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wrengaia's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think I necessarily know enough about Albanian history or literature to comment interestingly on this novel, but I did think it was really quite brilliant. Kadare writes two narratives which touch at key moments to explore the impact of the blood feuds, conveying the infinite complexity of a society governed by a code that seems completely ridiculous to all those outside it but quite literally governs life and death. Kadare's writing is quick and decisive, and the pace of this novel is perfectly judged. Utterly brilliant.
jess_stetson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Ismail Kadare is perhaps the most famous Albanian author and was recommended to me by an Albanian friend of a friend. Broken April was one of two books he suggested I start with and I'm pretty much always open to a book recommendation.
Written in 1978, Broken April takes place in the 1930s in the remote, mountainous regions of Albania where the people are ruled by the 𝘒𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘯 - a set of customary laws dating back centuries. The 𝘒𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘯 covers all aspects of society including the highly specific laws that dictate the Blood Feud which is what the novel focuses on.
The novel opens with young Gjorg avenging his brother's death by killing his murderer. Having done so there are strict rules he must now follow to ensure that the murder is honourable and that he and his family adhere to the law. The body must be placed face up, the dead man's gun near his head. He must also attend the funeral of his victim, eat a meal with the family, ask for a 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢 (a month long temporary truce), travel to a distant village to pay the Blood Tax to the "Prince"... and he must prepare to be murdered once the 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢 has expired. It is March 17th when the killing takes place and so April will be broken for Gjorg between his living and dying.
We also follow Bessian, a writer from Tirana, and his new young wife Diana as they travel to the region on their Honeymoon. Riding in their carriage through the remote region they experience first hand the customs and laws of the 𝘒𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘯 which Bessian has only studied, written of, and imagined up to now. It is a strange choice for a honeymoon but Diana seems up for the adventure.
The two stories intersect only briefly at an inn on the road while Gjorg is traveling home from the Kulla of Orosh after paying the Blood Tax and Bessian and Diana are headed to the same castle Gjorg has just left where they will be guests of the Prince.
Kadare skillfully weaves the two stories and adds in other characters but the overarching focus of Broken April is the Kanun, its moral codes, time-honoured traditions, and its devastating effects. By following these characters Kadare is able to present the reader with a view from several perspectives: That of Gjorg, a tribal member who regrets but understands and accepts his fate, Bessian, the city gentleman who has romanticised and glorified the tribal life and the ancient traditions, and finally Diana who is rightfully appalled and shaken to her core by her experience.
In all, this was not what I was expecting. It is written in a bardic way telling the woeful story of Gjorg as a means to shed light on the Kanun and its ways. It was interesting and dark and melancholy. It's hard to say that I enjoyed it, but it was powerful.
mirlinda's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
rhaegarly's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
koalamarch's review against another edition
3.0
After starting the novel with a literal bang, the immediate foundations of Broken April were indeed captivating, mixing the ambiguity of story’s context nicely with the thrill of the moment to draw in readers. However, despite the effectiveness of Ismail Kadare’s drip feeding, the almost obtrusive change of pace in the novel around halfway through seemed unfortunately to lessen my interest in the book.
Nonetheless, there were many individual elements of Kadare’s writing I enjoyed, for example I felt that of the two, the writing style was more deftly used than the novel’s use of plot, using the cold landscape to consistently reflect Gjorg’s (or Diana’s later on) mental turbulence. Furthermore within Kadare’s imagery, the use of sound such as with the “grating pebbles” or the farm animal cries again had the effect of not only creating tension, but of alerting the audience to Gjorg’s unease. Similairly, the stream of consciousness effect (in chapter 2) I thought was very effective, highlighting such key ideals as the commonplace essence of families without the blood feud having “no special signs of happiness”, or other erratic thoughts such as having an affair with a nun really reflecting Gjorg’s mental attempts to escape his unassailable predicament. Of course, I keep referring to elements within chapter 2 being that of the 7 chapters, I found that it illustrates the key themes of the book the most, as well as it perhaps being the most allegorical juncture in the novel (Gjorg’s solitary “journey” to pay his blood tax). In this chapter we can really witness Gjorg’s character’s state of complete loss reflected in the metaphors of his surroundings, for example when he deliriously mistakes a log for another traveller, Kadare promotes this imagery of an organic tree cut in its centre leaving only its roots as its last vestige and thus is showcasing Gjorg’s own perception of himself as a traveller next to a fire with “no warmth”. Overall, the themes of mortality, solitude and the questioning of moral valour is expertly put into view in this chapter.
However, it’s when we move into chapter 3 that I started to lose my grip with the novel. Although I love the stark contrast in Diana (and Bessian) and Gjorg’s colliding worlds (e.g. how even the raindrops on Diana’s carriage are “pearled’) I felt that Kadare seemed to want to focus more on the principles of the Kanun as opposed to the characterisation of Diana or Gjorg, and that indeed the characters suddenly felt cold and not relatable. I found therefore that I started to care less about the principles of the novel, which is why I gave a lower rating overall.
Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel (particularly loved the allusions to the Odyssey and the idea of guests being demi-gods) and genuinely admire Kadare for opening doors for readers to delve further into Albanian literature.
Nonetheless, there were many individual elements of Kadare’s writing I enjoyed, for example I felt that of the two, the writing style was more deftly used than the novel’s use of plot, using the cold landscape to consistently reflect Gjorg’s (or Diana’s later on) mental turbulence. Furthermore within Kadare’s imagery, the use of sound such as with the “grating pebbles” or the farm animal cries again had the effect of not only creating tension, but of alerting the audience to Gjorg’s unease. Similairly, the stream of consciousness effect (in chapter 2) I thought was very effective, highlighting such key ideals as the commonplace essence of families without the blood feud having “no special signs of happiness”, or other erratic thoughts such as having an affair with a nun really reflecting Gjorg’s mental attempts to escape his unassailable predicament. Of course, I keep referring to elements within chapter 2 being that of the 7 chapters, I found that it illustrates the key themes of the book the most, as well as it perhaps being the most allegorical juncture in the novel (Gjorg’s solitary “journey” to pay his blood tax). In this chapter we can really witness Gjorg’s character’s state of complete loss reflected in the metaphors of his surroundings, for example when he deliriously mistakes a log for another traveller, Kadare promotes this imagery of an organic tree cut in its centre leaving only its roots as its last vestige and thus is showcasing Gjorg’s own perception of himself as a traveller next to a fire with “no warmth”. Overall, the themes of mortality, solitude and the questioning of moral valour is expertly put into view in this chapter.
However, it’s when we move into chapter 3 that I started to lose my grip with the novel. Although I love the stark contrast in Diana (and Bessian) and Gjorg’s colliding worlds (e.g. how even the raindrops on Diana’s carriage are “pearled’) I felt that Kadare seemed to want to focus more on the principles of the Kanun as opposed to the characterisation of Diana or Gjorg, and that indeed the characters suddenly felt cold and not relatable. I found therefore that I started to care less about the principles of the novel, which is why I gave a lower rating overall.
Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel (particularly loved the allusions to the Odyssey and the idea of guests being demi-gods) and genuinely admire Kadare for opening doors for readers to delve further into Albanian literature.
xhunisss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kingkong's review against another edition
2.0
Damn imagine your family getting into a blood feud, that would really suck