The Siege

A wonderful and provocative work of art from the master storyteller Kadare. This is not a work of historical fiction for mass paperback publication but a rich description of another time with deep significance to the events of today. It is at once an entertaining story and moral lessons wrapped in rich pros with profound insights. Many of Kadare's works have gone unnoticed but it is no mistake that his name continues to come up for Nobel prize consideration. In this great work, the underlying question is in a state gripped in paranoia, how does the besieged differ from the besieger? Of course, with that underlying theme are many varied themes interwoven as well. It is a complex and very entertaining novel with historical reality and color. Certainly a classic in literature.

I was in Albania for a week this past July and was looking through the airport library when I found this title. I had never heard of Kadare, but couldn't miss the Booker prize credential on the cover. Reading the back flap I was sold, I study history and fall into these kinds of books. Suffice to say I didn't put the book down for several days. A beautifully written story that pits two cultures and their faiths against each other in a marvelous way. If you love history this book transplants you into the 15th century - such a rich experience. These other reviews do an excellent job at detailing the plot, so I will only add that the details are for the most part accurate and that the events loosely follow a historically accurate framework. Do yourself a favor and put down the "Brown/Berry-esque" historical fiction and read something that will entertain and enlighten.

Kadare is, one reads, often on the list of nominees for the literature Nobel. This very satisfying and thought-inspiring book suggests that he'd deserve his prize, if he gets it. It has plenty of gravity, depth, and subtlety, while still being very engaging to read. I echo many of the other reviewers' praises. But I was particularly struck by his highly original choice of telling the story from the viewpoint of Ottoman non-combatants (astrologers, poets, historians, ladies of the pasha's harem, and logistics and munitions experts among them). From personal experience I know how tough it is to structure even a non-fiction book. So I'm knocked out with admiration at the imagination it took to structure this novel as Kadare did, especially when the subject matter (to say nothing of ambient political pressures) would suggest several more obvious alternatives. I read the French edition on which this English translation is based. An unsigned introduction sets Kadare's historical context as the 1960 Albanian-Soviet conflict, during which the Warsaw Pact nations enforced an economic blockade of Albania. It's unclear to what extent this historical reference was a cover story to disguise Kadare's intended criticism of the regime in Albania, and to what extent it was a sincere inspiration. The book was published in Albania in 1970 and the French edition first published in 1979, so Kadare may have been feeling some need to keep up pretenses if the Albanian government really was his target. OTOH, favoring the sincere interpretation is that this story is set in the era of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, who resisted the Turks for 25 years, and who remains the Albanian national hero; the country didn't fall to the sultanate until after his death. So perhaps we should be more agnostic about whether pretenses were intended. Unraveling this puzzle has little relevance to enjoyment of the book, which is a meditation on war, friendship, writing, human motivations and much else. Out of 30 or so first-time-read works of fiction in the past 2 years, solidly in my top 5 favorites.

Originally published in Albania in 1970, and then translated into French in the mid-90s, this excellent novel has finally made it into English. It tells the story of a fictional 15th-century siege of an Albanian castle by an Ottoman army. The details of this appear to be largely drawn from accounts of the 1474 siege of Shkoder, as well as the exploits of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg (aka The Dragon of Albania), who led the resistance to the Ottomans for about twenty years, until his death in 1468. The siege is mainly told from the Ottoman perspective, as we are taken into the Pasha's tent for discussions of strategy, wander around the camp with the hapless scribe/historian sent to chronicle the impending great victory, and listen to the monologues of the quartermaster who has to keep the siege logistically afloat. There are also occasional brief interludes written from the perspective of the Christian defenders trying to conserve their water until the arrival of the rainy season that would effectively save them. The mechanics and psychology of the siege are wonderfully brought to life, as the Ottomans struggle to bring their superior manpower and technology to bear in an effective manner. In that sense, it's a gripping, effective, and often bloody, work of historical fiction which will appeal to fans of that genre. At the same time, the story appears to function as allegory for the plight of Soviet-dominated Albania during the Cold War. The Ottoman army -- cowering under an absolute ruler abetted by a pervasive secret police, riven by internal factions (warlords, mystics, technocrats, etc.), and subject to show-trials and cruel and unusual punishments -- bears striking similarities to Albania under the rule of Enver Hoxha. Meanwhile, the castle's desperate defenders take on the role of freedom-loving intelligentsia within that same society. The symbolism is stark, since history tells us that the Ottoman Empire does eventually conquer Albania, and the castle does fall. The translation is very good, as the camp comes alive on every page, and the battle scenes resound off the page. But it's to Kadare's immense credit that the story remains gripping while conveying its densely layered message. Well worth reading if you have any interest in the Ottoman Empire, Albania, military history, or simply excellent world literature.

After I've read another book of Ismail Kadare, " Chronicle in Stone", I was eager to read another book of this Author, and when a friend of mine recommended me "The Siege" I didn't have second thoughts of reading it. I wasn't disappointed. A great story of an old castle in Albanian's 15th Century, where badly outnumbered Albanians fight against Turkish invaders, with the lead of their legendary commander George Castrioty Scanderbeg. The great stile of writing brings to the reader the alegory of this story with the modern times when up until recently Albania was Governed by the communist dictatorial regime, and for 50 years was closed to the worlds eyes. A great book. I couldn't put it down. A fine work from a writer who has been nominated for Nobel Prize, several time on the recent years.