A review by jess_stetson
Broken April by Ismail Kadare

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.