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How The Soldier Repairs The Gramophone

How The Soldier Repairs The Gramophone

by SasaStanisic (Author)

  • Used

    Hardcover 2008

    $3.31
Synopsis

Aleksandar is Comrade-in-Chief of fishing, the best magician in the non-aligned States and painter of unfinished things. He knows the first chapter of Marx's Das Kapital by heart but spends most of his time playing football in the Bosnian town of Visegrad on the banks of the river Drina. When his grandfather, a master storyteller, dies of the fastest heart attack in the world while watching Carl Lewis's record, Aleksandar promises to carry on the tradition. However when the shadow of war spreads to Visegrad, the world as he knows it stops. Suddenly it is not important how heavy a spider's life weighs, or why Marko's horse is related to Superman. Suddenly it is important to have the right name and to pretend that the little Muslim girl Asija is his sister. Then Aleksandar's parents decide to flee to Germany and he must leave his new friend behind.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
 Pages: 288
 Edition: First British Edition
 Publisher: W&N
Published: 12 Jun 2008
ISBN 10: 0297852981
ISBN 13: 9780297852988
Book Overview: The author is only 28 but has already been shortlisted for the German Book Award, won the Chamisso prize, the Bremer Literaturforderpreis and the Ingeborg Bachmann prize, and has held both the Iowa and Graz writing fellowships. The author is himself a refugee who left Visgrad when he was 14. He speaks fluent English. 'I love this book. It's funny and it's heartfelt and it's brazen and it's true. Find some space on your shelf beside Jonathan Safran Foer, William Vollmann and David Foster Wallace. A welcome voice rising up amongst the great voices.' Colum McCann 'A magnificent feast of storytelling. Sharp, funny, humane, magical.' Gary Shteyngart, author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook Rights sold to: Bosnia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Iceland, Korea, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Catalan, Sweden, Taiwan, USA
 Prizes: Shortlisted for Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize 2009.

Media Reviews
the best sections are exceptionally powerful and moving. As the debut of a young writer, this is a wonderfully inventive and impressive novel -- Josh Lacey GUARDIAN Enchanting from the first word to the final. This sad and magical book captures the impact of war on childhood GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Aleksander's endearing attempts to accept that his homeland has changed for ever mark this out as another impressive novel to emerge from the Balkan conflict -- Claire Allfree METRO A poignant and often very funny debut novel WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY An imaginative boy's life changes when war comes to town in the wonderful debut How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE there is some kind of innate divine spark animating this story. the literary talent on show in this book is simply world-class -- Hugh Tynan IRISH EXAMINER This is a deeply poignant and yet enchating portrayal of the Bosnian war as witnessed by a child by new writer Stanisic. -- Melissa McClements FINANCIAL TIMES An impressive debut from a gifted young writer -- Matt Gilbert THE BIG ISSUE An original literary voice is exceptionally rare. Yet Bosnian Sasa Stanisic's debut novel has an entrancing spirit all of its own -- Melissa McClements FINANCIAL TIMES Stanisic bravely and ambitiously examines ways of perceiving history and identity in a war-torn world -- Anita Sethi THE INDEPENDENT this is a debut brimming with poignancy, humour and, most importantly, potential. -- Will Gore TIME OUT the tone of Stanisic's voice is consistent: plaintive but not self-pitying, defiant, wary of false hope. authentic, adventurous yet effective -- Charlie Hill Times Literary Supplement
Author Bio
Sasa Stanisic was born 1978 in Visegrad in Bosnia-Herzegovina and has been living in Germany since 1992. How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone is his first novel and was shortlisted for the German Book Award as well as winning several other major prizes, with translations in 24 languages forthcoming. Stanisic is also the recipient of the prestigious Graz and Iowa writing fellowships.