The Pyramid (Kadare novel)
The Pyramid is a 1992 novel written by Ismail Kadare. It is considered to serve both literary and dissident purposes.[1] It is a political allegory of absolute political power.
 First edition (Albanian) | |
| Author | Ismail Kadare |
|---|---|
| Translator | Joseph Vrioni & David Bellos |
| Country | Albania |
| Language | Albanian |
| Genre | Novel, Fiction |
| Published | 1992 |
| Publisher | Çabej (Albania) Arcade Publishing (USA) Harvill Press (UK) |
Published in English | 1 February 1996 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 224 p. (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 1-55970-314-8 (US hardback edition) & ISBN 1-86046-123-9 (UK hardback edition) |
| OCLC | 32429764 |
| 891/.9913 20 | |
| LC Class | PG9621.K3 P5813 1996 |
Background
The first part of the novel was written in 1988-1990 but was rejected by the state publisher.[2] It was serialized in January 1991 in several issues of the new opposition newspaper Democratic Renaissance. [3] After the establishment of pluralism and democracy in Albania, it was completed and published in Tirana and Paris.[2]
Plot
The Pyramid is a political allegory set in ancient Egypt. It is the tale of the conception and construction of the Cheops pyramid but also of absolute political power.[3]
Reception
The New York Times picked up on the significance of The Pyramid:
"For the pyramid, viewed by his subjects as an abiding symbol of his total and incontestable power, comes to be seen by him as a personal memento mori, a constant and paralyzing reminder that his brief life will give way to an eternal entombment in stone."[4]
In 1993, the novel was awarded the Prix Méditerranée Étranger in France.[5]
References
- Review 04/01/1996
- Fayé, Eric (1993). Kadaré, Ismail (ed.). Oeuvres completes: tome 1. Editions Fayard. pp. 80–82.
- Robert Elsie (2005). Albanian Literature: A Short History. IBTaurus. p. 178. ISBN 1-84511-031-5.
- Bawer, Bruce (28 April 1996). "Land of the Pharaoh: New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2006.
- Nicole Gaspon (14 April 1993). "ISMAÏL KADARÉ COURONNÉ POUR «LA PYRAMIDE»". L'humanity. Retrieved 21 October 2019.