Finally got round to reading The Siege by Ismail Kadare (which for some reason had slipped down my 'to read' pile). It really was brilliant. More people should read Kadare. I guess a lot of people haven't head of him, and those that have are put off by the fact that he's Albanian and 'intellectual'. But actually he has a really readable style, his English translator (David Bellos) is superb, and his novels can be read in many different ways. I would suggest starting with the The Siege if you don't know him, or Chronicle in Stone, if you want something a bit weightier.