IK
Ismail Kadare
59quotes
Full Name and Common Aliases
Ismail Kadare
Kadare is also known as Ismail Kadare, whose full name is Ismail Kadare.
Birth and Death Dates
October 17, 1936 - May 30, 2023
Nationality and Profession(s)
Albanian writer, novelist, poet, essayist, translator and journalist.
Early Life and Background
Born in Gjirokastër, Albania on October 17, 1936, Kadare was the son of a lawyer who later became a judge. His family had been living in this region for generations. As a child, Kadare developed an interest in reading and writing, although education during this time period in Albania was highly restricted due to communism.
Major Accomplishments
Kadare is widely regarded as one of the most important Albanian writers of all time. He published his first book, The Gathering (1954), at just 18 years old, but it wasn't until he moved to Paris in 1973 that his writing gained international recognition. One of Kadare's greatest accomplishments was being awarded the Order of Merit by the French government.
Notable Works or Actions
Kadare has written many notable works throughout his career. Some of these include The Castle (1969), The Third Bridge (1973), and Chronicle in Stone (1971). His writing often dealt with themes of history, politics, and the human condition.
Impact and Legacy
Kadare's impact on Albanian literature cannot be overstated. He helped pave the way for other young writers to express themselves freely, despite the strict communist regime that governed Albania at the time. Through his writing, Kadare was able to critique the government without directly criticizing it. His ability to convey the experiences of the Albanian people during this period made him a powerful voice.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Kadare is widely quoted and remembered for his vivid descriptions of life under communism in Albania. His writing captures the essence of the human spirit, even in the darkest of times. His commitment to telling the truth about what happened during this period has made him a respected figure around the world.
In recent years, Kadare was awarded several international awards for his contributions to literature, including the Prince of Asturias Award (2002) and the Order of Arts and Letters (2008). He passed away on May 30, 2023.
Quotes by Ismail Kadare
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The memories of events and statesmen paled as the years passed. Dust covered them, mud stained them, until they were finally erased as if they had never been. But recently people had come to understand that forgetting was more difficult and complicated than remembering.
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I reckoned they had probably begun to pour out their hearts and entrust each other with the subjects of the plays and novels they had written or planned to write. It was customary after serious drinking.
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The days went by without incident and often without their name. When you’d unpacked the hours from the day and then the night and piled them all up, you could toss the boxes they came in, which is all that “Wednesday” or “Friday” really are.
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Sunday had spread all over the city. It looked as if the sun had smacked into the earth and broken into pieces and chunks of wet light were scattered everywhere – in the streets, on the window panes, on puddles and roofs. I remembered a day long ago when Grandmother had cleaned a big fish. Her forearms were splattered with shiny scales. It was as if she had Sunday in her whole body. When my father got angry, he had Tuesday.
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Every passion or wicked thought, every affliction or crime, every rebellion or catastrophe necessarily casts its shadow before it long before it manifests itself in real life.
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Their bodies were like corpses ready for embalming, from which all innards likely to rot had already been removed. Superfluous emotions like curiosity, fear and lust for gossip or excitement had been shed along with the useless flesh and excess fat. Javer once said that Granny Shano could as easily have grabbed the ear of Benito Mussolini himself as the Italian officer’s.
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Having left, for various reasons, the homeland of epic, they were uprooted like trees overthrown, they had lost their heroic character and deep-seated virtue.
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If an animal has to be sacrificed when a new bridge is built, what will it take to build a whole new world?
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