Description
Enigmatic and compelling, The Fall of the Stone City displays Ismail Kadare at the height of his considerable powers
In September 1943, German soldiers advance on the ancient gates of Gjirokaster, Albania. Soon rumours circulate that the Nazi Colonel in command of the German Army was once a school acquaintance of a local dignitary, Doctor Gurameto. In the town square, Colonel von Schwabe greets his former classmate warmly; in return, Doctor Gurameto invites him to dinner. The very next day, the Colonel and his army disappear from the city. This changes the course of events in twentieth-century Europe. But as the citizens celebrate their hero, a conspiracy surfaces which leads some to place Gurameto at the heart of a plot to undermine Socialism.