66 pages • 2 hours read
Broken April
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Book Brief
218
Novel • Fiction
Albanian Mountains • 1920s
1978
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Published in 1979 and translated into English in 1990, Ismail Kadare’s Broken April is a dramatic story set in the remote mountainsides of Albania. The plot centers around Gjorg Berisha, a young mountaineer entangled in a blood feud, and the newlyweds Bessian and Diana Vorpsi, who visit the region for their honeymoon and become involved in the local customs. The narrative explores themes of normalized violence, women's liberation, and the slowness of meaningful change. The book addresses topics related to violence and murder within the context of traditional blood feuds.
Melancholic
Mysterious
Contemplative
Dark
Unnerving
Reviews & Readership
7,130 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Ismail Kadare's Broken April is widely praised for its evocative portrayal of Albanian culture and the blood feud tradition, delivering a haunting atmosphere and rich, lyrical prose. Criticisms include a slow pacing and occasionally opaque character motivations. Overall, it's a powerful study of tradition and human psyche, though not universally gripping.
Who Should Read Broken April?
Readers captivated by the clash of tradition and modernity, or those who enjoyed Albert Camus's The Stranger or Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, will find Ismail Kadare's Broken April compelling. This book appeals to those interested in Albanian culture, vendetta codes, and the human condition amidst archaic practices.
7,130 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
218
Novel • Fiction
Albanian Mountains • 1920s
1978
Adult
18+ years
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