Rudnik čvaraka
The debut work of Croatian writer Tomislav Šovagović, awarded the Josip and Ivan Kozarac Award in 2012, is a dedication to Slavonia – the region of his childhood that the author, born in Dalmatia, observes with foreign but tender eyes.
A collection of a dozen short stories evokes the idyllic but difficult times of the 1970s and 1980s: peasant life, family dinners, folk customs, village legends and everyday suffering. In "The Crackling Mine" – a metaphor for deep, hidden memories like coal in a mine – the stories intertwine like family roots: a boy from Split comes to Slavonia to visit his relatives, where he discovers the magic of the plain, the smell of plums and the bitterness of poverty.
"Digestive Problems of Entire Nations" mocks ethnic prejudices through a family lunch; "Slavonia" celebrates the land of fertility and oblivion; "Grandfather and Grandson" explores the transmission of wisdom through generations. The characters are authentic: rough-and-tender grandfathers, wise grandmothers, mischievous boys and peasants full of folk wisdom. Šovagović's style is simple, witty, full of black humor and nostalgia – short, easy-to-read stories ideal for escaping from the fast-paced life.
The book deals with themes of nostalgic love for the homeland, the conflict between tradition and modernity, family ties, Slavonian culture in the Yugoslav era. As reviews point out, the book is a "historical monument to bygone times", healing for the soul, evoking memories of lighter times. The sequel "Rudnik čvaraka 2" (2022) continues this saga.
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