The traitor's niche
Subtitle: a novel
By: Ismail Kadare ; translated from the Albanian by John Hodgson
Contributors: Hodgson, John, 1951- translator
Edition: First Counterpoint edition.
Published: 2018
Language: eng
Number of pages: 200
ISBN-13: 9781640090446
Subjects: Fiction; Albanian fiction; Translations into English; History
Work titles: Kamarja e turpit
Description: "At the heart of the Ottoman Empire, in the main square of Constantinople, a niche is carved into ancient stone. Here, the sultan displays the severed heads of his adversaries. People flock to see the latest head and gossip about the state of the empire: the province of Albania is demanding independence again, and the niche awaits a new trophy... Tundj Hata, the imperial courier, is charged with transporting heads to the capital--a task he relishes and performs with fervor. As he travels through obscure and impoverished territories, he makes money from illicit side-shows, offering villagers the spectacle of death. The head of the rebellious Albanian governor would fetch a very high price indeed. The Traitor's Niche is a surreal tale of tyranny and rebellion, in a land where armies carry scarecrows, state officials ban entire languages, and the act of forgetting is more complicated than remembering." --
Notes: "First published with the title Kamarja e Turpit in 1978 by Naim Frashri Publishing House, Tirana" -- ECIP galley.