editions is a translation from French, that being a translation from Albanian... and unfortunately you can tell. Very boring and detached writing, I could not care less about the plot or the characters (and it works a bit like a mystery book, so I should have definitely been at least intrigued by both).

Really enjoyed what the author did with it being an allegory for living under a dictatorship, and the metaphors in this, plus the general Eastern European backdrop. Would probably read another Kadare, but seeking out a direct translation from Albanian, rather than the unfortunate translation of a translation.