JUDITA, A NOVEL BY MIRO GAVRAN (BOOK REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION)

In this post, I'll review a novel titled Judita (Judith), written by Croatian author Miro Gavran. I read this novel some time ago, but I will not forget it any time soon. I was extremely impressed with the author's original take on Judith's story that combined with his ability to transform us back in time made for a truly memorable read. I will not be able to reveal exactly what makes this novel so original  in terms of plot (in order to avoid spoilers). However, I'll share a detailed review that will hopefully give you a clear idea about what kind of book it is. 

Before proceeding with my review, it is worth mentioning that Judith (the biblical character) has had a great importance for Croatian literature. In the sixteenth century Marko Marulić, also known as the father of Croatian literature, wrote an epic poem with Judith as a protagonist. Judith is a protagonist Croatian people have identified strongly with (possibly because there were actual historical Croatian women who killed the invading warlords,  but more about that some other time). Another thing worth noting is that Judith (Judita) is one of the novels in Miro Gavran biblical circle. I've mentioned some of the other Gavran's biblical novels on my blog, but I don't think I reviewed them yet. Fun fact: I actually met Miro Gavran in 2019 when he was on a tour in Mostar and he signed a copy of his book (The Selected Comedies) for me on that occasion. He even drew a little raven (his last name Gavran means raven in Croatian) for me. 

U ovom postu osvrnut ću se na roman Judita (Judita) hrvatskog autora Mira Gavrana. Pročitala sam ovaj roman prije dosta vremena, ali ga neću zaboraviti tako lako. Bio sam izuzetno impresionirana piščevnim originalnim pristupom Judithinoj priči koji je u kombinaciji s njegovom sposobnošću da nas transformira u prošlost recept za zaista nezaboravno štivo. Neću moći otkriti što točno čini ovaj roman toliko originalnim što se tiče radnje (kako ne bi došlo do spojlera). Međutim, podijelit ću detaljan književni ogled koji će vam, nadam se, dati jasnu ideju o kakvoj se knjizi radi.

Prije nego što nastavim s recenzijom, vrijedi spomenuti da je Judita (biblijski lik) imala veliku važnost za hrvatsku književnost. U šesnaestom stoljeću Marko Marulić, poznat i kao otac hrvatske književnosti, napisao je epsku pjesmu s Juditom kao glavnom junakinjom. Judith je junakinja s kojom se hrvatski narod snažno identificira (vjerojatno zato što su postojale stvarne povijesne Hrvatice koje su ubile osvajačke vojskovođe, ali o tome neki drugi put). Još jedna stvar vrijedna pažnje je da je Judita (Judita) jedan od romana u biblijskom krugu Mire Gavrana. Spomenuo sam neke druge Gavranove biblijske romane na svom blogu, ali mislim da ih još nisam obradila u književnom ogledu. Zanimljiva činjenica: Miru Gavrana sam zapravo imala priliku upoznati 2019. kada je bio na turneji i on mi tada je potpisao primjerak svoje knjige (Odabrane komedije). Čak je nacrtao i gavrana u posveti. 

WHY IS JUDITA (JUDITH) SO IMPORTANT FOR CROATS? 

To understand why the epic poem of Judith is so important to Croats, one must understand that it is on the basis of this poem that we consider Marko Marulić to be the father of Croatian literature. 

FROM Marko Marulić | Renaissance Poet, Humanist & Scholar | Britannica

Marko Marulić (born August 18, 1450, Split, Dalmatia [now in Croatia]—died January 6, 1524, Split) Croatian moral philosopher and poet whose vernacular verse marked the beginnings of a distinctive Croatian literature.

The scion of a noble family, Marulić studied classical languages and literature and philosophy at Padua [Italy] before returning to his native Split and a life of public service, scholarship, and writing. 

Marulić’s didactic moral works were written in Latin and translated into many European languages. They stressed practical Christianity and reflected an appreciation of Stoic thought. His most important vernacular poem was Istoria sfete udovice Judit u versih harvacchi slozena (written 1501 and published in 1521; “The History of the Holy Widow Judith Composed in Croatian Verses”). The first printed Croatian literary work, Judita is an epic in six cantos in which Marulić sought by the example of a Hebrew heroine to encourage his people in their struggles against the Turks. Elevating as it does vernacular Croatian to the status of a literary language and uniting Marulić’s classical and Italian literary education with Croatian poetic traditions, this work proved a springboard for the nascent Croatian literature.

Who was Judith really? There is no confirmation that Judith was a real historical character. Not that it matters the slightest for the purpose of this book review. Neither of the two Judith inspired literary works I mentioned aspire to tell the 'real' tale, rather they are using Judith as an example of bravery and courage. Whether Judith really lived or not is irrelevant. I personally have no opinion on the subject. I'm only mentioning this because it's relevant for the context of the novel I'll be reviewing. Judith might be no more than a legend. Indeed, some scholars consider The Book of Judith to be the first historical novel. (The Book of Judith is a deuterocanonical book, included in the Septuagint and the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christian Old Testament of the Bible, but excluded from the Hebrew canon and assigned by Protestants to the apocrypha. It tells of a Jewish widow, Judith, who uses her beauty and charm to destroy an Assyrian general and save Israel from oppression. The surviving Greek manuscripts contain several historical anachronisms, which is why some scholars now consider the book non-historical: a parable, a theological novel, or perhaps the first historical novel. SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Judith ) 

Do nedavno nisam ni znala kako biblijsku Knjigu o Juditi ne priznaju svi, to jest da je protestanti i Židovi ne smatraju provjerenom te da je samo katolici i pravoslavci doživljavaju kao posve autentičnu (iako se većina slaže da je autor prie o Juditi Židov, neki smatraju da je ona legenda ili čak i prvi povijesni roman). Meni osobno to nije nimalo bitno u kontekstu ogleda ovog povijesnog romana, spominjem to iskjučivo radi neke povijesne pozadine. Oba spomenuta hrvatska pisca koja su pisala o Juditi, učinili su to, ne u namjeri da stvore povijesno nego književno djelo te je uzimajući kao uzor hrabrosti. No, evo i natuknice iz Hrvatske enciklopedije za one koji žele znati više:

Judita (hebr. jūdīt, jehūdīt: Židovka), junakinja starozavjetne biblijske knjige Judita. Udovica koja je svoj rodni grad Betuliju, opsjednutu od Nebukadnezarove vojske, oslobodila tako što je svojom ljepotom očarala neprijateljskoga vojskovođu Holoferna i onda mu, dok je spavao, odrubila glavu. Knjiga je poticajna priča, teološki prikaz izraelskoga otpora poganskim osvajačima. Nastala je u I. st. pr. Kr., pisana hebrejskim ili aramejskim jezikom, a sačuvana samo u grčkom prijevodu, pa je Židovi i protestanti ne ubrajaju u biblijski kanon. Motiv Judite i Holoferna često je obrađivan u književnosti (M. Marulić), likovnim umjetnostima (Donatello, L. Cranach, B. Čikoš-Sesija) i glazbi.

Citiranje:

Judita. Hrvatska enciklopedija, mrežno izdanje. Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža, 2021. Pristupljeno 27. 4. 2022. <http://www.enciklopedija.hr/Natuknica.aspx?ID=29448>.

Who is Miro Gavran? This extremely prolific contemporary Croatian author (novelist and playwright) is the only living author to have his own theatre festival. He is the most translated Croatian author. If you want to read something a contemporary Croatian writer, look no further. Gavran's works have been translated to forty languages so chances are you will be able to read him in your mother tongue or in another language you know! Below is more information about Gavran, quoted from his official site: 

MIRO GAVRAN is a contemporary Croatian author, born in 1961. His works have been translated into 40 languages, and his books are published in 250 different editions at home and abroad. His dramas and comedies have had more than 400 theatre premiers around the world and have been seen by more than four million theatre-goers.

He is probably the only living playwright in the world who has had a festival dedicated solely to his dramas and comedies in five different countries. The festival known as the GavranFest was founded in the city of Trnava in Slovakia in 2003, moved to Krakow in Poland in 2013, while as of 2016 has been held in Prague in Czeck Republic, in 2019 in Augsburg in Germany, and 2020 Belgrade Serbia.

He debuted in 1983 with the drama Creon’s Antigone, speaking out forcefully about political manipulation. This was followed three years later by the drama Night of the Gods, the theme being the relationship between the artist and the powers-that-be under a totalitarian system. He then wrote a cycle of plays concentrating on male-female relations, in which his heroes were often great historical persons. He has created a series of complex female characters. His heroines are both strong and emotional. He has written 55 plays to date, including Death of an Actor, All About Women, All About Men, George Washington’s Loves, Chekhov Says Good-Bye to Tolstoy, How To Kill The President, Greta Garbo’s Secret,Laughing Prohibited,  Parallel Worlds, Nora in Our Time, My Wife’s Husband, Dr Freud’s Patient, The Doll, Ice Cream, Beer, Your Every Birthday, Perfect Partner…

There have been first nights of his plays throughout the world, in Rotterdam, Washington, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Buenos Aires, Waterford, Mumbai, Bratislava, Prague, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Krakow, Belgrade, Budapest, Athens, Augsburg, Vienna, Sofia, New York, Rome, Los Angeles, Riga, Vilnius…

He has had ten novels published: Forgotten Son, How We Broke Our Legs, Klara, Margita or A Journey into a Former Life, Judith, John the Baptist, Pontius Pilate, The Only Witness to Beauty, Kafka’s Friend and A Few Birds and One Sky along with two collections of short stories entitled Small Unusual People and Stories of Solitude.

 

In his early novels, he describes the life in the Croatian provinces, featuring everyday folk, anti-heroes of sorts, who retain a positive stance towards life even when they are confronted with injustice and major difficulties. This is perhaps best seen in his novel, Forgotten Son (1989), in which the central personage is a slightly mentally challenged young man of twenty.

As a forty-year-old, Gavran started to write psychological-existential novels inspired by biblical characters, bringing them nearer to the sensibilities of contemporary readers. These books have been popular with both believers and non-believers, since their messages are universal.

His books have been published in all corners of the globe: in Beijing, Vienna, St Petersburg, Oslo, Istanbul, Paris, Prague, Bratislava, Sofia, Ljubljana, Cairo, Amsterdam, Jaipur…

Gavran has received over 30 literary awards in Croatia and abroad, including the CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME Award, given annually in Budapest to the best Central European author for the overall opus, as well as the EUROPEAN CIRCLE Award given to writers for the confirmation of European values in their texts.

Filling his work with insight and humour, Miro Gavran has written ten books for children and young people: All Sorts of Things in My Head, How Dad Won Mum, Head Over Heels in Love, Happy Days, Farewell Letter, Plays with a Head and a Tail, Try to Forget, Plays for children, The Teacher of My Dreams and A Summer to Remember. These books have also found their way to adult readers.

Gavran earned his degree in Dramaturgy at the Academy of Theatre, Film and Television in Zagreb.

He first worked as a dramaturge and artistic director at the famous ITD Theatre in Zagreb (1986 – 1992) . Since January 1993, he has been living and working as a freelance, professional writer. His theatre and prose texts have been included in numerous anthologies in Croatia and around the globe, and his work is studied at universities throughout the world.

Since April 2014 he has been a full member of the Russian Academy of Literature and since May 2014 an associate member of the Croatian Academy of Science and Art. In November of 2016 he became member of the Slovene Literature and Arts Academy whose residence is Varna in Bulgaria.

He was awarded “Dr Alois Mock Europapreis 2017” award in December 2017. The Alois Mock award has been handed out for fourteen years already to notable individuals who, in the spirit of the European idea of community, have promoted European values and unity through their literary or journalistic work, activities in the public sector, in organizations or in business.

Miro Gavran received the Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria in Austrian Cultural Forum, Zagreb on March 20. It was awarded to him by the president of the Republic of Austria.

He was named the first Tie Ambassador by the Academia Cravatica from Zagreb in September 2018.

He is married to the actress Mladena Gavran, and they founded the GAVRAN Theatre in 2002. Their son Jakov is also an actor. SOURCE:  http://www.mirogavran.com/ 26.4. 2022.

Tko je Miro Gavran? Je li uopće potrebno predstavljati ovog nevjerojtno plodnog hrvatskog pisca? Najprevođeniji hrvatski pisac i jedini pisac koji je dobio svoj kazališni festival za života. 

Gavran, Miro, hrvatski književnik (Gornja Trnava, 3. V. 1961). Diplomirao je dramaturgiju na Akademiji dramske umjetnosti u Zagrebu 1986. Dramaturg (1986–89) i umjetnički direktor (1989–92) zagrebačkoga Teatra &TD. God. 1995. osnovao je u Zagrebu Epilog teatar, koji je izvodio njegove dramske tekstove, a 2002. Teatar Gavran. Piše drame (Kreontova Antigona, 1983; Urotnici, 1985; Noć bogova, 1986; Ljubavi Georgea Washingtona, 1988; Čehov je Tolstoju rekao zbogom, 1989; Muž moje žene, 1991; Pacijent doktora Freuda, 1993; Zaboravi Hollywood, 1997; Vrijeme je za komediju, 2001; Hotel Babilon, 2002; Kako ubiti predsjednika, 2004. i dr.), koje su osim u Hrvatskoj izvođene u Sloveniji, Poljskoj, Bugarskoj, Madžarskoj, BiH, Nizozemskoj, SAD-u i drugdje. Objavljuje i romane (Zaboravljeni sin, 1989; Kako smo lomili noge, 1995; Klara, 1997; Margita, 1999; Judita, 2001; Krstitelj, 2002; Poncije Pilat, 2004) zbirku pripovijedaka (Mali neobični ljudi, 1989) te prozu za djecu (Svašta u mojoj glavi, Kako je tata osvojio mamu, Pokušaj zaboraviti i dr.). Autor je desetak drama za djecu, više radiodrama te scenarija za film Djed i baka se rastaju.

Citiranje:

Gavran, Miro. Hrvatska enciklopedija, mrežno izdanje. Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža, 2021. Pristupljeno 26. 4. 2022. <http://www.enciklopedija.hr/Natuknica.aspx?ID=21438>.

JUDITH, A NOVEL BY MIRO GAVRAN 5/5

IT TAKES COURAGE TO WRITE A NOVEL ABOUT JUDITH- A PROTAGONIST OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE FOR CROATIAN LITERATURE

In Croatian literature, this female character from the Bible  has a special dimension and importance. The name that comes to our minds is Marko Marulić, also known as the father of Croatian literature. It is not easy to tell her story again, to turn Judith into the main character of a modern novel, but Gavran succeeded in that. It takes courage to tackle this character. What Gavran's Judith like as a character? Judith is a protagonist that as a  character grows before our eyes, and becomes extremely complex and multi-layered by  the end of the novel. From the very beginning, Judith addresses us with her words, tells her life story to us (the readers). Judith says it is because she has a need to share it with us, and at the same time, as we will learn, share her great pain and tragedy.

THE CONFLICT OF MORALITY AND SOCIAL IDENTITY

Gavran, through Judith's own words, skillfully describes her childhood and her maidenhood. Th author paints us a picture of a deeply moral person who is both moral and restricted in her understanding of morals. At some level Judith does not understand the cruelty and cruelty of the society in which she lives, that is, she feels injustice, but she has no words, imagination or understanding to interpret cruelty as such and understand what it is all about. I found that quite realistic. Judith knows no other society than her own, she has never witnessed any world other than the one in which she lived. Therefore, Judith does not object to stoning (lapidation) when she sees it, in fact she considers it something normal, even when she cannot lift the stone herself and is clearly unable to participate in such cruelty. Judith believes in the law and the prophets, and does not see a world beyond the law, at least not a world that would make any sense. For Judith, stoning is a part of her world and she does not question it, just as she does not question other laws, not because she is not sensitive or intelligent, but because, like all of us, she is deeply conditioned by her upbringing and social origins. It is the source of her tragedy. We are all more biologically and culturally programmed than we like to admit, and even deeply moral people often don’t see how callous and meaningless social morality can be, because morality is perhaps  just another word for deep personal responsibility.

*The rest of review in English will be available when I find the time to finish it. You may translate the Croatian one to get a more general idea of it in the meantime.

JUDITA, BIBLIJSKI ROMAN MIRE GAVRANA 5/5

HRABROST JE NAPISATI ROMAN O JUDITI- LIKU OD NEIZMJERNE VAŽNOSTI ZA HRVATSKU KNJIŽEVNOST

U hrvatskoj književnosti ovaj lik iz Biblije ima posebnu dimenziju i važnost. Ime koje nam svima pada na pamet je Marko Marulić, poznat i kao otac hrvatske književnosti. Ispričati njenu priču iznova, pretvoriti Juditu u glavni lik suvremenoga romana, nije nimalo lagano, ali Gavran je u tome uspio. Treba hrabrosti za uhvatiti se u koštac s ovim likom. Kakav je lik Gavranova Judita? Lik koji raste pred našim očima, te postaje izrazito složen i višeslojan na samom kraju romanu. Od samoga početka pak, ona nam se obraća svojim riječima, priča nama čitateljima svoju životnu priču, kako sama kaže jer ima potrebu podijeliti je sa nama, a ujedno kao što ćemo saznati podijeliti i svoju veliku bol i tragediju.

SUKOB MORALNOSTI I DRUŠTVENOG IDENTITETA

Gavran nam, kroz Juditine vlastite riječi, vješto opisuje njeno djetinjstvo i njeno djevojaštvo, slika nam sliku duboko moralne osobe koja na nekoj razini ne shvaća okrutnosti i surovost društva u kojem živi, to jest ona osjeća nepravdu, ali nema riječi, mašte ili shvaćanja da tumači okrutnost kao takvu i shvati o čemu se zapravo radi. Ona ne poznaje drugačije društvo, ona nije nikada svjedočila ikakvome svijetu osim onome u kojem je ona živjela. Stoga se ona i ne protivi kamenovanju kada ga vidi, dapače ona ga smatra nečim normalnim, čak i kada sama ne može podignuti kamen. Judita vjeruje u zakon i proroke, te ne vidi svijet onkraj zakona, barem ne svijet koji bi imao ikakvoga smisla. Za nju je kamenovanje dio njena svijeta i ona ga ne dovodi u pitanje, jednako kao što i druge zakone ne propituje, ne zato jer nije osjećajna ili inteligentna, već zato jer je kao i svi mi duboko određena svojim odgojem i podrijetlom, a upravo tu leži i njena tragedija. Svi smo mi više biološki i kulturno programirani nego što to volimo priznati, a i čak i duboko moralne osobe često ne vide koliko bešćutan i besmislen može biti društveni moral, jer moralnost je zapravo možda samo druga riječ za duboku osobnu odgovornost.

GAVRANOVA JUDITA KAO DJEVOJKA JE IZDVOJENA I OZBILJNA, ALI IPAK POSLUŠNA

Gavranova Judita je od djetinjstva na neki način izdvojena, zbog njezine ozbiljnosti svi je posebno poštuju, a ona odrasta u poslušnu djevojku koja slijedi stroga pravila moralnosti društva kojemu pripada. Zaljubljuje se u bratova prijatelja, ali kada on zakasni sa prošnjom za svega jedan dan, Judita bez pogovora prihvaća očevo objašnjenje kako ju je već obećao bogatom mladiću iz ugledne obitelji. U njoj se od početka osjeća nekakav potencijal, nešto što je uzdiže od drugih, ali ona nikako nije spremna sama određivati što je moralno, a što ne, u njoj se očitava snažna pripadnost zajednici, unatoč toj njenoj određenoj odvojenosti od društva i odrastanja u kojem joj je jedini iskreni prijatelj bio brat.

KRAJ JUDITINOG DJEVOJAŠTVA, BRAK, MUŽEVA SMRT I STATUS UDOVICE

No, njeno djevojaštvo završava i Judita napušta voljenu obitelji te odlazi živjeti s mužem. Tu slijedi šok za djevojku jer brak nikako nije ono što je zamišljala. Prva bračna noć je zapravo silovanje, iako ona tu riječ ne poznaje u kontekstu svoga novoga položaja i nema načina da progovori o tom novom, a neželjenom aspektu svoga života. Njezino nenadano udovištvo i rana smrt muža dolaze joj kao olakšanje, a opet zbog toga osjeća grižnju savjesti i pokorama nastoji opravdati svoje prirodno osjećanje. Pokore i molitve joj doista i donose neko olakšanje. Tu se već počinje ocrtavati njen karakter i plesti njena legenda. Judita puno toga vidi, ali je bojažljiva, nevična donositi zaključke i posve nevoljna biti nositelj ikakve promjene. Ona je zapravo divno ljudska u svojoj nesavršenosti.

JUDITA KAO ŽENA SA DVA LICA, DOŽIVLJAVA OBRAT KADA UPOZNAJE VOJSKOVOĐU

Kao i mnogi, Judita živi dva života i ima dva lica. Jedno koje pokazuje u javnosti, a drugo koje čuva za sebe. Judita nije licemjer, ona jednostavno još nije pronašla način da podijeli i to drugo lice sa svijetom, a možda taj način i ne postoji, možda je dovoljno mudra da zna da se neke stvari i ne mogu podijeliti, da neke tajne duše uvijek ostaju tajne. Sam portret Judite učinio mi se veoma zanimljiv od samoga početka. Gavran stvara novu Juditu, a čini mi se da je njegova Juditi povijesno i kulturološki gledano poprilično uvjerljiva. Ne bi dalje komentirala radnju i druge likove, ali reći ću da Judita za mene postaje lik u pravom smislu riječi tek kada upoznaje vojskovođu čiju glavu treba odrubiti. U tom susretu ona ostvaruje svoju pravu dubinu. Obrat koji je tu Gavran postigao nešto je izvanredno, ali ne želim ga pobliže opisivati jer bi to bilo potpuno otkrivanje samoga zapleta.

POSVE UVJERLJIV JEZIK PRILAGOĐEN ORIGINALNOM UZORKU

Sam jezik je prilagođen svome originalnom uzorku. Gavran koristi imperfekt i aorist veoma često, uspješno prizivajući osjećaj biblijskoga (starozavjetnoga) pripovijedanja. Juditine misli, pa i način govora, sve u sebi ima nešto starozavjetno, priziva sliku jednoga semitskoga društva oštrih stavova i pravila. Pisanje je veoma ujednačeno, Judita je uvjerljiv pripovjedač u svakome trenutku. Konačno, ovaj roman se otkriva kao zaokruženo djelo, s izvrsnim zapletom i dubokim krajem, a posebno se odlukuje nadasve istančanom psihološkom karakterizacijom glavnoga ženskoga lika. Dubina i bol ove priče duboko su me dojmile, do te mjere da bi ovaj roman nazvala jednim od najboljih koje sam imala priliku čitati.

PISAC JE USPIO PRENIJETI OSJEĆAJ DRUGOG VREMENA

Ono što me posebno oduševilo je način na koji je pisac uspio prenjeti dojam i atmosferu drugog vremena. Većina povijesnih romana zapravo tretira povijest kao modni dodatak, prikazujući suvremene likove u prošlom okruženju. To nije slučaj sa Mirom Gavranom. On doista ulazi u dubinu sa Juditom (i sa svojom biblijskom trilogijom) te stvara likove koji su povijesni u pravom smislu riječi. Njegova biblijska trilogija na razini je povijesnih romana Ivana Aralice ili Nedjeljka Fabrija. 

Thank you for visiting. Hvala na posjeti.