Chronicle of three centuries of Balkan life, centering around a great stone bridge in present-day Yugoslavia.
Ivo Andrić Books
October 9, 1892 – March 13, 1975
Ivo Andrić masterfully chronicles life in his native Bosnia under Ottoman rule, weaving epic narratives that explore human destinies shaped by history. His profound insights into the human psyche are matched by a powerful sense of place and culture. Andrić's work captures the complexities of existence, making him a significant voice in literature.
Ivo Andric posses the rare gift in a historical novelist of creating a period-piece, full of local colour, and at the same time characters who might have been living today. His masterwork is imbued with the richness and complexity of a region that has brought much tragedy to our century and known so little peace. The writer uses his native Bosnia as a microcosm of human society, stressing its potential for national, cultural and religious misunderstanding and conflict, and identifying the barriers of all kinds that hinder communication between individuals. Written against the background of violence released in these mixed communities during the Second World War, the novel now has renewed and poignant relevance.
Prokleta avlija
- 128 pages
- 5 hours of reading
Omer pacha Latas
- 375 pages
- 14 hours of reading
Roman de peintre ou d'un joueur d'échecs, ce livre relate la vie du général d'origine croate Omer pacha Latas, envoyé en Bosnie en 1850 par le sultan Abdul Medjid pour y imposer l'autorité turque. La Bosnie, si elle dépend alors d'Istambul, est en réalité menée par ses knez, dont le premier, le Voïvode Zimonitch, règne sur la région de Sarajevo. Ces knez, Omer pacha va chercher à les contraindre ; eux s'attacheront à plier, à craindre, à attendre surtout. Autour de ce duel, comme en promenant ses yeux sur un échiquier, les figures se croisent, se rencontrent : la reine, épouse du séraskier, le fou, Costache Nenisanu, qui perd la raison par amour, la tour, ce serviteur du pacha qui le protège et pourvoie à ses vices, les soldats, anciens autrichiens ou croates islamisés. L'art de la miniature à l'échelle d'une fresque, par le plus célèbre des écrivains yougoslaves (Prix Nobel 1961).
