Do Angels Cry?: Tales of the War

by Matko Marušić, Graham McMaster (Translator)

The soul of Croatia and its people overcome the savageries of war through the innocence of children, the laughter of families, and the determination of soldiers. From romance in a bomb shelter to a 45-year-old man struggling to contribute to the defense of his country, the stories of Do Angels Cry? illuminate the love and dedication of the Croatian people. Author Matko Marusic has a unique perspective on the images of the war gained from his service documenting the civilian experience during the 1990s. Do Angels Cry? was originally published in Croatia and Great Britain.

Genres: Fiction

159 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

About the author

Rođen je u Splitu, u obitelji doseljenika iz Zagore, iz Radobilje. Svoje djetinjstvo je proveo u starom, težačkom dijelu Splita, Lučcu. Svoje je djetinjstvo opisao u knjizi “Snijeg u Splitu”, koju je posvetio svom najstarijem sinu Berislavu. Završio je Medicinski fakultet. Svoju drugu književnu knjigu, “Plaču li anđeli?” je posvetio svom sinu Stjepanu Ljudevitu. U toj je knjizi opisao strahote Domovinskog rata. Pošto je knjige pisao za svoju djecu, napisao je i knjigu “Škola plivanja”, za svoju najmlađu kćer Mariju Franku. U toj knjizi opisuje Marijino odrastanje, pripovjedajući nevino i s roditeljskom ljubavlju. Kao profesor na Medicinskom fakultetu, napisao je i mnoge radove o medicini.

Matkov mlađi brat je Joška Marušić, karikaturist i crtač.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matko Marusic’s Do Angels Cry? is a collection of short tales about people struggling with day to day life in war-torn Croatia. Though the back drop of every story in the book is the war, Marusic’s narrative comes alive most when he is describing the ordinary people dealing with the effects of the war. From “The Angel of Love in the Shelter,” where two teenagers fall in love in an underground shelter while bombs are exploding above, to the title story, “Do Angels Cry?” which describes the tragic death of two innocent children who are caught in the fray, Marusic is excellent at describing the raw emotions of these people in extraordinary and terrible situations.

Although the introduction to the book gives some background on the war in Croatia, it is possible that readers who know little about Croatian or Serbian history may get lost at times because of the foreign names and places and events. There are footnotes throughout the book, explaining key phrases and other items of significance, but the complicated history of this place and these people is not easily explained in footnotes. That being said, Marusic’s heart-wrenching stories and relatable characters transcend languages and cultures, and his stories are both beautiful and heartbreaking.

[Bojan Lazić · Rating 1 out of 5]

Radi se o jednoj od najdosadnijih knjiga koje sam pročitao. Izvor dosade ogleda se u neodoljivoj potrebi autora da o Srbima govori u kontekstu razvoja mržnje i svaljivanja kolektivne krivice za sva ratna dešavanja devedesetih godina. Namenjena je odraslim čitaocima, ali čitajući je stiče se utisak da je njena jedina svrha produbljivanje međunacionalnog jaza i rasplamsavanje međunacionalne mržnje između Srba i Hrvata. Nikako nije za preporuku, premda se u njoj nazire određeni dašak literarnog kvaliteta. Inače se lako čita u kontekstu krupnog fonta i kratkih priča, ali je mučna za čitanje u kontekstu sadržaja.

[Kristin Pazulski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a unique, gentle, brutal, and personal perspective on war (specifically in Croatia but its themes appear universal). Early on I felt like the essays were a bit too diary-like for me. But as they grew in intensity, seemingly following a timeline in the war, the style grew on me. By the end, I savored these stories and didn’t want them to end.

[Kathlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book, eloquently capturing the human side of the war.