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Prišleki #1-3
Prišleki
1093 pages, Hardcover
Published June 28, 2007
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99 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 7, 2017
''His novel The Newcomers (Slovene: Prišleki) is often considered one of the most important Slovene novels of the 20th century.'' (source: Wikipedia and various reviews)
The book is autobiographical novel divided into three parts, covering author's life from when he was 10 years old to his 20's (the first part - deportation from Switzerland, the second part - the WWII time and the third part - the post-war period). The author was born in Basel and before war the Swiss authorities expelled from the country all who didn't have Swiss citizenship. Family Kovačič (father was Slovenian and mother was German) went to father's relatives in the countryside and later in the city - Ljubljana. Family was in constant struggle for survival and with the communists in power after WWII, family problems become even greater - mother, sister and niece were sent to Austrian post-war refugee camp, where they spend several years. Author remained in Slovenia and he had constant problems with the ruling communist party and their ideology.
The writing style is very fragment with unfinished thoughts, offering the opportunity for reflection and interpretation. The story is described in details, but above all, this is a story centered on an inner monologue about feelings caused by external factors - living in a foreign country with unfamiliar language, how to use and how to find words, living with unfamiliar habits, to experince (in)humanity and constant incomprehension. It is the story about outcast who survive the eviction and remains immigrant without rights, a man who doesn't belong here and not there. He tells us the story of the lost home, how he felt the loss and what Home means. The story of a lost home / shelter from the outside world and the story of a broken family can tell only someone who has experienced such a life - when you don't know where you will sleep and what to eat, without family or help from adults, when every knock on the door and every look on the street could mean deportation, or at least jail... life is limited only to bare survival - you are marginalized newcomer without the right to a decent life.
Kovačič expose war and postwar events, which were forbidden topics in the former communist state of Yugoslavia (mass killings, different fractions between war, '' free" postwar elections, the attitude of the communist authorities to clergy, internal - political purges, hypocrisy, despotic manners of the politicians, labor camps for disobedient - unadjusted citizens). Topics, that still divides our country...
Through the story we feel authors bitterness, but without sentimentality and deep feelings of loss and sadness, as well as his thoughtful attitude towards the things, that makes sense in his inner life - books, writing, language, words, his search for words to express emotions and feelings, rather than simply describing the facts.
The book is probably not the best book by Slovenian authors, but it is certainly one of the most important literary works of our area. Kovačič stands naked before us, expose himself with intimate thoughts about own life, about turbulent/confused times, with personal experience, when he was not allowed to belong.
Therefore, this book is important. It is a story about the importance of having a home and a sense of belonging, it is a literary document about a man who survived and remained faithful to himself and it is a literary document about dark / unspoken side of Slovenian history. It is a literary document about humanity, kindness to fellow human beings and what happens when humanity no longer exist... it is a intimate literary document about the life of a man, his helplessness when life collapses because of the policy, it is literary document of political - ideological blindness and it is literary document about a man who survived and remained a Human, the Human who have found the right words.
The book is autobiographical novel divided into three parts, covering author's life from when he was 10 years old to his 20's (the first part - deportation from Switzerland, the second part - the WWII time and the third part - the post-war period). The author was born in Basel and before war the Swiss authorities expelled from the country all who didn't have Swiss citizenship. Family Kovačič (father was Slovenian and mother was German) went to father's relatives in the countryside and later in the city - Ljubljana. Family was in constant struggle for survival and with the communists in power after WWII, family problems become even greater - mother, sister and niece were sent to Austrian post-war refugee camp, where they spend several years. Author remained in Slovenia and he had constant problems with the ruling communist party and their ideology.
The writing style is very fragment with unfinished thoughts, offering the opportunity for reflection and interpretation. The story is described in details, but above all, this is a story centered on an inner monologue about feelings caused by external factors - living in a foreign country with unfamiliar language, how to use and how to find words, living with unfamiliar habits, to experince (in)humanity and constant incomprehension. It is the story about outcast who survive the eviction and remains immigrant without rights, a man who doesn't belong here and not there. He tells us the story of the lost home, how he felt the loss and what Home means. The story of a lost home / shelter from the outside world and the story of a broken family can tell only someone who has experienced such a life - when you don't know where you will sleep and what to eat, without family or help from adults, when every knock on the door and every look on the street could mean deportation, or at least jail... life is limited only to bare survival - you are marginalized newcomer without the right to a decent life.
Kovačič expose war and postwar events, which were forbidden topics in the former communist state of Yugoslavia (mass killings, different fractions between war, '' free" postwar elections, the attitude of the communist authorities to clergy, internal - political purges, hypocrisy, despotic manners of the politicians, labor camps for disobedient - unadjusted citizens). Topics, that still divides our country...
Through the story we feel authors bitterness, but without sentimentality and deep feelings of loss and sadness, as well as his thoughtful attitude towards the things, that makes sense in his inner life - books, writing, language, words, his search for words to express emotions and feelings, rather than simply describing the facts.
The book is probably not the best book by Slovenian authors, but it is certainly one of the most important literary works of our area. Kovačič stands naked before us, expose himself with intimate thoughts about own life, about turbulent/confused times, with personal experience, when he was not allowed to belong.
Therefore, this book is important. It is a story about the importance of having a home and a sense of belonging, it is a literary document about a man who survived and remained faithful to himself and it is a literary document about dark / unspoken side of Slovenian history. It is a literary document about humanity, kindness to fellow human beings and what happens when humanity no longer exist... it is a intimate literary document about the life of a man, his helplessness when life collapses because of the policy, it is literary document of political - ideological blindness and it is literary document about a man who survived and remained a Human, the Human who have found the right words.
September 18, 2025
4,5/5
Čudovita, boleča, napeta, zabavna, imenitna knjiga. Res lepo prikaže, kako postopna in težka je asimilacija posameznika v neko novo kulturo, državo. In kako je lahko življenje kruto in neprizanesljivo, pa v njem vseeno lahko najdeš drobce sreče. Resnično upam, da so Bubi in njegova družina našli svojo. Ker sta prva dva dela napisana v otroški perspektivi, je še toliko bolj impresivno brati zapise miselnih procesov mladega fanta, ki je odraščal v najbolj okrutnem obdobju 20. stoletja. Večkrat sem se zjokala, še večkrat nasmejala. Res je bilo vredno potrpeti tistih nekaj vmesnih strani dolgovezenja in esejizacije, ki je včasih malo preveč obšla bistvo, ampak hej, nekaj elementov modernizma pa moramo imet. Pol zvezdice odbijem zato, ker sem si želela, da bi nekatere teme bolj razvil in o njih še več povedal. Mogoče bom morala prebrati še kakšno Kovačičevo knjigo, da tam nahranim svojo radovednost.
Čudovita, boleča, napeta, zabavna, imenitna knjiga. Res lepo prikaže, kako postopna in težka je asimilacija posameznika v neko novo kulturo, državo. In kako je lahko življenje kruto in neprizanesljivo, pa v njem vseeno lahko najdeš drobce sreče. Resnično upam, da so Bubi in njegova družina našli svojo. Ker sta prva dva dela napisana v otroški perspektivi, je še toliko bolj impresivno brati zapise miselnih procesov mladega fanta, ki je odraščal v najbolj okrutnem obdobju 20. stoletja. Večkrat sem se zjokala, še večkrat nasmejala. Res je bilo vredno potrpeti tistih nekaj vmesnih strani dolgovezenja in esejizacije, ki je včasih malo preveč obšla bistvo, ampak hej, nekaj elementov modernizma pa moramo imet. Pol zvezdice odbijem zato, ker sem si želela, da bi nekatere teme bolj razvil in o njih še več povedal. Mogoče bom morala prebrati še kakšno Kovačičevo knjigo, da tam nahranim svojo radovednost.
February 5, 2026
vbistvi san ostala na strani 650 but i caaaaant anymore kak je to bedno
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews