Croatian literature

Over the coming weeks we will be uploading more book reviews.....

Title: Southerly Thoughts and Other Stories - an anthology of Croatian short stories. Editor: Mladen Urem Authors: Ksaver Šandor Gjalski, Janko Polić Kamov, Miroslav Krleža, Vladan Desnica, Ranko Marinković, Slobodan Novak, Ivan Aralica, Ivan Slamnig, Antun Šoljan, Nedjeljko Fabrio Publisher: Rival Civic Association, Rijeka, 2005, 188pp ISBN: 9536700204 to come... MM

Title: A House in Istria Author: Richard Swartz Publisher: New Directions, 2007, 224pp ISBN: 0811216977 ISBN: 978-0811216975 This is a novel about a Swedish man who is intent on buying a house in Istria. Not speaking the language, he must rely on his wife to negotiate the purchase of this house. Covering a period of seven days, he discovers that the ownership of the house is disputed and therefore with the help of his wife he sets forth to try and find out who the owners are. This story is narrated the voice of his wife and is as much about their relationship as it is about house buying in Croatia. SC

Title: Imagining the Balkans Author: Maria Todorova Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA, 1997, 272pp ISBN: 0195087518 ISBN: 978-0195087512 Todorova’s book is a study on the literature about the Balkans written by western authors. Through her analysis of narratives written by a number of diplomats, journalists and travel writers, she argues that the ‘Balkans’ is not only a geographical area but is also a concept often filled with negative inferences and judgements. Put very simply, her main line of argument takes a fairly similar form to that offered by Edward Said in his book “Orientalism”, where she suggests that the effect of presenting the Balkans as an area guided by primitive passions is that Europe is made to look more civilised. Irrespective of whether one accepts her argument or not, by questioning the motives of western authors as to why they are writing about the Balkans as they do, this book compels readers to not take the literature written by western authors as being a ‘true’ representation of the Balkans. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in reading more widely on the break up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. SC

Title: Two Lines of Life Author: Sonia Wild – Bićanić Publisher: Durieux, Croatian Pen Centre, Zagreb, 1999, 224pp ISBN: 953-188-102-2 After marrying the politician Rudolf Bicanic in the 1940’s, Sonia Wild-Bićanić has lived in Zagreb for most of her life. With over fifty years of experience of living in Croatia, she gives an account of a young British woman finding her feet in Zagreb after the Second World War. This book is a story of her move to Zagreb, her relationship with her in laws, her work at the University of Zagreb, life with her children and grandchildren, her husband’s death and her subsequent marriage to her second husband Emilio. With a principle focus on life during the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, it offers a window on an ‘ordinary’ life in Zagreb. It is this seeming ordinariness that makes this book so special, since it is one of the rare books that does not set out to persuade the reader of a particular political stance. SC