pickBleak and painful. Whilst Bolla portrays the impact of violence and turmoil suffered by the Balkan people, Arsim takes centre stage. A difficult and unpleasant character, as destructive as the war raging on in the background. Difficult to rate as the strength of this novel lies in how unlikeable it is. 8/10
panI‘ve read many a book that is grim & have a capacity to appreciate good writing that moves you to despair. I‘ve never read one that made me question whether reading books was something I needed to stop doing. I‘ve debated how to rate this - the story is certainly realistic and the writing kept me reading. Ultimately, I‘m panning it because it requires lots of crime tape around it. (Caution, caution, this will mess you up & think life is hopeless.)
pickI don‘t know if I even have words to describe this one. It sickened me, broke my heart, and is generally overall hopeless. Arsim is one of the most unredeemable characters I‘ve ever read. The story of how he meets, falls in love, and cares for Milos starts so promising. But he is married, has a child on the way, and is Albanian and Milos is a Serb. The war will tear them apart, but they do that on their own. Homophobia, war, ⬇️⬇️
pickThis was excellent. The story of Arden and Milos is beautifully told with clean writing (well translated) & despite being unsentimental it‘s heartbreaking seeing their lives unravel under the pressure of war & repression. The occasional fable extracts add another layer of depth. The tension builds as you see a character losing his mind and there is a bleak undercurrent but it doesn‘t feel heavy. Great sense of place in Kosovo.
pickDisturbing but excellent novel set in the Kosovo War. Arsim is Albanian, Milos a Serb. Their affair unfolds against the backdrop of impending war. These deeply flawed characters embody the Albanian tale of the Bolla, a serpent demon. TW: genocide, rape, domestic abuse. https://cannonballread.com/2022/07/bolla-a-novel-elcicco/
pickIn the forefront is a love story, forbidden in every way - love between two men, one Serb, another is a married Albanian from Kosovo … and in the background are nationalistic friction that escalate into war. What this book makes a very good is calm, simple prose in the contrast to the very deep, unsettling characterisation of the main protagonist who is trapped in life, and a sensitive and atmospheric demonstration of life in Kosovo.
Lazy weekend is the perfect weekend - reading and snacking (freestyle coated strawberries). My #weekendreading is currently reading two books, and I like both of them.
pickI‘d be hard pressed to find a character that made me feel more disgusted by who he is than Arsim. He so selfish and cruel; heartless. This is his story, from the time just before Serbs & Albanians went to war in Kosovo. Newly married, wife pregnant (unplanned) & he has fallen in love with a man. The way he treats his wife, then his lover, is just terrible. Then we see after the war…. Ugh. The writing (and audio) is so good it pissed me off
Bolla: A Novel | 
