'A plot as sparse, elemental and timeless as Homer, but related in an idiom of dread, ambiguity and irony that could come only from our own cynical contemporary dilemmas.' Sunday Herald 'Kadare brings heroic daring to this brilliant exposé of the folly of war and the clash of civilisations.' Irish Times 'It is Kadare's great achievement to create individuals who are at the same time archetypes . . . Powerfully atmospheric . . . Fascinating.' Times Literary Supplement 'You don't have to make the connection between the world portrayed here and Hoxha's Albania to find this novel engrossing, to be awed by the scale of Kadare's ambition and achievement.' Allan Massie, Scotsman 'The Anglophone world is only just discovering the strength of Kadare's fiction.' Financial Times

The Reviews