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annrose_007's review against another edition
4.0
A tale of war, men and bones. An Italian general is sent on a mission to Albania to dig up the remains of their soldiers who died during the Fascist invasion.
"When all is said and done, can a pike of bones still have a name? ".The gloomy novel takes through the ubiquitous melancholy and meaninglessness left behind by war and the author uses the descriptions of Albanian landscape to bring out the same. "Down the centuries, there can be no people that has experienced a sadder destiny. That is what accounts for the roughness, the harshness we see today".
I think it is a mark of Kadare 's brilliance that how in his narrative he draws up the quintessential masculine temperament of war without explicitly alluding to, but through his tokenistic placement of women characters. Women become the sufferers of war horrors and loss. Kadare achieves a war novel without any accounts of a battle being fought, trenches being dug or men getting killed. This is a story of graves and humans left behind.
Just like the thoughts of the General which gets muddled towards the ending, the writing goes a little lop-sided. So the later portions of the novel aren't as engaging as the rest.
"When all is said and done, can a pike of bones still have a name? ".The gloomy novel takes through the ubiquitous melancholy and meaninglessness left behind by war and the author uses the descriptions of Albanian landscape to bring out the same. "Down the centuries, there can be no people that has experienced a sadder destiny. That is what accounts for the roughness, the harshness we see today".
I think it is a mark of Kadare 's brilliance that how in his narrative he draws up the quintessential masculine temperament of war without explicitly alluding to, but through his tokenistic placement of women characters. Women become the sufferers of war horrors and loss. Kadare achieves a war novel without any accounts of a battle being fought, trenches being dug or men getting killed. This is a story of graves and humans left behind.
Just like the thoughts of the General which gets muddled towards the ending, the writing goes a little lop-sided. So the later portions of the novel aren't as engaging as the rest.
wessam's review against another edition
5.0
"In war it is always difficult to say exactly what is tragic and what is grotesque, what is heroic and what is depressing."
An absolutely amazing novel where tragedy meets absurdity, and Kadare is such a skillful writer I almost felt the rain falling on my head.
An absolutely amazing novel where tragedy meets absurdity, and Kadare is such a skillful writer I almost felt the rain falling on my head.
veessa's review against another edition
4.0
Sapo filloj të mendoj se di shumë gjëra për vendin dhe popullin tim, lexoj një tjetër libër të Kadaresë dhe e shoh që vërtet nuk di asgjë. Ky libër, sic e sugjeron edhe titulli, flet për një ushtri të huaj pushtuese, trupat e të cilës prehen në fushat e malet e Shqipërisë. Misioni ‘fisnik’ i personazhit kryesor të romanit –gjeneralit, emrin e të cilit nuk e kuptojmë kurrë- është t’i kthejë eshtrat e ushtarëve në shtëpitë e tyre. Megjithatë, a duan shpirtrat, të zotët e eshtrave, të kthehen në shtëpi si një ushtri gjysmake, të ndarë nga njëri tjetri, apo të prehen së bashku në tokën e huaj ku ranë për atdheun, derisa mundoheshin t’ua sillnin shqiptarëve qytetërimin?
Mënyra se si rrëfehet ngjarja të bën të ndjesh keqardhje për gjeneralin, jo vetëm se iu ngarkua një detyrë e pamundshme dhe absurde, por edhe se ai, njejtë si të gjithë pjesëtarët e ushtrive pushtuese, nga njëra anë e përbuz popullin shqiptar e nga ana tjetër ua ka frikën edhe atyre edhe tokës në të cilën ata jetojnë.
Për më shumë, përshkrimi i peizazheve është i mrekullueshëm. Gjithcka që rrëfehet në roman mund të tingëllojë e ekzagjëruar deri sa ta kesh me të vërtetë parasysh relievin shqiptar, që varësisht nga rrethanat e vizitës, të bën të ndihesh si në shtëpinë tënde ose në fakt të tmerron dhe të bën të kuptosh që je i padëshiruar.
Nuk mund ta krahasoj Gjeneralin e Ushtrisë së Vdekur me veprat e tjera të autorit, ato secila e kanë vendin e vet dhe i kanë elementet e vecanta që i bëjnë ato të pazëvendësueshme.
Mënyra se si rrëfehet ngjarja të bën të ndjesh keqardhje për gjeneralin, jo vetëm se iu ngarkua një detyrë e pamundshme dhe absurde, por edhe se ai, njejtë si të gjithë pjesëtarët e ushtrive pushtuese, nga njëra anë e përbuz popullin shqiptar e nga ana tjetër ua ka frikën edhe atyre edhe tokës në të cilën ata jetojnë.
Për më shumë, përshkrimi i peizazheve është i mrekullueshëm. Gjithcka që rrëfehet në roman mund të tingëllojë e ekzagjëruar deri sa ta kesh me të vërtetë parasysh relievin shqiptar, që varësisht nga rrethanat e vizitës, të bën të ndihesh si në shtëpinë tënde ose në fakt të tmerron dhe të bën të kuptosh që je i padëshiruar.
Nuk mund ta krahasoj Gjeneralin e Ushtrisë së Vdekur me veprat e tjera të autorit, ato secila e kanë vendin e vet dhe i kanë elementet e vecanta që i bëjnë ato të pazëvendësueshme.
artupop's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Cada acercamiento a la obra de Kadaré, aún siendo por ahora en cantidad reducidos, es un paseo por una mitología y mística sociales e históricas muy alejadas de las de mi entorno. Todas las disquisiciones propias de la sociedad albanesa, sus costumbres y su historia entremezcladas desde perspectivas diversas para crear un cuadro único. La primera novela de Kadaré muestra unos retratos sociales pintorescos y variados, y también unos cuadros de angustia y debate moral personal de un calado que sorprende por la profundidad que progresivamente adquieren. Un paseo, por veces alucinante y por veces estremecedor, recogiendo los frutos de uno de los muchos conflictos que largamente han azotado esta, todavía oscura, región de Europa.
ewelinakl's review against another edition
4.0
actual rating: 4.5
brilliant idea and excellent execution. the wedding scene was breathtaking.
brilliant idea and excellent execution. the wedding scene was breathtaking.
rake_anomander's review
3.0
From time to time I have to wait for people. Everyone has to. The worth of punctuality is lost on many.
So, when such times occur, I read. It's enjoyable, easy to pick up, easy to put down and it passes the minutes.
Sometimes...however...I forget to bring a book for myself and find that I'm stuck in the heat / cold with nothing to do except twiddle my thumbs and watch people go by.
Which will simple NOT DO!
So I walk into the nearest book store, pick up something of reasonable length and start reading. I generally just take a look at the title, the size and off we go. If I've heard of the author before...bonus!...if not, I call it an adventure in the interest of curiosity.
That is why I've read The General of the Dead Army. I have another Ismail Kadare effort in my book case but I haven't yet had time to explore that one. So, in every way, this has been my first meeting with the author in earnest.
Reading this had me wondering who it was actually aimed at.
It sure as Hell hasn't been aimed at me, the casual reader with flights of curiosity fancies.
It didn't feel as it was aimed at the World War II nuts.
It didn't feel aimed at Albanians or Italians in any meaningful way.
It just didn't feel as if it had been created to be aimed at anybody...and that persisted with me as I plodded through the dreary narrative and I've put up with the obnoxious characters.
And that's it about the book. It's dreary to no ends, the mood is constantly dark and oppressive, the land presented is inhospitable and it invites no exploration. There is no beauty or dignity or even glory in the story...only rain and sadness and the bitter nostalgia of a war long finished.
The task of the story squeezes life and energy out of our lead characters whom I've found much too sensitive sometimes. I have a rather idealized image about the military life, never having served myself, but I generally find generals in any army to be weathered people, used to the intricacies of political debate, public commentary and annoying bureaucracy.
As it happens I could not sympathize with the character almost at all and found, very often, that he made a much too great of a deal out of generally anything. Of course, we're all people and can be affected more or less by many things...but too much is too much man. Sometimes his internal grief felt more like padding for the book and the story that lacked much punch or impact or tension.
This has been serviceable reading but far from a feast as far as I'm concerned. Take that with a bit of salt if you will. As I've said shortly before, I do not feel that this book has been in any way meant for me.
It may reverberate more with some of you.
So, when such times occur, I read. It's enjoyable, easy to pick up, easy to put down and it passes the minutes.
Sometimes...however...I forget to bring a book for myself and find that I'm stuck in the heat / cold with nothing to do except twiddle my thumbs and watch people go by.
Which will simple NOT DO!
So I walk into the nearest book store, pick up something of reasonable length and start reading. I generally just take a look at the title, the size and off we go. If I've heard of the author before...bonus!...if not, I call it an adventure in the interest of curiosity.
That is why I've read The General of the Dead Army. I have another Ismail Kadare effort in my book case but I haven't yet had time to explore that one. So, in every way, this has been my first meeting with the author in earnest.
Reading this had me wondering who it was actually aimed at.
It sure as Hell hasn't been aimed at me, the casual reader with flights of curiosity fancies.
It didn't feel as it was aimed at the World War II nuts.
It didn't feel aimed at Albanians or Italians in any meaningful way.
It just didn't feel as if it had been created to be aimed at anybody...and that persisted with me as I plodded through the dreary narrative and I've put up with the obnoxious characters.
And that's it about the book. It's dreary to no ends, the mood is constantly dark and oppressive, the land presented is inhospitable and it invites no exploration. There is no beauty or dignity or even glory in the story...only rain and sadness and the bitter nostalgia of a war long finished.
The task of the story squeezes life and energy out of our lead characters whom I've found much too sensitive sometimes. I have a rather idealized image about the military life, never having served myself, but I generally find generals in any army to be weathered people, used to the intricacies of political debate, public commentary and annoying bureaucracy.
As it happens I could not sympathize with the character almost at all and found, very often, that he made a much too great of a deal out of generally anything. Of course, we're all people and can be affected more or less by many things...but too much is too much man. Sometimes his internal grief felt more like padding for the book and the story that lacked much punch or impact or tension.
This has been serviceable reading but far from a feast as far as I'm concerned. Take that with a bit of salt if you will. As I've said shortly before, I do not feel that this book has been in any way meant for me.
It may reverberate more with some of you.
jelenajot's review
3.0
This book is amazing. Unnamed general and unnamed priest are collecting bones of the fallen Italian soldiers in the Second world war in Albania. They are especially searching colonel Z. from the notorious battalion who killed even it's own's soldiers.
The book is very well written. We get to see different perspective of war and i really like Kadare's writing. But i don't like the end.
After general finds colonel's bones and after he threw them from the bridge everything falls a part. I didn't like the fact that general goes slightly mental after that. It was unnecessary. And the whole atmosphere just disappeared.
The book is very well written. We get to see different perspective of war and i really like Kadare's writing. But i don't like the end.
After general finds colonel's bones and after he threw them from the bridge everything falls a part. I didn't like the fact that general goes slightly mental after that. It was unnecessary. And the whole atmosphere just disappeared.
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