Aleksander Hemon’s “Love and Obstacles” follows the development of an unnamed Yugoslavian writer who immigrates to America before the wars tear apart his country. His escape is due to circumstance, not cowardice, but the narrator’s feelings of guilt riddle the pages. Hemon has an excellent eye for character and scenery. The cold of Wisconsin, the joie de vivre of a Sarajevo café, or the stagnancy of fundraisers are depicted with equal accuracy. The stories are not autobiographical, but the similarities between Hemon and the narrator are compelling. Each story stands alone, but as a series we see the narrator move from the searching adventurousness of adolescence to a resigned and somewhat abashed adulthood. “But the beauty of youth is that reality never quells desire,” writes Hemon in an early story. This brash optimism dissipates as the narrator moves toward middle age. Hemon chronicles the frustrations of youth and the past with an appreciation for that particular variety of despair rather than with mournful nostalgia.
“Love and Obstacles”
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About Frances Milliken
Frances Milliken is a native of Santa Fe and a graduate of Bowdoin College with a degree in English and Visual Arts. She spent eight months living in Italy after graduation: three with a family in Tuscany and five polishing her knowledge of the language in Rome. Her greatest talent and love is reading, and she hopes to parlay her passion into an occupation. She lives in New York City and blogs about books.