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A Castle in Romagna
Separated by centuries, extraordinary lives intertwine in this award-winning novel of tragic love, political intrigue, and war.
In 1995, at the height of the Bosnian conflict, a young refugee visits the old Mardi Castle in the north of Italy. There, instead of only experiencing the beautiful fortress and Renaissance frescoes, he becomes enthralled with the story of the tragic fate of poet Enzo Strecci, who spent his last days awaiting death in the castle’s dungeon.
A Franciscan guide, Niccolò, a refugee as well, will illuminate the past in remarkable ways for the curious tourist. The fascinating and moving tale reaches back not only to Strecci’s life—four centuries earlier—and the doomed passion for a woman, politics, and poetry that became his downfall, but also to Niccolò’s own life, love story, and fateful escape from the brutal conflict between Stalin and Tito.
Before the friar’s story is over, three men will be connected, regardless of time and space, by fates aligned by love, betrayal, and politics—and a bittersweet nostalgia for lost home.
Revised edition: This edition of A Castle in Romagna includes editorial revisions.
In 1995, at the height of the Bosnian conflict, a young refugee visits the old Mardi Castle in the north of Italy. There, instead of only experiencing the beautiful fortress and Renaissance frescoes, he becomes enthralled with the story of the tragic fate of poet Enzo Strecci, who spent his last days awaiting death in the castle’s dungeon.
A Franciscan guide, Niccolò, a refugee as well, will illuminate the past in remarkable ways for the curious tourist. The fascinating and moving tale reaches back not only to Strecci’s life—four centuries earlier—and the doomed passion for a woman, politics, and poetry that became his downfall, but also to Niccolò’s own life, love story, and fateful escape from the brutal conflict between Stalin and Tito.
Before the friar’s story is over, three men will be connected, regardless of time and space, by fates aligned by love, betrayal, and politics—and a bittersweet nostalgia for lost home.
Revised edition: This edition of A Castle in Romagna includes editorial revisions.
126 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2000
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556 people want to read
About the author
Igor Štiks
26 books62 followersIgor Štiks spent his childhood in Sarajevo, but lived in Zagreb, Croatia since the Bosnian War started in 1992. He studied comparative literature and philosophy at the University of Zagreb.
He was a postgraduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), where he received a master degree in Philosophy and he was working for Northwestern University (USA, Chicago) as a teaching assistant for Global History I. In March 2009 he defended his PhD thesis 'A Laboratory of Citizenship: Nations and Citizenship in the Former Yugoslavia and its Successor States'.
He has published two novels: A Castle in Romagna in 2000 and Elijah's Chair in 2006. A Castle in Romagna received the award for best first novel in Croatia in 2000. To date it has been translated into German, Spanish, French, and English. The second book as well has been rewarded as the best Croatian book of 2006 and it has won the prestigious Ksaver Sandor Gjalski prize. The English translation was nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for 2006 and the book has been translated into ten languages to date.
His fiction, literary criticism and essays have appeared widely in journals and reviews of the former Yugoslavia. His story 'At the Sarajevo Market' was included in Best European Fiction 2010, published by Dalkey Archive Press. He is the editor of anthologies of new Croatian prose fiction and international short fiction in English.
Igor Štiks currently lives in Edinburg, Scotland and works for University of Edinburgh, School of Law as Postdoctoral Research Fellow.
He was a postgraduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), where he received a master degree in Philosophy and he was working for Northwestern University (USA, Chicago) as a teaching assistant for Global History I. In March 2009 he defended his PhD thesis 'A Laboratory of Citizenship: Nations and Citizenship in the Former Yugoslavia and its Successor States'.
He has published two novels: A Castle in Romagna in 2000 and Elijah's Chair in 2006. A Castle in Romagna received the award for best first novel in Croatia in 2000. To date it has been translated into German, Spanish, French, and English. The second book as well has been rewarded as the best Croatian book of 2006 and it has won the prestigious Ksaver Sandor Gjalski prize. The English translation was nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for 2006 and the book has been translated into ten languages to date.
His fiction, literary criticism and essays have appeared widely in journals and reviews of the former Yugoslavia. His story 'At the Sarajevo Market' was included in Best European Fiction 2010, published by Dalkey Archive Press. He is the editor of anthologies of new Croatian prose fiction and international short fiction in English.
Igor Štiks currently lives in Edinburg, Scotland and works for University of Edinburgh, School of Law as Postdoctoral Research Fellow.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 3, 2017
Ovo je prva Štiksova knjiga koju sam pročitala i prijatno me je iznenadio (dobro napisana i interesantna knjiga domaćeg autora uvek me iznenadi... pogotovo ako je pročitam u dahu)... Topla preporuka za sve one koji ga dosad nisu čitali... Dve paralelne priče, dva vremena, vešto iskombinovano...
January 17, 2018
Don’t think I’ve read any Croatian fiction before, so this was one for the international reading. Albeit not a particularly spectacular one. This short book (practically a novella) is essentially two stories told by a friar to a young man visiting him at an old Mardi castle. The main plot takes place in 1995, but the stories are set in 1535 and 1948, former follows the fate of a poet who spent his last days awaiting execution at the castle, the latter is the story of a friar himself as a young man, both connected thematically as tales of young love gone wrong in face of political turmoil. Now that I’m reading this description it does sound exciting, on paper, no pun intended or maybe yes pun intended. Thing is, though, despite the fact that this was Croatian’s best debut novel when published, despite the striking settings and wildly dramatic arches, it just wasn’t that exciting of a read. Something quite muted about the delivery. Interesting enough with its parallels reflecting on essential invariability of individual experiences and behaviors in times of conflict and so considerately brief, but didn’t quite wow. Thanks Netgalley.
February 4, 2018
Finished reading: February 2nd 2018
"He was overcome by the immobility one feels upon meeting something long sought after, that silent tension of the body that, before we take the object into our hands, forces us to pause for a moment, as if every passing second increases its value."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and AmazonCrossing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
June 12, 2010
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away….
This could easily have been the introductory sentence for Igor Stiks’ A Castle in Romagna, an amazing novel that explores parallel stories from two different time periods. Both stories feature the theme of betrayal, by close companions, from the least expected sources.
It begins in Northern Italy in 1995 where three friends go to visit an ancient castle in Romagna. They are there to visit the castle because of the internment there, centuries before, of the poet Enzo Strecci. Before they can explore the ruins, one of them is delayed by a caretaker, who is fascinated that he comes from Bosnia, at the time a scene of frequent violence. As the other two go to explore, the Bosnian tries to politely escape from the talkative caretaker. But soon, the man reveals that he, too, is from Bosnia, and begins telling his own life story as well as the story of Enzo Strecci.
His story takes place when the schism occurred between General Tito and Josef Stalin. This led to Yugoslavia trying to become autonomous, with the result that eventually it divided into the complicated political region where Bosnia is located. The caretaker recounts how he barely escaped with his life from those convinced he was a Communist informer. He ends up, scarred and mutilated, in Italy. He describes his own connection with the castle while explaining how Strecci ended up at the same location during the Renaissance, and how it ended in Strecci’s execution.
It’s clear that at first the listener feels like he’s missing out on exploring the ruins, but the story revealed soon becomes far more fascinating. The voice of the caretaker is witty and nostalgic, but he’s not wasting anyone’s time. He reveals only the relevant details in both accounts, which makes the novel move very quickly. The style is unusual but the essential meaning has almost a fairy-tale quality to it. While it’s easy to predict what’s going to happen, watching it unfold is thought- provoking because of the corelation of both accounts. The concepts of trust, vengeance, and betrayal are all classic story lines, but explored here in a way to remind the reader that often the danger lies closer to us than we may wish to realize. The fate of Strecci may be appropriate, but it’s a poignant moment when all his former friends are called to testify against him to save their master. He realizes then the “logic of power.”
I was fascinated by this book, as it’s the first Croatian translation that I’ve read, and because the author is relatively young. He says a great deal about human nature with very few words, and he points at the blind spots most people have when it comes to reason. Historically, I never really understood the divide between Tito and Stalin and what it meant for the residents of Yugoslavia. This book may be difficult to find but worth the search, as it's a fascinating look at little-known time and place.
This could easily have been the introductory sentence for Igor Stiks’ A Castle in Romagna, an amazing novel that explores parallel stories from two different time periods. Both stories feature the theme of betrayal, by close companions, from the least expected sources.
It begins in Northern Italy in 1995 where three friends go to visit an ancient castle in Romagna. They are there to visit the castle because of the internment there, centuries before, of the poet Enzo Strecci. Before they can explore the ruins, one of them is delayed by a caretaker, who is fascinated that he comes from Bosnia, at the time a scene of frequent violence. As the other two go to explore, the Bosnian tries to politely escape from the talkative caretaker. But soon, the man reveals that he, too, is from Bosnia, and begins telling his own life story as well as the story of Enzo Strecci.
His story takes place when the schism occurred between General Tito and Josef Stalin. This led to Yugoslavia trying to become autonomous, with the result that eventually it divided into the complicated political region where Bosnia is located. The caretaker recounts how he barely escaped with his life from those convinced he was a Communist informer. He ends up, scarred and mutilated, in Italy. He describes his own connection with the castle while explaining how Strecci ended up at the same location during the Renaissance, and how it ended in Strecci’s execution.
It’s clear that at first the listener feels like he’s missing out on exploring the ruins, but the story revealed soon becomes far more fascinating. The voice of the caretaker is witty and nostalgic, but he’s not wasting anyone’s time. He reveals only the relevant details in both accounts, which makes the novel move very quickly. The style is unusual but the essential meaning has almost a fairy-tale quality to it. While it’s easy to predict what’s going to happen, watching it unfold is thought- provoking because of the corelation of both accounts. The concepts of trust, vengeance, and betrayal are all classic story lines, but explored here in a way to remind the reader that often the danger lies closer to us than we may wish to realize. The fate of Strecci may be appropriate, but it’s a poignant moment when all his former friends are called to testify against him to save their master. He realizes then the “logic of power.”
I was fascinated by this book, as it’s the first Croatian translation that I’ve read, and because the author is relatively young. He says a great deal about human nature with very few words, and he points at the blind spots most people have when it comes to reason. Historically, I never really understood the divide between Tito and Stalin and what it meant for the residents of Yugoslavia. This book may be difficult to find but worth the search, as it's a fascinating look at little-known time and place.
May 7, 2018
A less than interesting story that was, nevertheless, beautifully told.
December 27, 2018
Bendeki basımın ismi "İki Hikaye" Dvorac Şatosu idi. Şato dendi mi bende akan sular durur bu yüzden almışım herhalde kitabı zamanında. Açıkçası beni çok etkileyen bir kitap olduğunu söyleyemem. Zaman zaman da durduk yere anlatının içinde zaman geçişleri vardı, çok anlam veremedim doğrusu. Önceki okuduğum kitapta çevirmen bunu belirtip, bu kısımlara hiç dokunmadığını ve aynı şekilde çevirdiğini söylemiş önsözde, belki bu kitapta da aynı şeyi bekledim. Sıradan bir hikaye, etkileyici olmayan bir dille anlatılmış. Enzo Stracci'nin hikayesi mesela benim ilgimi çekemedi, normal bir yasak aşk. Ne ara bunlar birbirini sevdi de ölümü de göze alıp bir araya geldiler. Efendime söyleyeyim tek sebep cismani duygular mıydı ya da hükümdarın karısı olması mıydı? Nedir yani. Keşişin hikayesi nisbeten ilgi çekiciydi ama o da kısa süreli bir empati haricinde iz bırakmadı. Velhasıl bir şekilde okuyorsunuz evet, kitapları yarım bırakmayı sevmiyorum bu sebeple devam ettim fakat geldi geçti bir kitap oldu benim için.
March 23, 2020
I wanted to like this book—the premise sounded fascinating—but I didn’t particularly care for it. I think, perhaps, the translation is to blame? To me, it seemed clunky, overwrought. But maybe that’s reflective of the original writing style. I don’t know. It’s a quick read with a “tale as old as time”-type parallel plot, but I don’t believe I would recommend this novel.
May 11, 2018
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
A Castle in Romagna by Igor Štiks (translated by Russell Scott Valentino & Tomislav Kuzmanovic) is a fictional book alternating in timeline and places, telling two stories which are connected. Mr. Štiks is a prolific Croatian author and editor.
The novel alternates between Renaissance Italy and Tito’s Yugoslavia. A young Bosnian and his friends are touring an Italian castle in 1995, which once held poet Enzo Strecci captive. A friar who live at the castle, Niccolò Darsa, starts talking with the young man offering his own story of escaping from a hostile environment, politically charged.
The story parallels those of Darsa and Strecci where all powerful leaders use their position for petty vendettas, destroying lives and country in the process.
A Castle in Romagna by Igor Štiks (translated by Russell Scott Valentino & Tomislav Kuzmanovic) is a short, but verbose novel. I’m glad I read it, but for much of it I was trudging through, until it comes together at the end.
Even though this is a short book (about 100 pages), it is not easy to read. The author’s rambling style, incorporating long, drawn out sentences is hard to follow and I found myself reading the same line twice.
The subject matter is serious and dark. Emotional leaders making bad decisions, abusing their authority. Humanity, however, stays the same regardless of the external circumstances.
This book is dramatic, but it simply didn’t excite me. There was something muted in the narrative and the delivery. I got the themes, I got the parallels, and I got the ideas (I believe) that the author was trying to convey. Overall the novel was enjoyable, I just felt it fell a bit short.
A Castle in Romagna by Igor Štiks (translated by Russell Scott Valentino & Tomislav Kuzmanovic) is a fictional book alternating in timeline and places, telling two stories which are connected. Mr. Štiks is a prolific Croatian author and editor.
The novel alternates between Renaissance Italy and Tito’s Yugoslavia. A young Bosnian and his friends are touring an Italian castle in 1995, which once held poet Enzo Strecci captive. A friar who live at the castle, Niccolò Darsa, starts talking with the young man offering his own story of escaping from a hostile environment, politically charged.
The story parallels those of Darsa and Strecci where all powerful leaders use their position for petty vendettas, destroying lives and country in the process.
A Castle in Romagna by Igor Štiks (translated by Russell Scott Valentino & Tomislav Kuzmanovic) is a short, but verbose novel. I’m glad I read it, but for much of it I was trudging through, until it comes together at the end.
Even though this is a short book (about 100 pages), it is not easy to read. The author’s rambling style, incorporating long, drawn out sentences is hard to follow and I found myself reading the same line twice.
The subject matter is serious and dark. Emotional leaders making bad decisions, abusing their authority. Humanity, however, stays the same regardless of the external circumstances.
This book is dramatic, but it simply didn’t excite me. There was something muted in the narrative and the delivery. I got the themes, I got the parallels, and I got the ideas (I believe) that the author was trying to convey. Overall the novel was enjoyable, I just felt it fell a bit short.
August 9, 2022
a malo bezveze igore tbh
June 25, 2018
An intense, but odd book
This is an intense, but odd book. The two stories intertwine, and bounce off each other, in an eerie, foreboding or foreshadowing way. You know from the start that they'll end differently, but the ending is really the only material difference.
So strange, the way the tales could be almost identical, and still feel so very different, at the same time.
Something about the style kept reminding me of Mary Wollstonecraft's Frankenstein. Still not sure what, exactly.
Not an easy read. Or listen, as was the case for me. But, after building slowly, quite an intense read.
This is an intense, but odd book. The two stories intertwine, and bounce off each other, in an eerie, foreboding or foreshadowing way. You know from the start that they'll end differently, but the ending is really the only material difference.
So strange, the way the tales could be almost identical, and still feel so very different, at the same time.
Something about the style kept reminding me of Mary Wollstonecraft's Frankenstein. Still not sure what, exactly.
Not an easy read. Or listen, as was the case for me. But, after building slowly, quite an intense read.
February 21, 2018
Li um conto de Igor Stiks (Sarajevo, 1977) na antologia Best European Fiction 2010, da Dalkey Archive Press, editada pelo Aleksandar Hemon. No conto No mercado de Sarajevo, a história de pessoas, em meio à guerra de 1995, vendendo suas bibliotecas pessoais a preço de banana no mercado da cidade - o que aconteceu com aquele seu livro tão especial?
Um belo conto, que me levou a este A castle in Romagna, achado em inglês na Amazon (Kindle).
Duas narrativas são apresentadas. Em 1995, um turista bósnio, em companhia de mais duas mulheres, visita o Castello Mardi, em Rimini. Está interessado na história de Enzo Strecci, "um gigante da literatura renascentista", que lá passou seus últimos momentos esperando por sua morte.
Os três estão entrando nas ruínas. Lá, um frei, especialista na história do Castello e de Strecci, identifica o idioma e, fascinado por encontrar um bósnio, procura detê-lo. Suas companheiras acabam por entrar nas ruínas, e o frei, após identificar-se como alguém da Bósnia, acaba conseguindo a atenção do turista. Está, a todo custo, querendo contar uma história. Ou melhor, duas.
Ao falar do que se passou em 1535 naquele mesmo castelo, o frei, na verdade, está contando uma outra história - a sua, passada na Iugoslávia de 1948, quando Tito se distanciava de Stalin (o que, evidentemente, gerou mais expurgos e execuções). Não são idênticas, claro, e não, o frei não tem nenhum parentesco com os personagens renascentistas. No entanto, as conexões entre as narrativas são evidentes.
Fica claro que, nos primeiros momentos, o turista quer se desvencilhar desta figura estranha e reencontrar suas amigas, mas logo percebe que, sim, deve ouvir o frei. A história de Strecci não é exatamente original e em poucas páginas já é possível adivinhar o que irá lhe acontecer. Mas é interessante observar o que acontece em seu julgamento, e a atitude de seus amigos em salvar o Mestre Mardi.
O trabalho de edição e seleção de Hemon continua a render boas descobertas, e o robô do Jeff Bezos ajuda a concretizá-las.
Um belo conto, que me levou a este A castle in Romagna, achado em inglês na Amazon (Kindle).
Duas narrativas são apresentadas. Em 1995, um turista bósnio, em companhia de mais duas mulheres, visita o Castello Mardi, em Rimini. Está interessado na história de Enzo Strecci, "um gigante da literatura renascentista", que lá passou seus últimos momentos esperando por sua morte.
Os três estão entrando nas ruínas. Lá, um frei, especialista na história do Castello e de Strecci, identifica o idioma e, fascinado por encontrar um bósnio, procura detê-lo. Suas companheiras acabam por entrar nas ruínas, e o frei, após identificar-se como alguém da Bósnia, acaba conseguindo a atenção do turista. Está, a todo custo, querendo contar uma história. Ou melhor, duas.
Ao falar do que se passou em 1535 naquele mesmo castelo, o frei, na verdade, está contando uma outra história - a sua, passada na Iugoslávia de 1948, quando Tito se distanciava de Stalin (o que, evidentemente, gerou mais expurgos e execuções). Não são idênticas, claro, e não, o frei não tem nenhum parentesco com os personagens renascentistas. No entanto, as conexões entre as narrativas são evidentes.
Fica claro que, nos primeiros momentos, o turista quer se desvencilhar desta figura estranha e reencontrar suas amigas, mas logo percebe que, sim, deve ouvir o frei. A história de Strecci não é exatamente original e em poucas páginas já é possível adivinhar o que irá lhe acontecer. Mas é interessante observar o que acontece em seu julgamento, e a atitude de seus amigos em salvar o Mestre Mardi.
O trabalho de edição e seleção de Hemon continua a render boas descobertas, e o robô do Jeff Bezos ajuda a concretizá-las.
May 12, 2018
A short but packed story. It was enlightening in that it reminded me that there are multiple ways to tell a tale; it was a noticeable shift from the usual "English" formats that are my standard fare. Seeing a story that has similar basic elements to others I've read, but through a lens that emphasized different aspects than usual, was refreshing and reinvigorated my love for the art of storytelling. Especially the fact that the story isn't trying to coddle the reader by skipping briefly over the ugliness of human actions or trying to make it better. The need for a happy ending, or at least a clearly defined ending, in order to fully satisfy the reader is a hallmark of much popular American/English literature. This ending may leave readers unsatisfied or wanting more from the story, but I found it kind of stimulating to ponder "what" I found myself wanting to know more about or curious to understand the meaning of after I finished to book.
Despite being a quick read, this story tells two similar tales separated by time with a LOT of info. To be honest, I felt it could have been much longer in order to flesh out the stories and perhaps see how much the two tales affect the third man to whom the stories are being told. Yet it was nice to be left wanting more from a story rather than feeling like it had too many extraneous details.
The author is alternately poetic and matter of fact. Despite the poetry, the psychology isn't delved into much, other than the main driving forces and feelings about consequences. Nothing is wasted in this tale but it leaves quite a bit for the reader to world-build on there own. To mull over and digest after the story is finished.
Quick read. New structure. Worth a try if you're interested!
Despite being a quick read, this story tells two similar tales separated by time with a LOT of info. To be honest, I felt it could have been much longer in order to flesh out the stories and perhaps see how much the two tales affect the third man to whom the stories are being told. Yet it was nice to be left wanting more from a story rather than feeling like it had too many extraneous details.
The author is alternately poetic and matter of fact. Despite the poetry, the psychology isn't delved into much, other than the main driving forces and feelings about consequences. Nothing is wasted in this tale but it leaves quite a bit for the reader to world-build on there own. To mull over and digest after the story is finished.
Quick read. New structure. Worth a try if you're interested!
January 30, 2018
This was a giveaway book for me which means I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I read a lot of historical fiction , so overall I enjoyed reading about this corner of the world in parallel stories set at the Castle at different times. I greatly appreciated the historical bedrock of this novel, and while it came close to overwhelming the fiction part, in the end the narrative succeeds as a story.
This version of the book is told in translation from Croation. There is a measured cadence to the writing that causes the reader to savor and take one’s time with the story. Settle in. Some found this boring, but I think this tone fits the classic “ a tale told to me” genre . Because I know some history of this area , I was fascinated by the interweaving stories, but perhaps to a reader without that context it might be harder to follow.
There are themes of betrayal through this short novel. We quickly meet a friar who is the story teller first of the story of the poet imprisioned there in 1593, for falling in love with the his host, the Duke’s wife. He also tells of other betrayals — this time of the political kind — of Tito and Stalin. (this is the part I found most fascinating.) Finally, there is the most modern of the stories of Croatia and Bosnia at the dissolution of the Soviet Union. More lost chances. This is a story of “ The Balkans” with its many folds of history all in the same place. It is also a story of power and how it can crush the body but not the heart. Recommended !
This version of the book is told in translation from Croation. There is a measured cadence to the writing that causes the reader to savor and take one’s time with the story. Settle in. Some found this boring, but I think this tone fits the classic “ a tale told to me” genre . Because I know some history of this area , I was fascinated by the interweaving stories, but perhaps to a reader without that context it might be harder to follow.
There are themes of betrayal through this short novel. We quickly meet a friar who is the story teller first of the story of the poet imprisioned there in 1593, for falling in love with the his host, the Duke’s wife. He also tells of other betrayals — this time of the political kind — of Tito and Stalin. (this is the part I found most fascinating.) Finally, there is the most modern of the stories of Croatia and Bosnia at the dissolution of the Soviet Union. More lost chances. This is a story of “ The Balkans” with its many folds of history all in the same place. It is also a story of power and how it can crush the body but not the heart. Recommended !
January 29, 2018
I received A Castle in Romagna as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
In the mid-1990s, a young Bosnian refugee travels to Italy and becomes enthralled with Mardi Castle and the story of the poet Enzo Strecci, who was killed there centuries earlier. The story alternates between time periods, with the historical story being narrated by Niccolò, a friar with a harrowing story of his own.
This is a very short read, and I think it suffers for it. I feel like there were times when the storylines could have been delineated better--it seemed to pack too much into too small a book. All of the storylines were interesting, but I would have loved each to be fleshed out a bit more, as it deals with places and time periods with which I'm not very familiar.
In the mid-1990s, a young Bosnian refugee travels to Italy and becomes enthralled with Mardi Castle and the story of the poet Enzo Strecci, who was killed there centuries earlier. The story alternates between time periods, with the historical story being narrated by Niccolò, a friar with a harrowing story of his own.
This is a very short read, and I think it suffers for it. I feel like there were times when the storylines could have been delineated better--it seemed to pack too much into too small a book. All of the storylines were interesting, but I would have loved each to be fleshed out a bit more, as it deals with places and time periods with which I'm not very familiar.
February 2, 2018
Two doomed love stories.
A Castle In Romagna, which tells two separate but parallel stories, reads almost like a fairy tale.
It has a somewhat poetic tone at times, appropriate since there be of the main characters was a poet.
Both tales are told by a Bosnian exile to another Bosnian, with the story of the poet taking place the 1530s, and the storyteller’s own tale set in the 1940s.
One thing that intrigued me initially was the settings. I have never read anything set in Bosnia and am not that familiar with the areas history at that time. Due to the short length of the novel, I felt like I didn’t get enough of the historical setting.
Overall it was enjoyable, and definitely a quick and easy read.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
A Castle In Romagna, which tells two separate but parallel stories, reads almost like a fairy tale.
It has a somewhat poetic tone at times, appropriate since there be of the main characters was a poet.
Both tales are told by a Bosnian exile to another Bosnian, with the story of the poet taking place the 1530s, and the storyteller’s own tale set in the 1940s.
One thing that intrigued me initially was the settings. I have never read anything set in Bosnia and am not that familiar with the areas history at that time. Due to the short length of the novel, I felt like I didn’t get enough of the historical setting.
Overall it was enjoyable, and definitely a quick and easy read.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
July 8, 2019
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but it’s premise alone was fascinating enough for me to want to read it.
In the end I listened to it on Brilliance Audio, and was definitely NOT disappointed at all!
An intriguing story is woven for the reader through three different time periods: the present, the recent past, and the distant past. A very interesting way to craft a tale!
At first it was hard to keep track of who was who, and what was what, but as the story unfolded it didn’t matter.
They are in fact telling the same story, to the same end, with the same dramatic consequences of lust, passion, love and pain.
This book is very intense, and beautifully crafted.
I highly recommend it!
In the end I listened to it on Brilliance Audio, and was definitely NOT disappointed at all!
An intriguing story is woven for the reader through three different time periods: the present, the recent past, and the distant past. A very interesting way to craft a tale!
At first it was hard to keep track of who was who, and what was what, but as the story unfolded it didn’t matter.
They are in fact telling the same story, to the same end, with the same dramatic consequences of lust, passion, love and pain.
This book is very intense, and beautifully crafted.
I highly recommend it!
April 19, 2018
Beautiful!
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This has no effect on my opinion. This was a sad but beautiful book. It kind of has three stories going on during the book, and at first it was a bit confusing but the more I read, the easier it became. After remembering the time period and characters names, it is perfectly fine to follow. I do not normally go for the novel type books, but I loved this! It's a quick read, but so full of life and love and tragedy that the story does not seem as short as it is. It's a tale of love and war and freedom and what is worth fighting for. I highly recommend this book!
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This has no effect on my opinion. This was a sad but beautiful book. It kind of has three stories going on during the book, and at first it was a bit confusing but the more I read, the easier it became. After remembering the time period and characters names, it is perfectly fine to follow. I do not normally go for the novel type books, but I loved this! It's a quick read, but so full of life and love and tragedy that the story does not seem as short as it is. It's a tale of love and war and freedom and what is worth fighting for. I highly recommend this book!
November 30, 2017
Bence kötü bir kitap. Dilinin sadeliği dışında iyi diyebileceğim bir yönünü bulamadım. Belki de ben ıskalıyorum. Ama ne totaliter rejimlerde yaşan aşk hikayesi, ne de insanlığın bu durumlarda karşılaştığı ikilemler orjinal değildi. Bu tip konular defalarca anlatıldığı. Yeni olan kısmı italya gezisinde karşılaşılan bir papazın anlatcılığı mı? Balkan edebiyatına ilgi duymama rağmen bende bir kıpırtı yapmadı. İki hikayenin paralel noktaları vardı ama finalde bunlar güzel bir şekilde birbirine bağlanmamış.
January 27, 2018
This is a story about power and how it is used. Two stories of young love stories are set centuries apart. Little has changed in stories of young love. Little has changed in stories of how power is used, and abused.
A quick read worth the time.
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway, and am glad I did. I don't know that I would have found it without their help.
A quick read worth the time.
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway, and am glad I did. I don't know that I would have found it without their help.
May 22, 2018
Lost in Translation
In brief, I found the storyline to be interesting but its delivery was stilted. The writing shifted from being stuffy to conversational and, though the book is not very long, the beginning dragged along. I wished for brevity, which I got in the form of an abrupt ending. Not the most enjoyable read.
In brief, I found the storyline to be interesting but its delivery was stilted. The writing shifted from being stuffy to conversational and, though the book is not very long, the beginning dragged along. I wished for brevity, which I got in the form of an abrupt ending. Not the most enjoyable read.
May 9, 2018
I picked up the book as it was published in the Amazon Crossings series. I must say that I think the author is a good writer. However the story itself was not very original. Still it am excited that Amazon has this great initiative. I will most certainly obtain more in this series.
April 26, 2019
Parallelism
If you boiled an Eastern European/Baltic/Modern Russian novel down to essentials and packaged it into an afternoon’s read, this would be the result. Great storytelling, good use of parallel stories, and commentary delivered efficiently. Recommended.
If you boiled an Eastern European/Baltic/Modern Russian novel down to essentials and packaged it into an afternoon’s read, this would be the result. Great storytelling, good use of parallel stories, and commentary delivered efficiently. Recommended.
November 26, 2017
A tiny book, but haunting.
February 22, 2018
I just could not get into this. Reading turned to skimming that turned into full stop. I hate not finishing a book, but I simply could not do it with this story.
June 4, 2018
As a short story, great! As a full novel, it lacks elaboration of the third man’s story.
August 6, 2018
Confusing characters
Hard to keep characters straight and confusing story. Maybe I was tired when I red this because of the confusion.
Hard to keep characters straight and confusing story. Maybe I was tired when I red this because of the confusion.
December 29, 2019
Listened to this and I just couldn’t focus on it
June 26, 2021
A nice tight story that nicely links the three different time periods and stories together.
Four parallels out of five
Four parallels out of five
November 1, 2022
Solidly written parallel stories that should have been exhilarating, passionate, and nerve-wracking, but sounded contrived and meh.
March 16, 2021
I was excited to read this book. I went to Italy and Croatia in September and I was hoping this book would kick up some nostalgia for what was an absolutely amazing trip. However, this book was a struggle for me to read despite not being terribly long. I acknowledge that writing style is completely subjective. The writing style in this book didn’t work for me. I got a headache each time I started reading it. I had to even read it out loud at points to get through it. I do appear to be a minority in this though so if this book sounds interesting to you please do give it a chance. Others have said they found it to be completely engrossing. Also though, I do not know if it is partially because it is in translation. I haven’t read anything by the author or the translators before so it is hard for me to know. Another reviewer has said that it is the author because other translated works by one of the translators was not this stilted.
The story itself is okay despite not being particularly interesting. It was almost too perfect and orderly in it’s parallels. The comparisons of love, misuse of power, and the stupidity of youth ring true in both stories. A third comparison using the Bosnian narrator would have filled it out a bit more. However, I did appreciate that the ending isn’t the normal perfect ending that most American novels want to have. It makes me wonder why do we want to have perfect endings to our novels. Is it because we also want perfect endings in our lives? Or do the authors want us to have perfect endings so that we do not demand a re-write or a sequel?
I would say to read a sampler for this novel and if you find the writing engaging then continue on. The story itself is fine, my biggest problem was the headaches the writing style constantly gave me. I’m willing to try another book by this author or this translator. Preferably separately so I can get a truer idea of which one caused me to use so much Advil.
The story itself is okay despite not being particularly interesting. It was almost too perfect and orderly in it’s parallels. The comparisons of love, misuse of power, and the stupidity of youth ring true in both stories. A third comparison using the Bosnian narrator would have filled it out a bit more. However, I did appreciate that the ending isn’t the normal perfect ending that most American novels want to have. It makes me wonder why do we want to have perfect endings to our novels. Is it because we also want perfect endings in our lives? Or do the authors want us to have perfect endings so that we do not demand a re-write or a sequel?
I would say to read a sampler for this novel and if you find the writing engaging then continue on. The story itself is fine, my biggest problem was the headaches the writing style constantly gave me. I’m willing to try another book by this author or this translator. Preferably separately so I can get a truer idea of which one caused me to use so much Advil.
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