Konjanik (Biblioteka Izabrana djela / Ivan Aralica)

by Ivan Aralica

Serbo-Croation

Genres: Historical Fiction, Novels

359 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Born in Promina near Knin, and having finished pedagogical school and Philosophical Faculty at the University of Zadar, Aralica had worked in post-war period as a high school teacher in the backwater villages of the rural hinterland of northern and central Dalmatia. After a period of Communist infatuation (which resulted in a few weak novellas that can be labeled as socialist realism period pieces), Aralica was swept into the vortex of turbulent events known as the “Croatian spring” (1971). During this tumultuos era he allied with those who advocated greater Croatian autonomy and freedom for Croatian people in Communist Yugoslavia. The crackdown on the Croatian national movement and subsequent professional and social degradation resulted in Aralica’s return to his Christian and Catholic roots, abandonment of doctrinaire propagandist literature and formation of his own literary credo. Among world authors, he was influenced chiefly by realist fiction and early Modernism, the key authors being Ivo Andrić, Thomas Mann and Knut Hamsun.

From 1979 to 1989 Aralica published eight novels, which can be best described as modernist rewritings of historical fiction. The best among them (Psi u trgovištu/Dogs in a bazaar, 1979; Duše robova/Slaves’ souls, 1984; Graditelj svratišta/Builder of an inn, 1986; Asmodejev šal/Asmodey’s shawl, 1988) show similar traits: these are essentially novels of complex narrative techniques recreating dramatic events in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina from 16th to 18th century and describing historical fatum of Croats caught in the “clash of civilizations”- a three centuries long warfare between Austria, the Ottoman Empire and Venice. Aralica successfully mastered many divergent elements in his fiction, so that his finest novels are both replete with contemplative wisdom sayings on human condition and rammed with action; also, his artistry is expressed in numerous naturalist passages integrated in the overarching Christian vision of life where natural and the supernatural fuse into one reality.

After the democratic changes in Croatia and the collapse of Yugoslavia, Aralica was elected to the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts; also, he re-entered politics, this time on the list of Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska demokratska zajednica/HDZ), a party headed by the independent Croatia’s first president Franjo Tudjman. Aralica held a few influential positions, the most important among them being vice-president of Croatian Parliament. During this period he wrote two books of political essays (one about the genesis of Serbian imperialism, the other on historical complexities of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina), and two other novels.

The year 2000 was another turning point for Aralica: his party, HDZ, lost the elections and power, and writer was embroiled in a bitter polemic with new authorities (which were to hold power in next four years). Aralica then started writing satirical novels of ideas (novels with keys, i.e. thinly disguised quasi-faction). Most famous one is “Fukara”/Good for nothing, 2002, a satirical-political attack on multiculturalist ideology as promulgated by controversial American billionaire George Soros. The literary value of his works published during this period was often disputed, and they were seen by many left-wing literary critics (Perišić, Jergović, Tagirov, Alajbegović) as little more than tasteless political pamphlets. However, Aralica has also become one of the cultural and intellectual icons of the rigid conservatism in Croatia, advocating the return to the tradition symbolized by "ognjište" (hearth). Intellectuals on the Right defended his novels claiming that they were brilliant political satires.

Still vigorously writing in his eight decade, Aralica is considered as one of the best Croatian novelists of the 2nd half of the 20th century.

Reviews

[Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

CRO/ENG
Opet sam se našao u situaciji da prvo pogledam adaptaciju književnog djela (istoimeni film Branka Ivande iz 2003. godine), pa tek onda izvorno djelo, koje mi je teško usporediti, a pogotovo kada je riječ o jednom od meni najdražih filmova koje sam ikada gledao (među top 100). Ovo je hrvatska verzija Romea i Julije (dvoje ljudi, svaki iz suprotstavljenih strana, koje viša sila sprječava da pronađu mir i radost), ali znatno tragičnije pozadine događaja i posljedica, koja je jako teško predvidjeti, kada glad i egzistencija ne pitaju o raspoloženju, a glava se brže gubi nego što se čovjek stigne njome koristiti. Iako knjiga nije na razini starijih i poznatijih djela gdje se sastaju dvije vjere, dva naroda, dvije kulutre i dvije države, ipak ima za svakoga ponešto (sukobi, unutarnji konflikti, diplomacija), a najviše politiziranja :-) (kako rečenica iz filma najbolje oslikava situaciju: ''Što je par malih života u odnosu na veliku politiku?''). Razlog zbog kojega mi je teže dati višu ocjenu jest što je veći dio knjige pripovjedačevo opisivanje događaja, dok su dijalozi prilično kratki i nedostaje im prave težine, kako bi prenijele emocije likova u knjizi (nema ni puno interakcija među ljudima), a od kraja i političke rasprave sam više očekivao. Ako netko želi pročitati ovu knjigu, najbolje bi bilo posuditi ju (ne znam zašto je cijena tako ''visoka'' u dućanima ili preko drugih kanala) od poznanika, jer se može pročitati za nekoliko dana (samo treba voditi računa kako su poglavlja dugačka, pa bi bilo dobro napraviti stanku između svakoga).

Again, I've found myself in a situation of watching the adaptation (the title of the same name from Branko Ivanda from 2003.) first, and then the original work, which is hard to compare, especially when giving the fact that it's one of my favorite movies of all time (among top 100). This is the Croatian version of Romeo and Juliet (two people, from the opposites sides, whom the higher force doesn't allow to find peace and joy), but with far tragic background of events and consequences, which is hard to predict, when hunger and existency don't ask about the mood, and the head is faster to lose than to think with it. Although the book isn't on the level of much older and known works where two faiths, people, cultures and states meet, there's still something for everyone (clashes, inner conflicts, diplomacy), and the most is policy :-) (like that quote from the movie describes it perfectly: ''What are a few little lifes compared to a big policy?''). The reason why is so difficult to give this work a higher rating is because the major parts are the author's description of events, while the dialogues are short and lack the true weight, to give the emotion to the characters in book (there aren't a lot of interactions between people, either), while I expected more from the end and political discussion. If someone whishes to read this book, the best is to borrow it (I don't know why the price is so high in stores and through other media) from someone they know, because it can be read within a few days (just keep in mind that the chapters are quite long, so it's best to make pauses along the way).

[aLena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma šta mislili o njemu i njegovim politički obojenim alegorijama, svi se moramo složiti da je Aralica jako dobar prozaist. Izašao 1971. u vrijeme Araličine “političke tišine”, Konjanik je dobar roman, ali je iz nekog razloga prije ekranizacije 2003. godine bio malo poznat.

Radnja ovog romana smještenog u historijski kontekst odvija se u morlačkim krajevima, na granici između Mletaka i Turaka, gdje je suživot iz dana u dan u novoj kušnji. Glavni lik je Petar Revač, turcima prebjegli mletački konjanik i plaćenik. Odbijanje mletačkog kneza da ga primi nazad u službu određuje Revčevu dalju sudbinu.

Aralica andrićevski slikovito piše o granici između današnje Hrvatske i Bosne, mjestu gdje se prepliću i sučeljavaju različite religije i jednako nepredvidive naravi. U ovom avanturističko-ljubavnom romanu glavni likovi, 'prebjeg' Petar i 'turkinja' Lejla neizbježno će nas podsjetiti na sve političke tragedije koje su zahvatale ove prostore. Pojedinac je ovdje sitan i nebitan. Ljubav od davnina na ovim prostorima biva osujećena politikom. Petrova i Lejlina fatalna greška je infantilna naivnost da njihova ljubav može nadvladati granice i Bogove.

“Pogodit ćete gdje sam se osjetio kriv: da smo svi mi gurali toga čovjeka prema stratištu. Mi s našim težnjama za ratom, za plijenom, za teritorijem, za trgovinom, koristima, koristima, stoput koristima; mi s težnjom za mirom, za predahom, za ratom bez rata, za podmuklošću, za varkama; mi kakvi jesmo, izvršioci državnih poslova sa sentimentalnom dušom; mi koji imamo ruke koljača, a golubinje srce i sjeničinu dušu – mi prokleti Pilati. Uloga Pilata je najprljavija uloga koju odsada poznajem. Oprati ruke, ne uzbuđivati se, izvršavati naređenja, a ne sudjelovati u njima razumom i dušom...”

Po ovom romanu, kao što rekoh, snimljen je i istoimeni film, koji je osvojio dvije Zlatne arene na Pulskom filmskom festivalu.

[Ivana Books Are Magic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aralicu jako volim, on mi je jedan od najdražih hrvatskih živućih pisaca, a možda i najdraži. Konjanik je povijesni roman, a ako se itko dokazao u tom žanru onda je to Aralica. Knjiga je drugačija od filma, ali na dobar način, u smislu da daje dublji udio u likove, manje ima događanja, a više refleksije i promišljanja. Film je više dinamičan, a knjiga je poetičnija i više posvećena psihološkoj karakterizaciji likova. Rijetko mi se jednako svidi i film i knjiga, obično prevagne jedno ili drugo. U ovom slučaju mi se više sviđa knjiga, ali i film mi je dosta drag, čak mi se sviđa ta različitost od knjige jer daje nešto novo, otvara prostor novom tumačenju.

[ADU-FILM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok je. Volim povihesne romane. Ovaj je ok.

[Marino · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book starts promisingly, especially because of its setting. But the plot turns loose in the last part of the novel, when the characters just become pawns in Aralica's greater allegory and they stop acting like real people.