Book #2: Chronicle in Stone: A Novel - Ismail Kadare (Albania)
"Masterful in its simplicity, Chronicle in Stone is a touching coming-of-age story and a testament to the perseverance of the human spirit. Surrounded by the magic of beautiful women and literature, a boy must endure the depravations of war as he suffers the hardships of growing up. His sleepy country has just thrown off centuries of tyranny, but new waves of domination inundate his city. Through the boy's eyes, we see the terrors of World War II as he witnesses fascist invasions, allied bombings, partisan infighting, and the many faces of human cruelty - as well as the simple pleasures of life..."
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I enjoyed this book for two reasons - 1) Going in, I knew basically nothing about Albania - its history or its people. Even though the setting is WWII, Kadare takes the time to really show what life was like in a small Albanian town. At various points throughout the book, the war is secondary to the happenings in the town and the characters that live there. 2) The story is told from a child's perspective. At first I wasn't sure I would like this, but it was done very well. The child was both perceptive and humorous in ways that an adult possibly couldn't have been.
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