A review by purplepierogi
Bolla by Pajtim Statovci

5.0

holy FUCK -- Statovci and Hackston simply do not miss. the tenderness with which characters are treated, the intimacy created..! only to see them complicated and reveal striking cruelty. thematically what struck me was how characters embody at once both victim and abuser, in a way that echos the Serb-Albanian dichotomy in pre and post-conflict Kosovo. the themes of loneliness, isolation, and absolutely warranted self-hatred; yet described with this voice that is so lyrical, Statovci creates grey spaces that are grim but rich. the narrative structure was also successful, I had to read this in a day. it's so dark and potentially life-leeching, and yet so, so compelling.