The principle theme of this book is the all pervasive blood feud in northern Albania, governed by the rules of the ancient old 'kanun'. A young man, GThe principle theme of this book is the all pervasive blood feud in northern Albania, governed by the rules of the ancient old 'kanun'. A young man, Gjorg Berisha is forced to commit a murder under the laws of the 'kanun'. As a result, his own death is sealed; he is to be killed by a member of the opposing family. This is the most interesting part: we see Gjorg struggling with the absurd logic of the rules. The story also follows a young couple on a honeymoon trip in the desolate country, they are romantically fascinated by the 'kanun'. This is the weakest part of the novel: both the professor and especially his wife aren't presented as convincing characters. The book is written in a rather simplistic style and reads as a study on the blood feud, but the storyline is rather thin; only in the end there is some real suspense. It's an interesting book, but I'm afraid it didn't captivate me. (rating 1.5 stars)...more
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