Reviews

Bolla by Pajtim Statovci

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gabalab's review against another edition

4.0

I loved the way this book was laid out with unsaid words and letters lined between chapters, particularly with the backdrop of war and turmoil. This is a beautiful translation and I’m sure the original Finnish is even more so. The main character is deeply flawed, lashing out and feeling the sorrow and shame from his intensely selfish actions. Honestly I don’t like Arsim, he never fully grasps how he contributes to his own sadness and grief. This does however make him an interesting character. Would love to read more translations from this author.

erickaonpaper's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

sad sad sad :(

sam_bizar_wilcox's review against another edition

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5.0

Pajtim Statovci is a master of writing unseemly, even malicious, characters. Arsim, this novel's hero-turned-antihero, is on one hand romantic and on another deeply callous. I'm perturbed by the people blurbed on the back who sing Statovci praises for the starry-eyed swoon-worthiness of it all; for me, what makes this novel great is how easily it twists the love story into something far more sinister. This sinister undercurrent is what, for me, made Crossing so exciting, and what makes Statovci one of the most interesting writers of his generation.

Queer literature needs dimensionality. True, there ought to be more simple love stories. True, there should be books that extol the virtues of his queer characters. But here, Statovci delivers something more complex and enthralling: a vision of queer love that is messy and complicated and leaves casualties. As the novel develops, so too do these complications, until what seems so romantic -- erotic, even -- becomes something resembling more a classical tragedy. The gays are not saints in this one; they are as vicious and selfish and despicable as any other group. And the novel is much better for it.