Montenegro [Hardcover]

Starling Lawrence (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1997

In an age just before World War I, an agent of a powerful Englishman is sent to the Balkans to see if they can take advantage of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, but the agent finds himself falling in love with a woman who is married to a powerful Montenegrin Serb. A first novel."

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

As the publicity stresses, Norton editor-in-chief Lawrence edits Patrick O'Brien, so it's not surprising that he has written a first novel of historical adventure. But this excellent work is much, much more than that. Set on the eve of World War I, it features Englishman Auberon Harwell, who consents to travel to Montenegro for the supercilious Lord Polgrove to assess Britain's opportunities in the Balkans as the Ottoman Empire disintegrates. On his first day there, he encounters the gruesome handiwork of a partisan and loses his packhorse on the rocks, but he pushes on to the interior and takes up residence with the family of Danilo Pekocevic, freedom-fighting hero of the Montenegrin Serbs and now an old man. Inevitably, Harwell is drawn into conflicts both political and personal?conflicts that he soon realizes will explode, regardless of his (or Britain's) interest in trying to set things right. Lawrence writes assuredly, with great attention to both character and historical detail, helping us feel the underlying conflict that, of course, is still present in the Balkans today. At first, we are seduced by the wonderful storytelling, but eventually we are humbled by the story's moral dimensions. Highly recommended.
-?Barbara Hoffert, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Lawrence demonstrated his writing talent in his short story collection Legacies (1996); his moving first novel confirms his abilities. With splendid evocation of place and time, fine writing, and a compelling mixture of adventure, tragedy, and romance, Montenegro transcends the historical fiction genre. The hero, naively enthusiastic Englishman Auberon Harwell, travels to Montenegro at the turn of the century under the pretext of studying local plants. Actually, he is on a fact-finding mission at the behest of an English politician who is eager to turn the region's conflicts to his own advantage. In a small border village, Harwell's host is Daniel Pekocevic, renowned among the Montenegrin Serbs as a great warrior and patriot. Harwell tutors Daniel's son, Toma, and falls in love with Pekocevic's wife. In the shadow of the growing tension among the various ethnic groups and the competing Austrian and Ottoman Empires, each character in the novel is forced to make painfully difficult decisions; that we care deeply about them is a tribute to Lawrence's skill. Nancy Pearl

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 306 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux; 1st edition (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374214077
• ISBN-13: 978-0374214074
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,838,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lawrence's MONTENEGRO proves that the past is prologue, November 25, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Montenegro (Hardcover)

The story of Auberon Harwell's gradual involvement with a country to which he is a stanger proves that fiction can be and, in this case, is, a metaphor for history. It is also a very timely novel, for the pre World War I Austria which he describes can be seen as an echo of the current Western debate surrounding the former Yugoslavia. Also, Lawrence gives a balanced historical context for understanding the soul, character and motivation of the Serbs. His lyrical prose captures the essence of the land and the ties of the people to that land in such a way that we can begin to understand the deep nature of the complexities of geopolitical motivations. Also, as the daughter of a Montenegrin exile, this book brought me closer to my own father's story and my own history. Who should we send to mediate the "Balkan problem"? Starling Lawrence!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting to read, but more personal than political, September 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Montenegro (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this book to be more of an exploration of the feelings of the Englishman than of politics. It told me nothing that I didn't already know about the history of the area. I strongly recommend not reading the first chapter first; read the rest of the book, then go back and read the first chapter. The first chapter is essentially a summary of the whole book, and you will know what will happen and how it will end before you read the book itself.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, December 23, 2001

By 

"ekariana" (La Jolla, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Montenegro (Mass Market Paperback)

One of the best book I've read this year. Couldn't put it down; just had to know the end.Great writing.