Ismael Kadare - The Successor

[Freewheeling Andy]

Being the greatest living Albanian author isn't exactly the kind of accolade most people would want - damning with faint praise might even be understating this. But in fact Ismael Kadare is a brilliant author, winner of the International Booker, talked of as a potential novel laureate (and not just by me).

 

This, his most recently translated novel, is a tale of intrigue set in the ruling elite of communist Albania. The designated succesor to The Guide (clearly Enver Hoxha, or a proxy for him) has been found dead. The question is, was he killed or was it suicide?

 

This novel is written in an intriguing way - the authors voice is completely detached [i wonder how much of that is a consequence of the work being translated first from Albanian to French, then to English; and how much is deliberate]. It's an interesting conceit.

 

We end up looking at the architect of The Successor's house, at his family, at his rivals in the Politburo, and at the coroner. All of their lives, their thoughts, are filled with political fear, concern about the nature of suspicion in a closed society.

 

This is a fascinating book, although probably not my favourite of Kadare's. It works as a political thriller, but not in the traditional sense of a thriller. The detached voice and strange environment probably mean it won't be for everyone, but that doesn't make it any less of a good novel.

[Kenny_Shovel]

Yeah, I'd pretty much go along with that. It's not his best book, but still a nice read. Interesting that he addresses the communist rule of Albania directly now, rather than with the elegories of 'The Pyrimid' and 'The Palace of Dreams'.