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The Doll
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Check link for latest rating. ( 990 ratings, 118 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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The Doll
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
'A fascinating study of a difficult love' John Burnside, Guardian
Young Ismail's world centres around his mother.
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Description
From 'a novelist of dazzling mastery' (Independent) and the winner of the first ever Man Booker International Prize, The Doll is a novel about creative origin and aspiration, inspired by the author's own mother and his childhood in Albania.
Young Ismail's world centres around his mother. Naive and fragile as a paper doll, she is an unlikely presence in her husband's imposing house, with its hidden rooms and infamous dungeon. Yet despite her youthful nature, she is not without her own enigmas. Most of all, she fears that her intellectual, radical son will exchange her for a superior mother when he becomes a famous writer.
From the winner of the first ever Man Booker International Prize, this is a disarming story of home and creative ambition, of personal and political freedom. Rooted in the author's own childhood in Albania, it is dedicated to the memory of his mother.
'A master storyteller' John Carey
'Laconic, sinister and drily funny' Spectator
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Ismail Kadare's The Doll has been praised as an essential and mesmerising work, revealing both darkness and light. It explores the complex and often difficult love between the narrator and his mother, expressing poignant observations and fears. Kadare is regarded as one of Europe's most significant living writers, with his compelling work offering insights into Albania's political legacy and enriched by a skilful translation. The novel's laconic and darkly humorous style captures the essence of Kadare's unique wit and storytelling.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781784709327
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 21 January 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Vintage
Contributors:
- Translated by John Hodgson
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 11.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 131g
Pages: 176
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About the Author
Ismail Kadare (1936-2024) is Albania's best-known novelist and poet. Translations of his novels have appeared in more than forty countries. He was awarded the inaugural Man Booker International Prize in 2005, the Jerusalem Prize in 2015, the Park Kyong-ni Prize in 2019 and the Neustadt Prize in 2020.
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