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Gordana #1-12

Gordana kraljica Hrvata

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Ovo Zagorkino najopsežnije djelo, u 12 svezaka, govori o godinama vladavine hrvatsko-ugarskoga kralja Matije Korvina, njegovoj smrti, borbi udovice Beatrice od Napulja i nezakonitog sina Ivana za prijestolje krajem 15. stoljeća. Glavna junakinja Gordana Brezovačka razapeta je između svete dužnosti prema domovini i osobnih osjećaja te je tako upletena u niz spletki oko naslijeđa i stranih političkih interesa. U lijepoj i odvažnoj Gordani odražavaju se običaji epohe, povijesna zbivanja, konfrontiraju želje i nade pobjednika i pobijeđenih. Zagorkina magična sposobnost da poput Šeherezade iz “Tisuću i jedne noći” neprestance izmišlja nove priče, da u njih uvodi nove junake, smišlja nove epizode kroz koje defiliraju lica odjevena u blistave kostime, snažnija je od čitateljeva racionalnog poimanja stvarnih povijesnih činjenica. U “Gordani - kraljici Hrvata” čitatelji se susreću s pokušajem sentimentalnoga i iracionalnog opravdanja i objašnjenja hrvatske povijesti. Pisana u tradiciji feljton-romana, “Gordana” pokazuje, možda više nego njezina ostala djela, težnju da se uhvati u koštac s velikim temama nacionalne povijesti. Jedan je lik prikazan u kontrapunktu s povijesnim zbivanjima u rasponu od prvih godina vladavine Matijaša Korvina (1458-1490) pa do bitke na Mohačkom polju (1526). Lijepa i odvažna žena biva neprestano razapinjana između svete dužnosti prema domovini i osobnih osjećaja te je tako upletena u spletke oko nasljeđa, nestanka kraljevske loze, stranih političkih interesa. Njezina se sudbina u Zagorkinoj romanesknoj obradi pretvara u zrcalo u kojemu se odražavaju običaji epohe, putovi povijesnih zbivanja, konfrontiraju želje i nade pobjednika i pobjeđenih.

8768 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

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About the author

Marija Jurić Zagorka

86 books310 followers
Marija Jurić Zagorka was a Croatian journalist, novelist and dramatist, the first female journalist and second in the list of most popular Croatian writers of all time (by the 2005 poll compiled by Vjesnik, a Zagreb daily newspaper). Many of her works have been adapted to film.

She was born in the village of Negovec near Vrbovec, to a well-standing family, which allowed her a good education, but in spite of her talent and many gifts, her parents decided to end her education early and, soon after leaving school, married her off to a man whom she barely knew, a Hungarian railway clerk 18 years her senior. The marriage ended abruptly with her escape from the house, first to Sremska Mitrovica and then to Zagreb, due to her husband's and mother-in-law's abuse.

It was in Zagreb that she began her career as a journalist, which was a highly unusual career for a woman in those days, and because of that, she was frowned upon, humiliated and prejudiced against her entire life. She was forced to write anonymously, under pseudonyms that hid her gender, and hide herself at work so nobody would notice there was a woman writing for (and later running) a newspaper. This didn't stop her from being politically involved, fighting against the Germanization and Magyarization of Croatia, and fighting for the rights of women, which caused her considerable problems in life, both professionally and privately.

Urged by Bishop Strossmayer, Zagorka began writing historic novels, usually set in 16th, 17th and 18th century Croatia. She instantly became popular amongst the people, who endearingly called her "The Fairy of Zagorje" (upon publishing Grička vještica) and "Queen of Croatians" (upon publishing Gordana: Kraljica Hrvata). The critics and her colleagues, however, constantly put her down, ridiculed her work, slurred her as a person and as a writer, and deliberately ignored her in literary magazines and almanacs. Still, she kept on writing and published her works as a part of her newspaper so they would be affordable to the general public, adapted her own and the works of August Šenoa for theater, ran two magazines "Ženski list" (1925- 1938) and "Hrvatica" (1938-1940) addressed to the female public, and with her young female colleagues formed the Society of Croatian Female Writers.

Upon the formation of Independent State of Croatia, the magazine "Hrvatica" was forcibly canceled and her entire estate is taken from her, leaving her without means to support herself. Desperate, Zagorka attempted suicide, but luckily survived. Living in Zagreb, she saw the end of WWII thanks to the financial help and care of her loyal public. Despite her age and weak health, she continued fighting for the rights of women, even though it earned her the ridicule and animosity of her male colleagues, who repeatedly called her "a madwoman" and "mannish old hag", until the day of her death.

None of her novels have been translated into English, but two are available in German: Grička vještica and Malleus maleficarum. 11 of her novels, published in Croatian, are found in the Library of Congress. The exact number of the novels she has written is unknown, but it is presumed that she wrote around 35, some of which are lost forever.

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Profile Image for Kristina Marijanović.
6 reviews1 follower
December 25, 2012
do seste knjige ti krene na zivce. ali genijalka tada uvodi nove likove tako da te opet prikuje za ostalih sest knjiga. sto se vise priblizavas kraju knjiga to vise ti likovi zive u tvojoj glavi... mjesecima ih ne mozes izbaciti iz glave.....
Profile Image for Sandra.
23 reviews2 followers
November 16, 2010
Možda sada ocjena ne bi bila čista petica, al onda sam ih gutala...Bolje da ne napišem kad je to bilo
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