Review of Spring Flowers, Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare

Cover

This was an interesting book. To me the story boils down to post communist Albania getting its legs under it. 10 years after the fall of communism in Albania what direction will Albania turn. Will it start turn towards the west. Both good and bad (NATO, European laws, bank robberies, having to lock up your possessions due to theft). Or will it turn back towards its older self with the good and bad that came with that (the Kanun, revenging blood, etc). We see a little of both. We see a bank robbery rock the local comunity and people reacting to it as it is so out of place. We also see a blood fued come to head, the Kanun being discussed, and even a woman's pubic hair preference being discussed.

Sometimes this book was hard to understand, sometimes easy, sometimes poignant. I have another one of Kadare's book checked out right now and am planning on reading it soon. Hell, I might even read all of his works my library has.