The novel Ruta Tannenbaum is by prolific, award-winning Croatian author Miljenko Jergović. First published in 2006, the story illuminates life and society in Yugoslavia between the world wars. The title character was inspired by real-life figure Lea Deutsch, the now-forgotten Shirley Temple of Yugoslavia, who was murdered in the Holocaust. Using their shared Jewish heritage as a starting point, Jergovic constructs a fictional family history populated by historical figures with the precocious Ruta at the center. Stephen Dickey’s translation masterfully captures Jergovic ́’s colloquial yet deeply observed style, which animates the tangled and troubled history of persecution and war in Croatia.
Places and Forms of Encounter in Jewish Literatures. Transfer, Mediality and Situativity brings together contributions on Jewish literatures with methodologies and theories discussed in Comparative and World Literature Studies. The contributions highlight dynamic literary processes in various historical and cultural contexts.
The volume offers an overview of the diverse Jewish experiences in Southeastern Europe from the 19th to the 21st centuries, and the various forms and strategies of their representation in literature, the arts, historiography and philosophy. Southeastern Europe is characterized by a high degree of ethnical, religious and cultural diversity. Jews, whether Sephardim, Ashkenazim or Romaniots – settling there in different periods – experienced divergent life worlds which engendered rich cultural production. Though recent scholarly and popular interest in this heterogeneous region has grown impressively, Jewish cultural production is still an under-researched area. The volume offers an overview of the diverse Jewish experiences in Southeastern Europe from the 19th to the 21st centuries, and the various forms and strategies of their representation in literature, the arts, historiography and philosophy, thus creating a dialogue between Jewish studies, Balkan studies, and current literary and cultural theories.
Yellow Star, Red Star asks why Holocaust memory continues to be so deeply troubled—ignored, appropriated, and obfuscated—throughout Eastern Europe, even though it was in those lands that most of the extermination campaign occurred. As part of accession to the European Union, Jelena Subotić shows, East European states were required to adopt, participate in, and contribute to the established Western narrative of the Holocaust. This requirement created anxiety and resentment in post-communist states: Holocaust memory replaced communist terror as the dominant narrative in Eastern Europe, focusing instead on predominantly Jewish suffering in World War II. Influencing the European Union's own memory politics and legislation in the process, post-communist states have attempted to reconcile these two memories by pursuing new strategies of Holocaust remembrance. The memory, symbols, and imagery of the Holocaust have been appropriated to represent crimes of communism. Yellow Star, Red Star presents in-depth accounts of Holocaust remembrance practices in Serbia, Croatia, and Lithuania, and extends the discussion to other East European states. The book demonstrates how countries of the region used Holocaust remembrance as a political strategy to resolve their contemporary "ontological insecurities"—insecurities about their identities, about their international status, and about their relationships with other international actors. As Subotić concludes, Holocaust memory in Eastern Europe has never been about the Holocaust or about the desire to remember the past, whether during communism or in its aftermath. Rather, it has been about managing national identities in a precarious and uncertain world.
The Balkans have been so troubled by violence and misunderstanding that we have the verb “balkanize,” meaning to break up into smaller, warring components. While some of the region’s artists and thinkers have invariably fallen into nationalistic tendencies, the twenty-two prominent authors represented here, from the erstwhile Yugoslavia and its neighbors Albania and Bulgaria, have chosen to attempt to bridge these divides. The essays, biographical sketches, and stories in The Stranger Next Door form a project of understanding that picks up where politics fail. The English-language translation joins editions of the book that appeared concurrently in all of the participating countries.
Now available in ePub format. Now in full color, The Rough Guide to Croatia is the ultimate travel guide to one of Mediterranean Europe's most beautiful and unspoiled countries. It guides you through the region with reliable and comprehensive coverage of all the sights and attractions, from walking a circuit of Dubrovnik's city walls, exploring the labyrinthine streets of Split, or savoring the food, wine, and breathtaking nature of the Dalmatian islands. The Rough Guide to Croatia offers practical, informed advice on how to enjoy everything from sea-kayaking and mountain hiking to sunbathing and swimming at the most beautiful beaches to the best in contemporary art, culture, and clubbing. Up-to-date listings pinpoint the best cafés, hotels, shops, nightlife, and restaurants for all budgets, ensuring you have the most memorable trip imaginable. Easy-to-use, full-color maps ensure that you won't miss a thing. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Croatia.
The Rough Guide to Croatia is the ultimate travel guide to one of Mediterranean Europe's most beautiful and unspoiled countries. With over a thousand islands, clear blue waters, inland waterfalls, stylish cities, Roman remains and medieval towns, Croatia packs a punch far above its size. With The Rough Guide to Croatia, you'll discover the best of the country's inventive local food scene, off-the-beaten track beaches and summer festivals. It leads you through the country with reliable and comprehensive coverage of all the sights and attractions, from walking a circuit of Dubrovnik's city walls to exploring the labyrinthine streets of Spilt, plus practical advice on everything from sea kayaking and mountain hiking to catamaran routes and unusual places to stay. Up-to-date listings pinpoint the best cafés, hotels, shops, nightlife and restaurants for all budgets, while easy-to-use, full-colour maps ensure that you won't miss a thing. Make the most of your trip with The Rough Guide to Croatia.
“Zagreb’s noirish underbelly comes from a new nation familiar with both war and war crimes. Mr. Sršen’s handpicked selections are anything but ordinary.” —New York Journal of Books Eastern European history is filled with noir-ish and harrowing tales, and Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, certainly has its fill. Layers of trauma from its war years, soccer hooliganism, and a shadowy Balkan underground all contribute to the city’s transient and inconstant character. Editor Ivan Sršen has curated a diverse, powerful, and dramatic group of stories that offer tremendous insight into the perspectives of contemporary Croatians. Zagreb Noir features translated stories by: Ivan Vidić, Josip Novakovich, Andrea Žigić-Dolenec, Robert Perišić, Mima Simić, Pero Kvesić, Nada Gašić, Zoran Pilić, Ružica Gašperov, Darko Milošić, Nora Verde, Ivan Sršen, Neven Ušumović, and Darko Macan. “Zagreb, Croatia—its culture and its touchstones—will be terra incognita for many U.S. readers . . . Notable is Nora Verde’s ‘She-Warrior,’ in which a young woman’s carefully planned anarchist activities are smacked down by a triple helping of reality.” —Publishers Weekly “The stories shed light on a sickness that stirs within society’s boundaries. Readers will easily glean that this sickness is not exclusive to Zagreb. Sršen reveals the ugly truth about human nature that burrows under the surface in war-torn countries.” —The Examiner (San Francisco)
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME ON EARTH Discover Croatia with this comprehensive, entertaining, 'tell it like it is' Rough Guide, packed with exhaustive practical information and our experts' honest independent recommendations. Whether you plan to taste biscuits and sweets in Korcula, take in the maritime panoramas from Vis's Mount Hum or head to the Museum of Broken Relationships, The Rough Guide to Croatia will show you the perfect places to explore, sleep, eat, drink and shop along the way. Features of The Rough Guide to Croatia: Detailed regional coverage: provides in-depth practical information for every step of every kind of trip, from intrepid off-the-beaten-track adventures, to chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas. Regions covered include: Zagreb; Inland Croatia; Istria; the Kvarner Gulf; Northern Dalmatia; Split; the south Dalmatia coast; the southern Dalmatian islands; Dubrovnik. Honest independent reviews: written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, and recommendations you can truly trust, our writers will help you get the most from your trip to Croatia. Meticulous mapping: always full-colour, with clear numbered, colour-coded keys. Find your way around Hvar, Rovinj and many more locations without needing to get online. Fabulous full-colour photography: features a richness of inspirational colour photography, including Plitvice Lakes National Park's sequence of foaming waterfalls and turquoise lakes and Zadar's muddle of architectural styles, from Romanesque churches to Corinthian columns to glass-fronted café-bars. Things not to miss: Rough Guides' rundown of Hvar, Istria, Dubrovnik and Zagreb's best sights and top experiences. Itineraries: carefully planned routes will help you organise your trip, and inspire and inform your on-the-road experiences. Basics section: packed with essential pre-departure information including getting there, getting around, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, festivals, sports and outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, shopping and more. Background information: comprehensive Contexts chapter provides fascinating insights into Croatia, with coverage of history, music and books, plus a handy language section and glossary. Covers: Zagreb, Inland Croatia, Istria, the Kvarner Gulf, Northern Dalmatia, Split and the south Dalmatian coast, the southern Dalmatian Islands, Dubrovnik and around. You might also be interested in... the Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget. About Rough Guides: Rough Guides have been inspiring travellers for over 35 years, with over 30 million copies sold. Synonymous with practical travel tips, quality writing and a trustworthy 'tell it like it is' ethos, the Rough Guides' list includes more than 260 travel guides to 120+ destinations, gift-books and phrasebooks.
This grand novel encompasses nearly all of Yugoslavia’s tumultuous twentieth century, from the decline of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires through two world wars, the rise and fall of communism, the breakup of the nation, and the terror of the shelling of Dubrovnik. Tackling universal themes on a human scale, master storyteller Miljenko Jergovic traces one Yugoslavian family’s tale as history irresistibly casts the fates of five generations. What is it to live a life whose circumstances are driven by history? Jergovic investigates the experiences of a compelling heroine, Regina Delavale, and her many family members and neighbors. Telling Regina’s story in reverse chronology, the author proceeds from her final days in 2002 to her birth in 1905, encountering along the way such traumas as atrocities committed by Nazi Ustashe Croats and the death of Tito. Lyrically written and unhesitatingly told, The Walnut Mansion may be read as an allegory of the tragedy of Yugoslavia’s tormented twentieth century.
