By Jure Komadina
From epic poetry of the Renaissance and Baroque to poignant novels of the 19th and 20th centuries, Croatia’s Literary masters have left an indelible mark on the country’s cultural landscape. But, even though their influence is unmatched in today’s literature scene, the classics are not popular among the public, meaning they are not the first pick for reading. Instead, the average lover of literature will more likely pick up a classic from another country. But why is that? The answer to that question will be crafted with the help of Professor Lucija Armanda Šundov.
Difficult and archaic language
Some classic books can be written in archaic or complex language that can be difficult for the modern reader to understand. As Professor Šundov says “If you take an example from the Renaissance from Italy such as Dante’s Divine Comedy and something from Croatia such as Judith by Marco Marullus, you would see those books like they are in a different language“. The Archaic Croatian is very hard to understand for even the people who speak the modern version of it, which results in some older writers like Marcus Marulus, not read. In contrast to him, classics from the same time come with translations into contemporary Croatian which makes them easier to read.
Lack of character diversity
Many classic books were written at a time when certain groups of people were excluded from publishing or writing. As a result, the stories and perspectives presented in these books may not resonate with contemporary readers. „The failed intellectual, the most used character in Croatian literature from the second half of the 19th century. Ivica Kičmanović, Đuro Andrijašević, Melikor Tresić, Filip Latinovicz, and Krešimir Horvat to name a few, a this is not even a quarter of them. It’s like a part of us we can’t let go even in contemporary literature”, says professor Šundov.
Lengthy books
Many classic books are quite long and may be daunting to readers who are not used to committing to such lengthy reads. „This is a crime of almost every classic book, with expectations such as plays, poems, short stories, and others. Tolstoy for example has very long novels, but people in Croatia will still read him over Ante Kovačić and his novel U registraturi. This is not so much a problem of length, as it is the way story is structured”, claims professor Šundov.
Depressing themes
Some classic books deal with heavy or depressing themes, which may not appeal to readers who are looking for more uplifting or escapist content. As Professor Šundov notes “All of our characters die or go mad and then they die. Sometimes even the surrounding is depressing which sculptures the main character to go mad like in Bijeg, where the community makes the protagonist give up on optimism and transforms into a drunkard.” At least those situations make some of them more interesting versions of the character they were before, making the writing more bearable.
Specific historical context
Some classic books were written in a specific historical context, and may not be as relevant or relatable to contemporary readers. “From Croatian romanticism, we have continued the legacy of binding our characters and stories in the historical context. If you don’t understand the historical context and the background of the late 19th century an average reader would not get the full message. We have moved on from that format a little bit in the 20th century with the novel Isužena kaljuža by Janko Polić Kamov”, claims professor Šundov. But even though we have taken a step to create a distance from it, our literature still, even to this day, has had a small conecction with some specific historical scene.
Difficulty relating to characters
The characters in some classic books may not have the same level of emotional depth or complexity that contemporary readers expect from protagonists. “It is to relate to someone who is a genius but at the same time melancholic and sometimes mad sometimes is a combination of both.“ says Professor Šundov. This can be true for any classic dating before the middle of the 20th century. All of those characters have some virtues, and it’s not uncommon that they have only one defining virtue, that in the 21st century doesn’t make too much sense.
Availability and pricing
Last and probably the main reason is that Croatian classic books are not as available in bookstores or libraries as newer, more popular books. „ Availability of some of our books is even hard to come by in our own country. Books exist in libraries but it is extremely hard to find a copy which you can buy. One example is Fran Galović, a very good author, but his books are hard to find in regular bookstores”, says Professor Šundov. She continues that even if we find a new copy of a Croatian classic it will probably be overpriced because it’s the new edition and that the best choice in obtaining these books is thrifting them.
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