A novel for broken time

Kliton Nesturi

(Ilire Zajmi, "Era", "Bota Shqiptare" publishing house, Albania, 2014 )

To feel the breathing of a nation we should look at the creativity of its writers and poets. It is precisely those who have realized history of their place of living, of the people they belong to. Throughout its course, in the history of Albanians, we encounter a few cases in pits and hoards, which after many times cause a lot of reflections, debates and controversy. This could not have happened if the Albanians themselves at certain times would have been able to write and enlighten their history, whether through chronicle records, or even through the reflection of these periods in works of art, whether in literature, painting, etc.  It would not have happened if the Albanians apart of participating in the foreign wars, have thought, designed and build in a timely manner their constitutive institutions, which began with various universities and academies. Like in all other areas, we have come late as in the life story of our history, as well as in the literature and arts. This handicap, created by different historical and social conditions, was covered  by foreign-language studies of our history, language, and traditions.

Unlike previous centuries, the twentieth century also brought the emancipation and awareness of a certain elite, whose role in Albanian  culture  and history is very large, but not so much appreciated. It is precisely these stories and studies that shed light on certain periods of life, especially throughout the last century. Firstly, in the historical point of view, this reflection leaves a profound insight into the recognition of history, language, customs, ethnology and the development of the life of the Albanian nation.
Seen in this context, every written line, despite being able to scratch a wound, leaves traces, especially for the future. It is a contribution that today should not forget the not too distant past, as well as a knowledge of the future with the present or that part of the history that we have lived in.

In the novel "Era" by Ilire Zajmi, published by "Bota shqiptare” is described a love story, set in a historical, not very distant period. It is about the social and political life of Kosovo in the 90’s, with a period of eight years. Although at first glance it seems that the author is focused on the love of the Era and Butrint, it establishes this relationship and its history that it creates from the historical background of the time it belongs to. Through them and the fate of other characters, we strive to create a clear picture of the political and social life in Kosovo of that period: the increasingly mounting Serbian terror, unemployment, uncertainty for the future, massive displacement to the west, many dilemmas on the future, mass arrests and  massive expulsion from work places etc. So every element of that period, which we once saw reflected in the news that lay in the newspapers and media, or from the various conversations, which were sometimes disseminated  with the densities of fog in the legends.
For a writer, or even for a man who did not live that period, mistakes in the subjectivity of dealing with events and history would be enormous. But in this case, the author is a witness to the period for which she writes in this novel, so her authenticity is great. So great that at one point it looks like she is one of the characters of this work. But for the reader this fact is not very important, how important are the events, facts, life and atmosphere of the story.
The living-time writer should be as realistic as the most convincing.

And Ilire Zajmi, she can really give us that. It enters deep into the conscience of the characters, giving us just as she encountered them during that period. People in chaos, in amulets, in fear. They are sometimes doubled and sometimes strive to maintain balance, developing a fierce struggle not only against one another but also about themselves. None of them know if in this war are winners or losers. "We are dying every die little  by little,  and the anxiety to fall down is slaying us," thinks in a moment the main character Era Shpati. This sentiment is not a testament to personal life, but to the stagnation that accompanies collective life. However, even in the most difficult moments one should not lose balance. Even at the darkest moment, one must see light somewhere. It tries to give the author through the main character, which accepts to lose even a great love, in the face of losing her dignity. In the portrayal of Era Shpati, Ilire Zajmi has avoided the heroin scheme and has given us a man of our own, wandering with his blessings and fantasies, with ambitions and dilemmas. As if in a moment she can say to hersel: "It seems to me that everything belongs to the past, the future is just a wondrous vision." This sincerity is shocking, since she thinks that everything will be extinguished It is a pessimism that, in a few cases, leads to fatalism, towards suicide.
Although the action scene of the story is small, all the characters are on the move. They all turn to the unknown, thinking of it as the best choice. "All of us, says Butrint, we live in a getaway!" Apart from the portrayal of the characters and the general social life, Ilire Zajmi's merit remains the dynamics characterizing of the novel. This gives the work a more modern approach to literature. This novel  has no visible dynamics, but inward action, it is the clash of the individual with reality.
The novel "Era" of Ilire Zajmi is a story that comes to the reader in a right time. This work is a reflection of a broken time that has left a mark in the history of Albanians, is a reminder of the current steps and the construction of the future, are human stories that reflect the history of a nation.