TIRANA, February 3/ATA/ In commemoration of the 8th anniversary of death of the great Albanian writer Dritëro Agolli, his novel “The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo” has come out in Italian as translated by Julian Zhara and has received praise from Italian critics.
Anna Lattanzi, in an article for “Albania Letteraria”, evaluated the novel as, “One of the most accomplished satirical works of Albanian literature” and emphasized that “although it speaks of yesterday’s Albania, its irony and messages are still relevant today”.
Meanwhile, Giorgio Bona, in an article for “Carmilla”, calls the novel a “monument of wise irony” and mentions how the then communist prime minister Mehmet Shehu, at the time it was first published, had publicly criticized it, but privately had asked to read the other succeeding publications.
“The Rise and Fall of Comrade Zylo”, Dritëro Agolli’s masterpiece, brings to Italian readers a vivid portrait of the Albanian communist bureaucracy, with all the absurdity and satire that characterizes it, making it a novel that continues to fascinate. The new Italian edition not only brings the novel in a complete version, but also brings back to attention a great Albanian author like Dritëro Agolli. /r.e/a.f/p.s./
