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Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, War Fiction, Translated Works

Book Review:
Ismail Kadare's ''Chronicle in Stone'' is a hauntingly beautiful and profound novel that filters the cataclysm of World War II through the vivid, dreamlike consciousness of an Albanian child. More than a war story, it is a poetic chronicle of a timeless town and its inhabitants caught in the gears of history. Kadare's genius lies in blending folklore, grim reality, and dark humor to create a narrative that is both specific to Albania and universal in its themes of fear, survival, and lost innocence. The translation by David Bellos is masterful, preserving the lyrical and evocative quality of the prose. This Booker International Prize-winning novel is a must-read for anyone who appreciates world literature at its most powerful and imaginative. It stays with you long after the final page.