A masterpiece by the Nobel Prize winner: At the beginning of the 19th century, the small Bosnian town of Travnik comes into the sights of the world powers. Bosnia - like almost the entire Balkans - is part of the Ottoman Empire, where a vizier of the Sultan resides. When a French and an Austrian consul are dispatched to the town, it becomes a stage for international diplomacy. Both vie fiercely for the Sultan's favor, but ultimately can only endure each other. This novel, completed in 1942, is a masterpiece of narrative art, a love letter to Ivo Andric's homeland of Bosnia, and a timeless stage of the world.