Description:
There is nothing easy about being the Minister of Culture of Montenegro--but the next nine days for Valentin Kovacevic will be especially difficult. During an artist's performance, he has accidentally killed her, and now, if he hopes to preserve both his position and his sanity, he must navigate the murky corridors of government bureaucracy, cultural expectations, and relentless family pressures.
The Minister, winner of the 2020 European Union Prize for Literature, is a darkly satirical political noir that exposes the harsh realities behind democratic "transitions." It reveals how the promises of reform can empower corrupt politicians and criminal networks, fuel nationalism, and wipe out the middle class. Sharp, unsettling, and bitingly relevant, it is a portrait of a society where truth is slippery, power is dangerous, and survival demands moral compromise.
Review Quotes:
"Combining dashes of Kafka, Kadare, and early Kundera with enough commentary on what makes Montenegrins uniquely Montenegrin that Boskovic emerges with a style all his own . . . What makes The Minister special is the fact that it testifies to Montenegrin history and culture while also being entertaining, a winning combination for translated literature." --Cory Oldweiler, LA Review of Books
"[M]etafictional touches that reminded this reader of mid-1980s Martin Amis. If you enjoy your tales of personal and professional crises laced with grim comedy, you'll find plenty to savor here." --Tobias Carroll, Words Without Borders
"Boskovic emphasizes the contrast between the power and 'unequivocalness' of the state and sensitivity of the artist . . . Killing poets turns out to be less of a problem than feeling guilty about it." --Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal