Description
'The Great War' is a novel that comprehensively and passionately narrates a number of stories covering the duration of World War One, starting with the year 1914 - the year that truly marked the beginning of the twentieth century. Following the destinies of over seventy characters, on all warring sides, Gatalica depicts the experiences of winners and losers, generals and opera singers, soldiers and spies; managing to grasp the atmosphere of the entire epoch, not only of these crucial four and a half bloody years, but also in the innocent decades that preceded the war, and the poisoned ones that followed. The stories themselves are various but equally important: here we find joyful as well as tragic destinies, along with examples of exceptional heroism. Yet 'The Great War' never becomes a chronicle, nor a typical historical novel; above all it is a work of art that uses historic events as means to tell many fantastic stories, with unbelievable and unthinkable convolutions. It is commendable in its breadth, its vision and its relevance to modern history.
About the Author
Aleksandar Gatalica is one of Serbia's foremost contemporary authors. He is also a translator (from Ancient Greek), music critic and editor. He has published six novels and as many collections of short stories, and also a guide to Belgrade for Foreigners. He is the editor of pages on world literature (Danas daily), editor of Blic knjiga (literary supplement), editor of Serbian PEN Centre editions, assistant art director of Madlenianum Opera and Theatre, editor in National Broadcast Network Serbia. Presently, Gatalica hold the position of the General manager of Foundation of National Library of Serbia.
Reviews
'A whirlpool of a book that draws in the reader, moving ambitiously across place, class and profession yet tying all into the dreadful pull of the first global conflict. A war that began in the Balkans now has a fitting literary epitaph from a giant among Balkan writers.' - Tim Butcher,bestselling British writer and author of The Trigger 'This is a novel with a hundred faces, which all together make up a diverging and multi-layered story about World War I. Here, there is no separation between two worlds: the fictional and the real. Borislav Pekic would have added that the Spirit of History and the poetical content of the past is a predominating content of any successful literary work. 'The Great War' belongs to this category of work.' Petar Pijanovic, "Politika" magazine
Awards
Winner of Ninova nagrada (NIN Award) 2012 and Mesa Selimovic Award 2012.
Book Information
ISBN 9781908236203
Author Aleksandar Gatalica
Format Paperback
Page Count 416
Imprint Istros Books
Publisher Istros Books
About the Author
Aleksandar Gatalica is one of Serbia's foremost contemporary authors. He is also a translator (from Ancient Greek), music critic and editor. He has published six novels and as many collections of short stories, and also a guide to Belgrade for Foreigners. He is the editor of pages on world literature (Danas daily), editor of Blic knjiga (literary supplement), editor of Serbian PEN Centre editions, assistant art director of Madlenianum Opera and Theatre, editor in National Broadcast Network Serbia. Presently, Gatalica hold the position of the General manager of Foundation of National Library of Serbia.
Reviews
'A whirlpool of a book that draws in the reader, moving ambitiously across place, class and profession yet tying all into the dreadful pull of the first global conflict. A war that began in the Balkans now has a fitting literary epitaph from a giant among Balkan writers.' - Tim Butcher,bestselling British writer and author of The Trigger 'This is a novel with a hundred faces, which all together make up a diverging and multi-layered story about World War I. Here, there is no separation between two worlds: the fictional and the real. Borislav Pekic would have added that the Spirit of History and the poetical content of the past is a predominating content of any successful literary work. 'The Great War' belongs to this category of work.' Petar Pijanovic, "Politika" magazine
Awards
Winner of Ninova nagrada (NIN Award) 2012 and Mesa Selimovic Award 2012.
Book Information
ISBN 9781908236203
Author Aleksandar Gatalica
Format Paperback
Page Count 416
Imprint Istros Books
Publisher Istros Books
