Aleksandar Hemon, a Bosnian stuck in Chicago in the Siege of Sarajevo in 1992, often portrays his main characters as Bosnian writers who try to adapt to a culture drastically different from one they were accustomed to. Hemon is most famous for his collection of short stories. In Love and Obstacles: Stories, a collection of short stories published in 2009, Hemon writes about a motivated young man who tries to seek a life for himself- by trying out multiple careers, and eventually, he gets recognized for his writing, much like Hemon himself.
Hemon compares himself to this young man, showing his concept of his own life through the wonderful adventures the speaker undergoes. Hemon sometimes exaggerates his descriptions to get his message across to the readers. Some of the stories focus on the narrator's misconceptions about the world and others, especially when he accosts a married woman who he believes is attracted to him. Other stories carry the speaker through the years, representing him as both a young, innocent boy and an older, more experienced man.
