The Ghost Rider
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'His fiction offers invaluable insights into life under tyranny - his historical allegories point both to the grand themes and small details that make up life in a restrictive environment. He is a great writer, by any nation's standards.' Financial Times
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An old woman is awoken in the dead of night by knocks at her front door. She opens it to find her daughter, Doruntine, standing there alone in the darkness. She has been brought home from a distant land by a mysterious rider she claims is her brother Konstandin. But unbeknownst to her, Konstandin has been dead for years. What follows is chain of events which plunges an Albanian village into fear and mistrust. Who is the ghost rider?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
First, I think it might be helpful to know that this is the first novel I've read by Isamail Kadare. It will certainly not be the last.
The Ghost Rider was originally published in Albania in 1980. Subsequently translated to French in 1986, with an English translation following in 1988 (Doruntine - I think it's this one) it has been revised by the author for a new publication by Canongate in 2010.
This edition has a handy introduction from David Bellos which fills the reader in with detail which helps understand the context of the novel in all relevant contexts (the regime that Kadare was working under, the historical setting of the novel and the evolution of the story itself).
As noted, the author has made some revisions to the text; having not read the original translation, I can't confirm or deny this, but according to the introduction, they mainly relate to expanding some sections, mainly those which deal with religious practice and the question of acceding to authority. Neither of these would've been particularly popular under Hoxha's Stalinist regime.
The story itself is based upon an old Albanian tale (known as "The Ballad of Constantine and Doruntine"). The simplest telling of the tale is that of a brother, dead, who rises from the grave and goes to fetch his sister to see their mother.
Kadare, in this telling of the tale, turns it into a medieval police procedural set against the background of the wars which beset Albania in this period. At its heart is the ghost story already described. In this case, Konstandin, killed in the war (as were his 8 other brothers, through battle and the disease that followed) had made the promise to his mother that he would fetch his sister, Doruntine from her new home in Bohemia should there be any joyous or tragic event in their family life. Doruntine arrives at her mother's door having been carried across the miles by a mysterious horse-rider whom she claims is her (we learn) 3 year dead brother. This creates a chain of events and raises many questions which give rise to the police procedural aspect of the novel. I won't spoil them for any prospective readers, suffice to say that Kadare does create a subtle and layered novel in such a short space (yes, this is over 200 pages, but it's quite large type and The Ghost Rider itself finishes at page 164 and is followed by a couple of chapters of introduction to The Siege).
The novel asks many questions, about nationhood, authority and justice. More importantly though it is excellent writing. Kadare also wrote poetry (and I realise that not all poets necessarily make great novelists) and I think that this shows in this text. I think the folk/historical setting helps too - had he made this a contemporary tale (aside from the fact that he would *really* have struggled to get it published) I'm not so sure that he'd have created something quite so long-lasting and universal.
Excellent stuff. I intend to read more - recommended.
The Ghost Rider was originally published in Albania in 1980. Subsequently translated to French in 1986, with an English translation following in 1988 (Doruntine - I think it's this one) it has been revised by the author for a new publication by Canongate in 2010.
This edition has a handy introduction from David Bellos which fills the reader in with detail which helps understand the context of the novel in all relevant contexts (the regime that Kadare was working under, the historical setting of the novel and the evolution of the story itself).
As noted, the author has made some revisions to the text; having not read the original translation, I can't confirm or deny this, but according to the introduction, they mainly relate to expanding some sections, mainly those which deal with religious practice and the question of acceding to authority. Neither of these would've been particularly popular under Hoxha's Stalinist regime.
The story itself is based upon an old Albanian tale (known as "The Ballad of Constantine and Doruntine"). The simplest telling of the tale is that of a brother, dead, who rises from the grave and goes to fetch his sister to see their mother.
Kadare, in this telling of the tale, turns it into a medieval police procedural set against the background of the wars which beset Albania in this period. At its heart is the ghost story already described. In this case, Konstandin, killed in the war (as were his 8 other brothers, through battle and the disease that followed) had made the promise to his mother that he would fetch his sister, Doruntine from her new home in Bohemia should there be any joyous or tragic event in their family life. Doruntine arrives at her mother's door having been carried across the miles by a mysterious horse-rider whom she claims is her (we learn) 3 year dead brother. This creates a chain of events and raises many questions which give rise to the police procedural aspect of the novel. I won't spoil them for any prospective readers, suffice to say that Kadare does create a subtle and layered novel in such a short space (yes, this is over 200 pages, but it's quite large type and The Ghost Rider itself finishes at page 164 and is followed by a couple of chapters of introduction to The Siege).
The novel asks many questions, about nationhood, authority and justice. More importantly though it is excellent writing. Kadare also wrote poetry (and I realise that not all poets necessarily make great novelists) and I think that this shows in this text. I think the folk/historical setting helps too - had he made this a contemporary tale (aside from the fact that he would *really* have struggled to get it published) I'm not so sure that he'd have created something quite so long-lasting and universal.
Excellent stuff. I intend to read more - recommended.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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4 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Kostandine and Doruntine resurrected
11 Aug 2010
Format:Paperback
"The Ghost Rider" is a revised version of "Doruntine" and tells the simple but riveting story of a bride (Doruntine), brought back from her marriage by a deceased brother Kostandin. Doruntine arrives in time to accompany her dying mother to the grave. Police chief Stess is tasked with the investigation to unravel the mysterious circumstances of Kostandin's intervention.
In typical Kadare style he tells his story concisely, dispassionately, and enthusiastically, but always finds a way to introduce the unexpected in a comical and entertaining way, even when he his intention is deadly serious. The outrage of the Patriarch at the mere though of a resurrected Kostandin, though comical for his reasons to be so, is suddenly sinister when he instructs Stress to "find any rider who would confess" to having been the "ghost rider". The Baron, fearful of the consequences to his power instructs Stress to find an "acceptable" explanation. It is this exposure of the fundamental dishonesty of the State and Church when they feel threatened that Kadare so eloquently exposes, particularly when Stress has a "confessor under torture", but he (Stress) refuses to accept the confession. Whilst we so often correctly pin this type of dishonesty on the Stalinist rulers of Kadare's time in Albania, we are blind not to recognize it in our contemporary priests and presidents.
Kadare in "The Ghost Rider" goes much further in analyzing the psychology of society, and not only Albanian society. Whilst Kostandin gave his "besa" (I think I shall translate it as commitment rather than promise) to fetch Doruntine back if a calamity was to befall the family, he does so (incredulously so for a dead man), but then one of Kostandin's friends explains to Stress: "we see things differently". Yes the "besa" is not always personal, it permeates society, and in the end it is not important who brought Doruntine home, it is the fact that Doruntine came home. If we have learnt anything from the past we should know it was the "besa" of the "communist" people that undid the Soviet Empire, it was the "besa" of the Vietnamese "peasants" that undid the American Empire, it is the "besa" of the "innocent" that is undoing the institutionalized church, and it is increasingly this "commitment" that will write our future.
Yes, another masterpiece by Kadare, good for reading as a story only and challenging to understand ourselves in a complex world.
In typical Kadare style he tells his story concisely, dispassionately, and enthusiastically, but always finds a way to introduce the unexpected in a comical and entertaining way, even when he his intention is deadly serious. The outrage of the Patriarch at the mere though of a resurrected Kostandin, though comical for his reasons to be so, is suddenly sinister when he instructs Stress to "find any rider who would confess" to having been the "ghost rider". The Baron, fearful of the consequences to his power instructs Stress to find an "acceptable" explanation. It is this exposure of the fundamental dishonesty of the State and Church when they feel threatened that Kadare so eloquently exposes, particularly when Stress has a "confessor under torture", but he (Stress) refuses to accept the confession. Whilst we so often correctly pin this type of dishonesty on the Stalinist rulers of Kadare's time in Albania, we are blind not to recognize it in our contemporary priests and presidents.
Kadare in "The Ghost Rider" goes much further in analyzing the psychology of society, and not only Albanian society. Whilst Kostandin gave his "besa" (I think I shall translate it as commitment rather than promise) to fetch Doruntine back if a calamity was to befall the family, he does so (incredulously so for a dead man), but then one of Kostandin's friends explains to Stress: "we see things differently". Yes the "besa" is not always personal, it permeates society, and in the end it is not important who brought Doruntine home, it is the fact that Doruntine came home. If we have learnt anything from the past we should know it was the "besa" of the "communist" people that undid the Soviet Empire, it was the "besa" of the Vietnamese "peasants" that undid the American Empire, it is the "besa" of the "innocent" that is undoing the institutionalized church, and it is increasingly this "commitment" that will write our future.
Yes, another masterpiece by Kadare, good for reading as a story only and challenging to understand ourselves in a complex world.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
A Murky Mystery
20 Oct 2011
Format:Paperback
The Ghost Rider is part middle ages myth, part detective story, but in the end mostly a study in the palpable spirit of a community that is tenuously balanced among the conflicting pulls of dueling religions and political powers. Add to this the fact that the book was in part written under the watchful eye of the Soviet regime and then translated from a French translation to English, and you arrive at a work that is hard to characterize and culturally difficult, as an American, to understand.
The premise is the return of bride Doruntine to her hometown in Albania from the unnamed faraway land where she has been sent in marriage. She is sent away by her brother Kostandin, and ostensibly returned by him as well, although at the time of her return, he has been dead three years. Stres, the detective, is charged with solving the mystery, although it turns out that none of the powers that be are actually seeking the truth. Each is looking for a solution that will enhance its own grip on the village.
There are glimmers of a traditional detective story, but those merely act as a foil to the fact that the mystery is not one to be solved by traditional detective work. At the end of the day, the quotidian methods of analysis are belied by the "besa", the intangible spirit of the community that can cause to occur what cannot rationally or physically occur. I was distracted by the several instances in which it became clear that the physical transport was no doubt accomplished by Stres himself. Was that meant to question whether the besa was in fact a powerful force or to indicate that it was so powerful that even the level-headed Stres was susceptible to its power?
I remain on the fence about this one, so I gave it 3 stars.
The premise is the return of bride Doruntine to her hometown in Albania from the unnamed faraway land where she has been sent in marriage. She is sent away by her brother Kostandin, and ostensibly returned by him as well, although at the time of her return, he has been dead three years. Stres, the detective, is charged with solving the mystery, although it turns out that none of the powers that be are actually seeking the truth. Each is looking for a solution that will enhance its own grip on the village.
There are glimmers of a traditional detective story, but those merely act as a foil to the fact that the mystery is not one to be solved by traditional detective work. At the end of the day, the quotidian methods of analysis are belied by the "besa", the intangible spirit of the community that can cause to occur what cannot rationally or physically occur. I was distracted by the several instances in which it became clear that the physical transport was no doubt accomplished by Stres himself. Was that meant to question whether the besa was in fact a powerful force or to indicate that it was so powerful that even the level-headed Stres was susceptible to its power?
I remain on the fence about this one, so I gave it 3 stars.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Good analysis of a local tradition
26 Mar 2011
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ghost Rider is a novel about the old Albanian tradition of besa. Kadare analyzes the tradition masterfully and his descriptions are vivid and detailed. It's really hard to put this book down after reading a few pages. I truly enjoyed this book.
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