Ismail Kadaré

Author profile

born

January 28, 1936 in Gjirokastër, Albania

gender

male

genre

Literature & Fiction

About this author

edit data

Ismail Kadare was born in 1936 in Gjirokastër, in the south of Albania. His education included studies at the University of Tirana and then the Gorky Institute for World Literature in Moscow, a training school for writers and critics.

In 1960 Kadare returned to Albania after the country broke ties with the Soviet Union, and he became a journalist and published his first poems.

His first novel, The General of the Dead Army, sprang from a short story, and its success established his name in Albania and enabled Kadare to become a full-time writer.

Kadare's novels draw on Balkan history and legends. They are obliquely ironic as a result of trying to withstand political scrutiny. Among his best known books are Chronicle in Stone (1977), Broken Apr...more

combine editions
Books by Ismail Kadaré

Average rating: 3.74 · 3,187 ratings · 411 reviews · 81 distinct works

	The Palace of Dreams 3.90 avg rating — 379 ratings — published 1990 — 16 editions	My rating:
	Broken April 3.93 avg rating — 390 ratings — published 1978 — 15 editions	My rating:
	Chronicle in Stone 4.00 avg rating — 315 ratings — published 1971 — 15 editions	My rating:
	The General of the Dead Army 3.93 avg rating — 279 ratings — published 1970 — 22 editions	My rating:
	The Three-Arched Bridge by Ismail Kadaré, John Hodgson (Translator) 3.81 avg rating — 205 ratings — published 1993 — 11 editions	My rating:
	The File on H. by Ismail Kadaré, David Bellos (Translator), Jusuf Vrioni (Translator) 3.85 avg rating — 171 ratings — published 1989 — 8 editions	My rating:
	The Successor by Ismail Kadaré, David Bellos (Translator) 3.29 avg rating — 178 ratings — published 2000 — 12 editions	My rating:
	Spring Flowers, Spring Frost 3.21 avg rating — 163 ratings — published 2003 — 6 editions	My rating:
	The Pyramid by Ismail Kadaré, David Bellos (Translator) 3.61 avg rating — 153 ratings — published 1992 — 13 editions	My rating:
	Doruntine 3.99 avg rating — 99 ratings — published 1986 — 10 editions	My rating:

More books by Ismail Kadaré…

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

Quotes by Ismail Kadaré

“It was only a phrase that went from mouth to mouth and was never quite swallowed.”
― Ismail Kadaré, Broken April

15 people liked it

“And everything would be different, different.”
― Ismail Kadaré, Broken April

12 people liked it

“To tell the truth, this was one of the few cases in which she had not told him just what she was thinking. Usually, she let him know whatever thoughts happened to come to her, and indeed he never took it amiss if she let slip a word that might pain him, because when all was said and done that was the price one paid for sincerity.”
― Ismail Kadaré, Broken April

11 people liked it

See all Ismail Kadaré's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Challenge: 50 Books: Brian's Books for 2009	111	503	Dec 29, 2009 06:22pm
The Seasonal Read...: Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks	2750	2216	May 31, 2010 09:00pm
Romance Readers R...: 2011 January Monthly Reading Challenge: Participants' Lists Thread	549	468	Feb 06, 2011 12:21pm
Romance Readers R...: January 2011 - What are you reading?	321	224	Feb 07, 2011 08:20am
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2010-2011 Completed Tasks (do not delete any posts)	2596	666	Feb 28, 2011 09:05pm
Reading with Style: RwS Completed Tasks - Winter	715	274	Mar 01, 2011 09:19am
SciFi and Fantasy...: April Fantasy Theme -- Asian Themed Fantasy	35	332	Mar 25, 2011 12:44pm
The Seasonal Read...: Spring Challenge 2011 Completed Tasks (DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS)	2898	730	May 31, 2011 09:01pm

More…

Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite Ismail to Goodreads.