Broken April


Broken April is a novel by award-winning Albanian author Ismail Kadare. Published in 1978, the book explores one of Kadare's recurring themes: how the past affects the present.

Plot

Gjorg Berisha, a 26-year-old Albanian man living on the country's high plateau, is forced to commit a murder under the laws of the Kanun to avenge his brother. As a result of this killing, his own death is sealed; he is to be killed by a member of the opposing family.

Reception

Broken April was lauded by reviewers upon its release. The New York Times described it as "written with masterly simplicity in a bardic style", while The Wall Street Journal declared Kadare "one of the most compelling novelists now writing in any language."

Adaptations

In 2001, a movie adaptation of Broken April, called Behind the Sun, was filmed in Brazil.

Footnotes