What do you think?
Rate this book
袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯
袝蟹械褉邪褌邪 袨褏褉懈写 懈 袩褉械褋锌邪. 袛胁械 写褉械胁薪懈 械蟹械褉邪, 褋胁褗褉蟹邪薪懈 褋 锌芯写蟹械屑薪懈 褉械泻懈. 袛胁械 械蟹械褉邪, 泻芯懈褌芯 锌邪蟹褟褌 褌褉褍写薪懈 褋锌芯屑械薪懈 蟹邪 屑懈薪邪谢芯褌芯 薪邪 褌械蟹懈 蟹械屑懈 懈 褌邪泄薪邪褌邪 薪邪 薪械锌芯屑褉褗泻胁邪褖芯褌芯 懈屑 锌褉懈胁谢懈褔邪薪械. 袛胁械 械蟹械褉邪, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋邪 懈蟹懈谐褉邪谢懈 胁邪卸薪邪 褉芯谢褟 胁 褋械屑械泄薪邪褌邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 薪邪 屑邪泄褔懈薪懈褟 褉芯写 薪邪 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪.
袛芯泻邪褌芯 锌褗褌褍胁邪 泻褗屑 褉芯写薪芯褌芯 屑褟褋褌芯 薪邪 斜邪斜邪 褋懈, 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 褋褌懈谐邪 写芯 械写懈薪 泻褉褗褋褌芯锌褗褌 薪邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪: 写胁械 械蟹械褉邪, 褉邪蟹锌芯谢芯卸械薪懈 胁 锌芯谐褉邪薪懈褔薪懈褟 锌谢邪薪懈薪褋泻懈 褉邪泄芯薪 屑械卸写褍 小械胁械褉薪邪 袦邪泻械写芯薪懈褟, 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟 懈 袚褗褉褑懈褟. 孝褍泻 屑懈薪邪胁邪 写褉械胁薪懈褟 褉懈屑褋泻懈 锌褗褌 袙懈邪 袠谐薪邪褌懈褟, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋胁褗褉蟹胁邪 袪懈屑 褋 袣芯薪褋褌邪薪褌懈薪芯锌芯谢. 袧褟泻芯谐邪褕械薪 褌褗褉谐芯胁褋泻懈 懈 写褍褏芯胁械薪 褑械薪褌褗褉 薪邪 褞卸薪懈褌械 袘邪谢泻邪薪懈, 褌芯蟹懈 械蟹械褉械薪 褉邪泄芯薪 懈 写薪械褋 械 械写薪芯 芯褌 薪邪泄 屑薪芯谐芯芯斜褉邪蟹薪懈褌械 泻褗褌褔械褌邪 薪邪 袝胁褉邪蟹懈泄褋泻懈褟 泻芯薪褌懈薪械薪褌. 小褗褋 褋胁芯懈褌械 褍褋邪屑芯褌械薪懈 褑褗褉泻胁懈, 锌褉芯屑械薪谢懈胁懈 褌械褔械薪懈褟 懈 芯谐褉芯屑薪懈 锌芯褋械谢械薪懈褟 芯褌 锌褉械谢械褌薪懈 锌褌懈褑懈, 械蟹械褉邪褌邪 褋褟泻邪褕 芯斜懈褌邪胁邪褌 褋胁芯褟 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪邪 械锌芯褏邪.
袣邪褌芯 懈蟹褋谢械写胁邪 锌芯 胁芯写邪 懈 蟹械屑褟 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈褌械 薪邪 锌芯械褌懈, 褉懈斜邪褉懈 懈 锌邪蟹邪褔懈, 薪邪 褍锌褉邪胁薪懈褑懈 懈 褏芯褉邪, 芯褌褏胁褗褉谢械薪懈 芯褌 褑懈胁懈谢懈蟹邪褑懈褟褌邪, 薪邪褋谢械写薪懈褑懈 薪邪 胁芯泄薪邪 懈 懈蟹谐薪邪薪懈褔械褋褌胁芯, 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 褉邪蟹谐芯谢胁邪 褔芯胁械褕泻懈褌械 褋褗写斜懈, 芯褎芯褉屑械薪懈 芯褌 卸懈胁芯褌邪 泻褉邪泄 械蟹械褉邪褌邪. 袩芯褌械谐谢褟泄泻懈 褋 薪邪屑械褉械薪懈械褌芯 写邪 锌褉芯褍褔懈 褉芯写芯胁芯褌芯 褋懈 薪邪褋谢械写褋褌胁芯, 褌褟 褋褌懈谐邪 写芯 写褗谢斜懈薪薪懈 薪邪斜谢褞写械薪懈褟 蟹邪 薪邪褔懈薪邪, 锌芯 泻芯泄褌芯 谐械芯谐褉邪褎懈褟褌邪 懈 锌芯谢懈褌懈泻邪褌邪 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 褋胁芯褟 芯褌锌械褔邪褌褗泻 胁褗褉褏褍 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁邪 懈 薪邪褉芯写懈 鈥� 懈 写芯 褍薪懈胁械褉褋邪谢薪懈 胁褗锌褉芯褋懈 蟹邪 褔芯胁械褕泻芯褌芯 褋褌褉邪写邪薪懈械 懈 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪懈 写邪 锌褉懈械屑邪屑械 锌褉芯屑褟薪邪褌邪.
袛芯泻邪褌芯 锌褗褌褍胁邪 泻褗屑 褉芯写薪芯褌芯 屑褟褋褌芯 薪邪 斜邪斜邪 褋懈, 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 褋褌懈谐邪 写芯 械写懈薪 泻褉褗褋褌芯锌褗褌 薪邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪: 写胁械 械蟹械褉邪, 褉邪蟹锌芯谢芯卸械薪懈 胁 锌芯谐褉邪薪懈褔薪懈褟 锌谢邪薪懈薪褋泻懈 褉邪泄芯薪 屑械卸写褍 小械胁械褉薪邪 袦邪泻械写芯薪懈褟, 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟 懈 袚褗褉褑懈褟. 孝褍泻 屑懈薪邪胁邪 写褉械胁薪懈褟 褉懈屑褋泻懈 锌褗褌 袙懈邪 袠谐薪邪褌懈褟, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋胁褗褉蟹胁邪 袪懈屑 褋 袣芯薪褋褌邪薪褌懈薪芯锌芯谢. 袧褟泻芯谐邪褕械薪 褌褗褉谐芯胁褋泻懈 懈 写褍褏芯胁械薪 褑械薪褌褗褉 薪邪 褞卸薪懈褌械 袘邪谢泻邪薪懈, 褌芯蟹懈 械蟹械褉械薪 褉邪泄芯薪 懈 写薪械褋 械 械写薪芯 芯褌 薪邪泄 屑薪芯谐芯芯斜褉邪蟹薪懈褌械 泻褗褌褔械褌邪 薪邪 袝胁褉邪蟹懈泄褋泻懈褟 泻芯薪褌懈薪械薪褌. 小褗褋 褋胁芯懈褌械 褍褋邪屑芯褌械薪懈 褑褗褉泻胁懈, 锌褉芯屑械薪谢懈胁懈 褌械褔械薪懈褟 懈 芯谐褉芯屑薪懈 锌芯褋械谢械薪懈褟 芯褌 锌褉械谢械褌薪懈 锌褌懈褑懈, 械蟹械褉邪褌邪 褋褟泻邪褕 芯斜懈褌邪胁邪褌 褋胁芯褟 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪邪 械锌芯褏邪.
袣邪褌芯 懈蟹褋谢械写胁邪 锌芯 胁芯写邪 懈 蟹械屑褟 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈褌械 薪邪 锌芯械褌懈, 褉懈斜邪褉懈 懈 锌邪蟹邪褔懈, 薪邪 褍锌褉邪胁薪懈褑懈 懈 褏芯褉邪, 芯褌褏胁褗褉谢械薪懈 芯褌 褑懈胁懈谢懈蟹邪褑懈褟褌邪, 薪邪褋谢械写薪懈褑懈 薪邪 胁芯泄薪邪 懈 懈蟹谐薪邪薪懈褔械褋褌胁芯, 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 褉邪蟹谐芯谢胁邪 褔芯胁械褕泻懈褌械 褋褗写斜懈, 芯褎芯褉屑械薪懈 芯褌 卸懈胁芯褌邪 泻褉邪泄 械蟹械褉邪褌邪. 袩芯褌械谐谢褟泄泻懈 褋 薪邪屑械褉械薪懈械褌芯 写邪 锌褉芯褍褔懈 褉芯写芯胁芯褌芯 褋懈 薪邪褋谢械写褋褌胁芯, 褌褟 褋褌懈谐邪 写芯 写褗谢斜懈薪薪懈 薪邪斜谢褞写械薪懈褟 蟹邪 薪邪褔懈薪邪, 锌芯 泻芯泄褌芯 谐械芯谐褉邪褎懈褟褌邪 懈 锌芯谢懈褌懈泻邪褌邪 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 褋胁芯褟 芯褌锌械褔邪褌褗泻 胁褗褉褏褍 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁邪 懈 薪邪褉芯写懈 鈥� 懈 写芯 褍薪懈胁械褉褋邪谢薪懈 胁褗锌褉芯褋懈 蟹邪 褔芯胁械褕泻芯褌芯 褋褌褉邪写邪薪懈械 懈 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌褌邪 薪懈 写邪 锌褉懈械屑邪屑械 锌褉芯屑褟薪邪褌邪.
448 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2020
7 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Kapka Kassabova
33听books345听followersKapka Kassabova was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria in the 1970s and 1980s. Her family emigrated to New Zealand just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and she spent her late teens and twenties in New Zealand where she studied French Literature, and published two poetry collections and the Commonwealth-Writers Prize-winner for debut fiction in Asia-Pacific, Reconnaissance.
In 2004, Kapka moved to Scotland and published Street Without a Name (Portobello, 2008). It is a story of the last Communist childhood and a journey across post-communist Bulgaria. It was short-listed for the Dolman Travel Book Award.
The music memoir Twelve Minutes of Love (Portobello 2011), a tale of Argentine tango, obsession and the search for home, was short-listed for the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards.
Villa Pacifica (Alma Books 2011), a novel with an equatorial setting, came out at the same time.
Border: a journey to the edge of Europe (2017 Granta/ Greywolf) is an exploration of Europe's remotest border region.
Her essays and articles have appeared in The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement, Vogue, The Sunday Times, The Scottish Review of Books, The NZ Listener, The New Statesman, and 1843 Magazine.
In 2004, Kapka moved to Scotland and published Street Without a Name (Portobello, 2008). It is a story of the last Communist childhood and a journey across post-communist Bulgaria. It was short-listed for the Dolman Travel Book Award.
The music memoir Twelve Minutes of Love (Portobello 2011), a tale of Argentine tango, obsession and the search for home, was short-listed for the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards.
Villa Pacifica (Alma Books 2011), a novel with an equatorial setting, came out at the same time.
Border: a journey to the edge of Europe (2017 Granta/ Greywolf) is an exploration of Europe's remotest border region.
Her essays and articles have appeared in The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement, Vogue, The Sunday Times, The Scottish Review of Books, The NZ Listener, The New Statesman, and 1843 Magazine.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
January 2, 2021
"袟邪 薪褟泻芯懈 薪械褖邪 薪械 谐芯胁芯褉懈褕, 邪 褋邪屑芯 褋械 褌褉械胁芯卸懈褕".
孝械卸泻邪 泻薪懈谐邪, 泻芯褟褌邪 锌褉械褏胁褗褉谢懈褏 屑械卸写褍 写胁械褌械 谐芯写懈薪懈. 袧邪褌械卸邪谢邪 芯褌 薪芯褋褌邪谢谐懈褟褌邪 薪邪 胁械褔薪芯 褋泻懈褌邪褖懈褟, 芯褌 薪械懈蟹泻邪蟹邪薪邪褌邪 屑褗泻邪 薪邪 褏芯褉邪, 薪械薪褍卸薪芯 褉邪蟹写械谢褟薪懈 芯褌 写褗褉卸邪胁薪懈 谐褉邪薪懈褑懈, 芯褌 褋泻褉褗斜褌邪 锌芯 蟹邪谐懈薪邪谢懈褌械 胁 斜械蟹屑懈褋谢械薪懈 胁芯泄薪懈 懈 褉械锌褉械褋懈懈 斜谢懈蟹泻懈.
袪芯写械薪懈褌械 薪邪 袘邪谢泻邪薪懈褌械 薪芯褋懈屑 胁 褋械斜械 褋懈 褌褗屑薪芯 锌褉械写褔褍胁褋褌胁懈械 蟹邪 薪械褖邪褋褌懈械, 褎邪褌邪谢懈蟹褗屑, 泻芯泄褌芯 薪懈 锌褉械褔懈 写邪 褋械 蟹邪褉邪写胁邪屑械 薪邪 褏褍斜邪胁芯褌芯, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 '蟹薪邪械屑', 褔械 '屑薪芯谐芯 褏褍斜邪胁芯 薪械 械 薪邪 褏褍斜邪胁芯'.
袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 褌褉褗谐胁邪 写邪 褌褗褉褋懈 泻芯褉械薪邪 薪邪 褌邪蟹懈 褎邪薪褌芯屑薪邪 斜芯谢泻邪 胁 褋胁芯褟褌邪 褋械屑械泄薪邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 泻褉邪泄 袨褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯 械蟹械褉芯. 袠 薪邪屑懈褉邪, 褔械 斜芯谢泻邪褌邪 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 芯褌 袘邪谢泻邪薪褋泻懈褟 锌芯谢褍芯褋褌褉芯胁, 薪械蟹邪胁懈褋懈屑芯 芯褌 褌芯胁邪 懈 泻邪泻褗胁 写懈邪谢械泻褌 谐芯胁芯褉褟褌 懈 写邪谢懈 褋械 薪邪褉懈褔邪褌 屑邪泻械写芯薪褑懈, 邪谢斜邪薪褑懈, 斜褗谢谐邪褉懈 懈谢懈 谐褗褉褑懈, 械 械写薪邪.
袘芯谢泻邪褌邪 芯褌 懈蟹泻褍褋褌胁械薪芯褌芯 褉邪蟹写械谢械薪懈械, 芯褌 懈蟹屑懈褋谢械薪懈褌械 胁褉邪卸写懈, 芯褌 薪械薪褍卸薪懈褌械 谐褉邪薪懈褑懈. 袘芯谢泻邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 屑芯卸械 写邪 斜褗写械 芯斜谢械泻褔械薪邪 褋邪屑芯 芯褌 袝蟹械褉芯褌芯, 泻芯械褌芯 芯屑械泻芯褌褟胁邪 懈 芯斜械蟹褋懈谢胁邪 胁褋懈褔泻懈 胁褉邪卸写懈.
"袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯", 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 "袚褉邪薪懈褑邪" 械 锌褗褌械锌懈褋-谢械谐械薪写邪-懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻邪 褋锌褉邪胁泻邪-邪胁褌芯斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褔械薪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹, 胁 泻芯褟褌芯 胁褋械泻懈 斜懈 屑芯谐褗谢 写邪 芯褌泻褉懈械 薪械褖芯 蟹邪 褋械斜械 褋懈.
孝械卸泻邪 泻薪懈谐邪, 泻芯褟褌邪 锌褉械褏胁褗褉谢懈褏 屑械卸写褍 写胁械褌械 谐芯写懈薪懈. 袧邪褌械卸邪谢邪 芯褌 薪芯褋褌邪谢谐懈褟褌邪 薪邪 胁械褔薪芯 褋泻懈褌邪褖懈褟, 芯褌 薪械懈蟹泻邪蟹邪薪邪褌邪 屑褗泻邪 薪邪 褏芯褉邪, 薪械薪褍卸薪芯 褉邪蟹写械谢褟薪懈 芯褌 写褗褉卸邪胁薪懈 谐褉邪薪懈褑懈, 芯褌 褋泻褉褗斜褌邪 锌芯 蟹邪谐懈薪邪谢懈褌械 胁 斜械蟹屑懈褋谢械薪懈 胁芯泄薪懈 懈 褉械锌褉械褋懈懈 斜谢懈蟹泻懈.
袪芯写械薪懈褌械 薪邪 袘邪谢泻邪薪懈褌械 薪芯褋懈屑 胁 褋械斜械 褋懈 褌褗屑薪芯 锌褉械写褔褍胁褋褌胁懈械 蟹邪 薪械褖邪褋褌懈械, 褎邪褌邪谢懈蟹褗屑, 泻芯泄褌芯 薪懈 锌褉械褔懈 写邪 褋械 蟹邪褉邪写胁邪屑械 薪邪 褏褍斜邪胁芯褌芯, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 '蟹薪邪械屑', 褔械 '屑薪芯谐芯 褏褍斜邪胁芯 薪械 械 薪邪 褏褍斜邪胁芯'.
袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 褌褉褗谐胁邪 写邪 褌褗褉褋懈 泻芯褉械薪邪 薪邪 褌邪蟹懈 褎邪薪褌芯屑薪邪 斜芯谢泻邪 胁 褋胁芯褟褌邪 褋械屑械泄薪邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 泻褉邪泄 袨褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯 械蟹械褉芯. 袠 薪邪屑懈褉邪, 褔械 斜芯谢泻邪褌邪 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 芯褌 袘邪谢泻邪薪褋泻懈褟 锌芯谢褍芯褋褌褉芯胁, 薪械蟹邪胁懈褋懈屑芯 芯褌 褌芯胁邪 懈 泻邪泻褗胁 写懈邪谢械泻褌 谐芯胁芯褉褟褌 懈 写邪谢懈 褋械 薪邪褉懈褔邪褌 屑邪泻械写芯薪褑懈, 邪谢斜邪薪褑懈, 斜褗谢谐邪褉懈 懈谢懈 谐褗褉褑懈, 械 械写薪邪.
袘芯谢泻邪褌邪 芯褌 懈蟹泻褍褋褌胁械薪芯褌芯 褉邪蟹写械谢械薪懈械, 芯褌 懈蟹屑懈褋谢械薪懈褌械 胁褉邪卸写懈, 芯褌 薪械薪褍卸薪懈褌械 谐褉邪薪懈褑懈. 袘芯谢泻邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 屑芯卸械 写邪 斜褗写械 芯斜谢械泻褔械薪邪 褋邪屑芯 芯褌 袝蟹械褉芯褌芯, 泻芯械褌芯 芯屑械泻芯褌褟胁邪 懈 芯斜械蟹褋懈谢胁邪 胁褋懈褔泻懈 胁褉邪卸写懈.
"袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯", 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 "袚褉邪薪懈褑邪" 械 锌褗褌械锌懈褋-谢械谐械薪写邪-懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻邪 褋锌褉邪胁泻邪-邪胁褌芯斜懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褔械薪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹, 胁 泻芯褟褌芯 胁褋械泻懈 斜懈 屑芯谐褗谢 写邪 芯褌泻褉懈械 薪械褖芯 蟹邪 褋械斜械 褋懈.
April 23, 2025
Update in 2025: I liked it even better this time, probably because I read it when travelling around Ohrid and Prespa. The fragmentary nature didn鈥檛 really bother me, as I read it in a fragmentary way, too. Kassabova surely runs into an extraordinary amount of wise locals, but I regardless of any potential poetic license it was a great companion for this trip (and together with Border, it was also the reason for this trip in the first place).
Original review: Let me start with two caveats. First, I believe this book is a completely different experience for readers who live in the region or know it well. I cannot adequately judge whether the numerous sensitivities and conflicts have been handled fairly, although Kassabova always seems extremely evenhanded to me. The other caveat is that if I could pick only one of her books, I鈥檇 go for Border (which I adored). It has a clearer focus and the analysis is deeper; I think it was much longer in the making than To the Lake, which seems a bit rushed, less fully digested and settled in comparison. That said, it鈥檚 still a very good book and all the strengths of Border are evident here as well. I really like Kassabova鈥檚 voice, some poets who are well suited to prose write like this: with lyricism and great rhythm, but without wasting words. She is observant, has empathy and a deep curiosity about the world that I appreciate. I also like that she doesn鈥檛 try to fit one genre, much of the power of her books comes from how she uses whatever tool seems best, blends the personal and the general, history with travel writing, literature with nature, treating all subject matters with equal respect. The juxtapositions work really well, she can go from the gorgeous cherry orchards to the horrors of the Hoxha regime in a heartbeat. This style is a clever way to capture things that can never be captured fully, in a linear and orderly fashion anyway. Sometimes it can get too much, it can be difficult to keep track of all the people and the places (and the wars) and you are no longer sure what point the book is making exactly. But of course it doesn鈥檛 have to have one, ultimate, unambiguous message to everyone and that鈥檚 completely fine with me.
Original review: Let me start with two caveats. First, I believe this book is a completely different experience for readers who live in the region or know it well. I cannot adequately judge whether the numerous sensitivities and conflicts have been handled fairly, although Kassabova always seems extremely evenhanded to me. The other caveat is that if I could pick only one of her books, I鈥檇 go for Border (which I adored). It has a clearer focus and the analysis is deeper; I think it was much longer in the making than To the Lake, which seems a bit rushed, less fully digested and settled in comparison. That said, it鈥檚 still a very good book and all the strengths of Border are evident here as well. I really like Kassabova鈥檚 voice, some poets who are well suited to prose write like this: with lyricism and great rhythm, but without wasting words. She is observant, has empathy and a deep curiosity about the world that I appreciate. I also like that she doesn鈥檛 try to fit one genre, much of the power of her books comes from how she uses whatever tool seems best, blends the personal and the general, history with travel writing, literature with nature, treating all subject matters with equal respect. The juxtapositions work really well, she can go from the gorgeous cherry orchards to the horrors of the Hoxha regime in a heartbeat. This style is a clever way to capture things that can never be captured fully, in a linear and orderly fashion anyway. Sometimes it can get too much, it can be difficult to keep track of all the people and the places (and the wars) and you are no longer sure what point the book is making exactly. But of course it doesn鈥檛 have to have one, ultimate, unambiguous message to everyone and that鈥檚 completely fine with me.
September 21, 2020
The Republic of North Macedonia. Not one of the well known Balkan countries and certainly not well known to me at all.
The author uses her family links to the area with an impressive knowledge of history and an empathetic manner to get people to talk. Its is an impressive effort as this is one complex area of religions, cultures, family ties and fluid borders and frequent changes in allegiances.
The author uses her family links to the area with an impressive knowledge of history and an empathetic manner to get people to talk. Its is an impressive effort as this is one complex area of religions, cultures, family ties and fluid borders and frequent changes in allegiances.
February 9, 2020
Kapka Kassabova writes with such compassion about the Balkans鈥攃ompassion for histories intimate and grand, for the hurt children we used to be, for place and geography. Being from the region she writes about, I found that this book made me feel seen and known, gasping with relief and recognition as I made my way through it. Between this gem of a book and Border, she is by far one of my favorite writers working today.
May 6, 2021
"袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯" 械 屑芯褟褌邪 锌褗褉胁邪 褋褉械褖邪 褋 褌胁芯褉褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯 薪邪 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪. 小褗褖芯 泻邪褌芯 褋邪屑懈褌械 袘邪谢泻邪薪懈, 褉芯屑邪薪褗褌 械 褋懈薪褌械蟹 芯褌 锌褗褌械锌懈褋, 屑械屑芯邪褉懈, 写薪械胁薪懈泻 懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 斜械谢械卸泻懈, 褔懈懈褌芯 锌褗褌懈褖邪 锌芯褋褌芯褟薪薪芯 褋械 锌褉械锌谢懈褌邪褌. 笑械薪褌褗褉褗褌 械 械蟹械褉芯褌芯. 啸芯褉邪褌邪, 褋锌芯屑械薪懈褌械, 写械泄褋褌胁懈褟褌邪 褋邪 褔邪褋褌懈褑懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 胁褗褉褌褟褌 芯泻芯谢芯 薪械谐芯, 锌褉懈褌械谐谢械薪懈 芯褌 械薪懈谐屑邪褌懈褔薪邪褌邪 屑褍 褋懈谢邪.
袣薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 褔褍写械褋薪邪 懈 屑薪芯谐芯 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪邪, 邪 褋褌懈谢褗褌 薪邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 械 褎懈薪 懈 写械谢懈泻邪褌械薪. 袧邪褍褔懈褏 屑薪芯谐芯 褎邪泻褌懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 薪械 蟹薪邪械褏, 锌芯褌芯锌懈褏 褋械 胁 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪懈 褋械屑械泄薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 懈 锌褉械芯褌泻褉懈褏 褕懈褉懈薪懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 薪械 屑懈 斜褟褏邪 褌邪泻邪 写芯斜褉械 锌芯蟹薪邪褌懈. 袙褌芯褉邪褌邪 褔邪褋褌 薪邪 褉芯屑邪薪邪 蟹邪 屑械薪 斜械褕械 锌芯-褌械卸泻邪. 袠屑械薪薪芯 胁 薪械褟 械 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹邪薪邪 械写薪邪 芯褌 谢褞斜懈屑懈褌械 屑懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 蟹邪 谢芯写泻邪, 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯 懈 褋锌邪褋械薪懈械 锌芯写 锌褉懈泻褉懈褌懈械褌芯 薪邪 薪芯褖褌邪.
袟邪 褋褗卸邪谢械薪懈械, 褌芯胁邪 薪械 械 屑芯褟褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 袦芯谐邪 写邪 芯褑械薪褟 写芯褋褌芯泄薪褋褌胁邪褌邪 泄, 薪芯 胁褗锌褉械泻懈 褌芯胁邪 薪械 屑芯谐邪 写邪 泻邪卸邪, 褔械 屑懈 褏邪褉械褋邪. 袩褉懈褔懈薪邪褌邪 械 胁 锌械褋懈屑懈蟹屑邪 懈 褌褉邪谐懈蟹屑邪 泻芯泄褌芯 谢褗褏邪 芯褌 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑懈褌械. 小褗蟹薪邪胁邪屑, 褔械 褌芯胁邪 械 褌褗褉褋械薪 械褎械泻褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 写芯泻邪蟹胁邪 屑褗泻邪褌邪 薪邪 械写薪邪 懈蟹褋褌褉邪写邪谢邪 芯斜谢邪褋褌 懈 薪邪褉芯写懈褌械 褋胁褗褉蟹邪薪懈 褋 薪械褟, 薪芯 胁褗锌褉械泻懈 褌芯胁邪 薪械 屑芯谐邪 写邪 锌褉懈械屑邪 谢懈锌褋邪褌邪 薪邪 褋胁械褌谢懈薪邪. 孝褗褉褋械褏 懈褋泻褉懈褌械 写芯 褋邪屑懈褟 泻褉邪泄, 薪芯 褌械 褌邪泻邪 懈 薪械 锌褉芯斜谢械褋薪邪褏邪. 袨褋褌邪薪邪褏 褋 褍褋械褖邪薪械褌芯, 褔械 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 械 懈蟹谢褟谢邪 屑褗泻邪褌邪 褋懈 懈 褋械 械 芯褋胁芯斜芯写懈谢邪 芯褌 褌械卸褗泻 械屑芯褑懈芯薪邪谢械薪 褌芯胁邪褉. 袙 褌邪蟹懈 蟹械屑褟, 泻褗写械褌芯 屑褗卸械褌械 芯褌褋褗褋褌胁邪褌, 卸械薪懈褌械 褋邪 褎褍褉懈懈, 邪 写械褑邪褌邪 薪芯褋褟褌 锌芯泻芯谢械薪褔械褋泻芯褌芯 斜褉械屑械 薪邪 薪械褍写芯胁谢械褌胁芯褉械薪芯褋褌 懈 斜芯谢泻邪, 褌芯胁邪, 泻芯械褌芯 褉械邪谢薪芯 谢懈锌褋胁邪 械 薪邪写械卸写邪褌邪. 袦邪泻邪褉 胁 褍胁芯写邪 写邪 械 锌芯褟褋薪械薪芯, 褔械 锌芯胁械褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈械褌芯 褖械 褋械 锌褉懈写褗褉卸邪 写芯 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯 薪邪泄-谐芯谢褟屑邪 芯斜械泻褌懈胁薪芯褋褌, 褉械邪谢薪芯 褌芯胁邪 薪械 械 褌邪泻邪. 袨泻邪蟹胁邪 褋械, 褔械 薪械 屑芯卸械 写邪 懈蟹斜褟谐邪褕 芯褌 胁褗锌褉芯褋邪 - "孝懈 褔懈褟 褋懈?"
"袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯" 械 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹, 懈蟹锌褗谢薪械薪 褋 谢褞斜芯锌懈褌薪懈 褎邪泻褌懈 蟹邪 屑懈薪邪谢芯褌芯 懈 薪邪褋褌芯褟褖械褌芯 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 芯泻芯谢芯 袨褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯 懈 袩褉械褋锌邪薪褋泻芯褌芯 械蟹械褉芯. 孝芯胁邪, 泻芯械褌芯 锌褉懈褉芯写邪褌邪 械 褋胁褗褉蟹邪谢邪 锌褉械蟹 胁械泻芯胁械褌械, 褋械谐邪 械 褉邪蟹锌芯泻褗褋邪薪芯 屑械卸写褍 褌褉懈 写褗褉卸邪胁薪懈 谐褉邪薪懈褑懈 懈 屑械卸写褍 芯褖械 锌芯胁械褔械 胁褗褌褉械褕薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 锌褉械谐褉邪写懈. 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 谐芯 械 芯锌懈褋邪谢邪 泻褉邪褋懈胁芯, 薪芯 写懈褋褌邪薪褑懈褉邪薪芯, 斜械蟹 写邪 褋械 锌褉懈锌芯蟹薪邪械 写芯泻褉邪泄 褋 褏邪芯褌懈褔薪芯褋褌褌邪 懈 胁芯写芯胁褗褉褌械卸邪 薪邪 斜邪谢泻邪薪褋泻邪褌邪 褉械邪谢薪芯褋褌.
袣薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 褔褍写械褋薪邪 懈 屑薪芯谐芯 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪邪, 邪 褋褌懈谢褗褌 薪邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 械 褎懈薪 懈 写械谢懈泻邪褌械薪. 袧邪褍褔懈褏 屑薪芯谐芯 褎邪泻褌懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 薪械 蟹薪邪械褏, 锌芯褌芯锌懈褏 褋械 胁 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪懈 褋械屑械泄薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 懈 锌褉械芯褌泻褉懈褏 褕懈褉懈薪懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 薪械 屑懈 斜褟褏邪 褌邪泻邪 写芯斜褉械 锌芯蟹薪邪褌懈. 袙褌芯褉邪褌邪 褔邪褋褌 薪邪 褉芯屑邪薪邪 蟹邪 屑械薪 斜械褕械 锌芯-褌械卸泻邪. 袠屑械薪薪芯 胁 薪械褟 械 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹邪薪邪 械写薪邪 芯褌 谢褞斜懈屑懈褌械 屑懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 蟹邪 谢芯写泻邪, 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯 懈 褋锌邪褋械薪懈械 锌芯写 锌褉懈泻褉懈褌懈械褌芯 薪邪 薪芯褖褌邪.
袟邪 褋褗卸邪谢械薪懈械, 褌芯胁邪 薪械 械 屑芯褟褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 袦芯谐邪 写邪 芯褑械薪褟 写芯褋褌芯泄薪褋褌胁邪褌邪 泄, 薪芯 胁褗锌褉械泻懈 褌芯胁邪 薪械 屑芯谐邪 写邪 泻邪卸邪, 褔械 屑懈 褏邪褉械褋邪. 袩褉懈褔懈薪邪褌邪 械 胁 锌械褋懈屑懈蟹屑邪 懈 褌褉邪谐懈蟹屑邪 泻芯泄褌芯 谢褗褏邪 芯褌 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑懈褌械. 小褗蟹薪邪胁邪屑, 褔械 褌芯胁邪 械 褌褗褉褋械薪 械褎械泻褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 写芯泻邪蟹胁邪 屑褗泻邪褌邪 薪邪 械写薪邪 懈蟹褋褌褉邪写邪谢邪 芯斜谢邪褋褌 懈 薪邪褉芯写懈褌械 褋胁褗褉蟹邪薪懈 褋 薪械褟, 薪芯 胁褗锌褉械泻懈 褌芯胁邪 薪械 屑芯谐邪 写邪 锌褉懈械屑邪 谢懈锌褋邪褌邪 薪邪 褋胁械褌谢懈薪邪. 孝褗褉褋械褏 懈褋泻褉懈褌械 写芯 褋邪屑懈褟 泻褉邪泄, 薪芯 褌械 褌邪泻邪 懈 薪械 锌褉芯斜谢械褋薪邪褏邪. 袨褋褌邪薪邪褏 褋 褍褋械褖邪薪械褌芯, 褔械 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 械 懈蟹谢褟谢邪 屑褗泻邪褌邪 褋懈 懈 褋械 械 芯褋胁芯斜芯写懈谢邪 芯褌 褌械卸褗泻 械屑芯褑懈芯薪邪谢械薪 褌芯胁邪褉. 袙 褌邪蟹懈 蟹械屑褟, 泻褗写械褌芯 屑褗卸械褌械 芯褌褋褗褋褌胁邪褌, 卸械薪懈褌械 褋邪 褎褍褉懈懈, 邪 写械褑邪褌邪 薪芯褋褟褌 锌芯泻芯谢械薪褔械褋泻芯褌芯 斜褉械屑械 薪邪 薪械褍写芯胁谢械褌胁芯褉械薪芯褋褌 懈 斜芯谢泻邪, 褌芯胁邪, 泻芯械褌芯 褉械邪谢薪芯 谢懈锌褋胁邪 械 薪邪写械卸写邪褌邪. 袦邪泻邪褉 胁 褍胁芯写邪 写邪 械 锌芯褟褋薪械薪芯, 褔械 锌芯胁械褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈械褌芯 褖械 褋械 锌褉懈写褗褉卸邪 写芯 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯 薪邪泄-谐芯谢褟屑邪 芯斜械泻褌懈胁薪芯褋褌, 褉械邪谢薪芯 褌芯胁邪 薪械 械 褌邪泻邪. 袨泻邪蟹胁邪 褋械, 褔械 薪械 屑芯卸械 写邪 懈蟹斜褟谐邪褕 芯褌 胁褗锌褉芯褋邪 - "孝懈 褔懈褟 褋懈?"
"袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯" 械 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹, 懈蟹锌褗谢薪械薪 褋 谢褞斜芯锌懈褌薪懈 褎邪泻褌懈 蟹邪 屑懈薪邪谢芯褌芯 懈 薪邪褋褌芯褟褖械褌芯 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 芯泻芯谢芯 袨褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯 懈 袩褉械褋锌邪薪褋泻芯褌芯 械蟹械褉芯. 孝芯胁邪, 泻芯械褌芯 锌褉懈褉芯写邪褌邪 械 褋胁褗褉蟹邪谢邪 锌褉械蟹 胁械泻芯胁械褌械, 褋械谐邪 械 褉邪蟹锌芯泻褗褋邪薪芯 屑械卸写褍 褌褉懈 写褗褉卸邪胁薪懈 谐褉邪薪懈褑懈 懈 屑械卸写褍 芯褖械 锌芯胁械褔械 胁褗褌褉械褕薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 锌褉械谐褉邪写懈. 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 谐芯 械 芯锌懈褋邪谢邪 泻褉邪褋懈胁芯, 薪芯 写懈褋褌邪薪褑懈褉邪薪芯, 斜械蟹 写邪 褋械 锌褉懈锌芯蟹薪邪械 写芯泻褉邪泄 褋 褏邪芯褌懈褔薪芯褋褌褌邪 懈 胁芯写芯胁褗褉褌械卸邪 薪邪 斜邪谢泻邪薪褋泻邪褌邪 褉械邪谢薪芯褋褌.
September 23, 2023
September 2023 update: I am rereading this before my upcoming trip to Lake Ohrid!
Review from September 2021:
Before the virus completely took over 2020, and made it almost impossible to travel without a two-week quarantine, my boyfriend and I had planned a trip to North Macedonia. We were intending to end our holiday with a wild swim at Lake Ohrid, somewhere we have wanted to visit for years. We are hoping that we will be able to embark on this trip at some point during 2021, but for now, I reached for the closest thing I could find - Kapka Kassabova's non-fiction title To the Lake: A Balkan Journey of War and Peace.
The Balkans is an area which I have travelled in relatively extensively already, but I find it fascinating to see regions which I love - as well as those which I have yet to visit - through the eyes of someone who is somehow connected to the physical place. Kassabova's maternal grandmother grew up in the town of Ohrid, beside the lake, which lies 'within the mountainous borderlands of North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece'. Lake Ohrid, and also Lake Prespa, which can be found relatively nearby, are located in 'one of Eurasia's most historically diverse areas', and are the two oldest lakes in Europe. Ohrid and Prespa are joined by an underground river, and span these aforementioned borders.
'By exploring on water and land the stories of poets, fishermen, and caretakers, misfits, rulers, and inheritors of war and exile,' declares the blurb, 'Kassabova uncovers the human history shaped by the lakes.' Alongside her personal journey to reach her family's roots, the author makes 'a deeper enquiry into how geography and politics imprint themselves upon families and nations.'
For Kassabova, this region, which has housed 'generations of my predecessors... is a realm of high altitudes and mesmeric depths, eagles and vineyards, orchards and old civilisations, a land tattooed with untold histories.' The focus of To the Lake, as outlined in the introduction, is as follows: 'Geography shapes history - we generally accept this as a fact. But we don't often explore how families digest big historo-geographies, how these sculpt our inner landscape, and how we as individuals continue to influence the course of history in invisible but significant ways - because the local is inseparable from the global. I went to the Lakes to seek an understanding of such forces.'
The first chapter of To the Lake opens with Kassabova's recollections of her maternal grandmother's death. Her descriptions of her grandmother, Anastassia, which she goes on to reveal piece by piece, are so vibrant: 'Surrounded by the mediocrity, conformity and mendacity that a totalitarian system thrives on, Anastassia lived with zest, speaking her mind in a society where half the population didn't have a mind and the other half were careful to keep it to themselves.' Her descriptions of her family particularly really stand out; she describes her mother thus, for example: 'She always felt to me precariously attuned to life, as if born rootless, as if needing an external force to earth her.'
Some of Kassabova's writing is undoubtedly beautiful - for instance, when she writes 'Ohrid made you feel the weight of time, even on a peaceful evening like this, with only the screech of cicadas and the shuffle of old women in slippers' - but there are some quite abrupt sentences and sections to be found within To the Lake. It does not feel entirely consistent at times, and Kassabova does have a tendency to jump from quite an involved history of the area to a conversation with someone who lives there, and often back again, without any delineation. This added a disjointed feel to the whole. However, the value and interest of the information which she presents was thankfully too strong for this to put me off as a reader.
To the Lake is certainly thorough; it was not a book which I felt able to read from cover to cover in one go, as it is so intricate - both in terms of the history and geography of the region, and of Kassabova's own family. There is a great deal within the book which explores national divides throughout the lake region, as well as the religions which are practiced. Kassabova seems to focus far more upon the differences of the people whom she meets, than their similarities. There are some brief nods to fascinating Slavic folktales along the way, which I wish had been elaborated upon. Regardless, To the Lake is an important book, and an ultimately satisfying one, which I would highly recommend.
Review from September 2021:
Before the virus completely took over 2020, and made it almost impossible to travel without a two-week quarantine, my boyfriend and I had planned a trip to North Macedonia. We were intending to end our holiday with a wild swim at Lake Ohrid, somewhere we have wanted to visit for years. We are hoping that we will be able to embark on this trip at some point during 2021, but for now, I reached for the closest thing I could find - Kapka Kassabova's non-fiction title To the Lake: A Balkan Journey of War and Peace.
The Balkans is an area which I have travelled in relatively extensively already, but I find it fascinating to see regions which I love - as well as those which I have yet to visit - through the eyes of someone who is somehow connected to the physical place. Kassabova's maternal grandmother grew up in the town of Ohrid, beside the lake, which lies 'within the mountainous borderlands of North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece'. Lake Ohrid, and also Lake Prespa, which can be found relatively nearby, are located in 'one of Eurasia's most historically diverse areas', and are the two oldest lakes in Europe. Ohrid and Prespa are joined by an underground river, and span these aforementioned borders.
'By exploring on water and land the stories of poets, fishermen, and caretakers, misfits, rulers, and inheritors of war and exile,' declares the blurb, 'Kassabova uncovers the human history shaped by the lakes.' Alongside her personal journey to reach her family's roots, the author makes 'a deeper enquiry into how geography and politics imprint themselves upon families and nations.'
For Kassabova, this region, which has housed 'generations of my predecessors... is a realm of high altitudes and mesmeric depths, eagles and vineyards, orchards and old civilisations, a land tattooed with untold histories.' The focus of To the Lake, as outlined in the introduction, is as follows: 'Geography shapes history - we generally accept this as a fact. But we don't often explore how families digest big historo-geographies, how these sculpt our inner landscape, and how we as individuals continue to influence the course of history in invisible but significant ways - because the local is inseparable from the global. I went to the Lakes to seek an understanding of such forces.'
The first chapter of To the Lake opens with Kassabova's recollections of her maternal grandmother's death. Her descriptions of her grandmother, Anastassia, which she goes on to reveal piece by piece, are so vibrant: 'Surrounded by the mediocrity, conformity and mendacity that a totalitarian system thrives on, Anastassia lived with zest, speaking her mind in a society where half the population didn't have a mind and the other half were careful to keep it to themselves.' Her descriptions of her family particularly really stand out; she describes her mother thus, for example: 'She always felt to me precariously attuned to life, as if born rootless, as if needing an external force to earth her.'
Some of Kassabova's writing is undoubtedly beautiful - for instance, when she writes 'Ohrid made you feel the weight of time, even on a peaceful evening like this, with only the screech of cicadas and the shuffle of old women in slippers' - but there are some quite abrupt sentences and sections to be found within To the Lake. It does not feel entirely consistent at times, and Kassabova does have a tendency to jump from quite an involved history of the area to a conversation with someone who lives there, and often back again, without any delineation. This added a disjointed feel to the whole. However, the value and interest of the information which she presents was thankfully too strong for this to put me off as a reader.
To the Lake is certainly thorough; it was not a book which I felt able to read from cover to cover in one go, as it is so intricate - both in terms of the history and geography of the region, and of Kassabova's own family. There is a great deal within the book which explores national divides throughout the lake region, as well as the religions which are practiced. Kassabova seems to focus far more upon the differences of the people whom she meets, than their similarities. There are some brief nods to fascinating Slavic folktales along the way, which I wish had been elaborated upon. Regardless, To the Lake is an important book, and an ultimately satisfying one, which I would highly recommend.
April 7, 2020
There are parts of Europe that rarely get mentioned, these out of the way places often have turbulent and complicated pasts. One of these places is mountainous borderlands of North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece. The border of the three countries passes through the two ancient lakes formed by tectonic activity and are joined by underground rivers, Ohrid and Prespa.
It is a place that is deeply rooted deeply in Kapka Kassabova鈥檚 heart too, her maternal grandmother was a huge influence on her and she came from the region. It was somewhere where she wants to go to and spend time there, but it hadn鈥檛 been appropriate until now. It was a region that had known conflict for years, but there had been peace for a little while now and there was no time like the present.
Amongst all the history here though and there has been an awful lot of history; wars and constantly changing borders and regimes, it is a place scarred deeply by conflict. It is now coming to terms with peace, and she is here for the human stories and to see if there are any traces of her family left. Landing at the airport in Albania, she immediately feels at home, the men who are hoping for work all look like her cousins. They pass through a medieval gate into the town on Ohrid on the way to the villa she was staying at. The owners looked familiar and it didn鈥檛 take long to realise that there was a family link.
Form this initial meeting she heads off around the region to meet and talk with the people of the region, from the fishermen, mothers, aunts, poets and border guards. She learns about how and when Sufism appeared in the region, speaks the those that got across the Iron Curtain and visits monasteries high in the mountains and walks in 2000-year-old tombs that were untouched until recently. But all of the trip out centre on these amazing lakes
As she travels between town and villages and crossing the lakes she keeps bumping into people that look familiar. Quite often after a short conversation with them, she invariably finds out that they are related in some way or another. And it is that sort of thing that sums this book up, it is a little-understood area of the world and through her wonderful prose, Kassabova untangles the people from the politics. Slowly the rifts are being healed, even when she is there it is finally agreed with Greece that Macedonia can formally be called North Macedonia. With all these things though, it is a process that has taken far too long, but it does show that even after years of conflict they still have so much more in common than the differences between them.
It is a place that is deeply rooted deeply in Kapka Kassabova鈥檚 heart too, her maternal grandmother was a huge influence on her and she came from the region. It was somewhere where she wants to go to and spend time there, but it hadn鈥檛 been appropriate until now. It was a region that had known conflict for years, but there had been peace for a little while now and there was no time like the present.
Amongst all the history here though and there has been an awful lot of history; wars and constantly changing borders and regimes, it is a place scarred deeply by conflict. It is now coming to terms with peace, and she is here for the human stories and to see if there are any traces of her family left. Landing at the airport in Albania, she immediately feels at home, the men who are hoping for work all look like her cousins. They pass through a medieval gate into the town on Ohrid on the way to the villa she was staying at. The owners looked familiar and it didn鈥檛 take long to realise that there was a family link.
Form this initial meeting she heads off around the region to meet and talk with the people of the region, from the fishermen, mothers, aunts, poets and border guards. She learns about how and when Sufism appeared in the region, speaks the those that got across the Iron Curtain and visits monasteries high in the mountains and walks in 2000-year-old tombs that were untouched until recently. But all of the trip out centre on these amazing lakes
As she travels between town and villages and crossing the lakes she keeps bumping into people that look familiar. Quite often after a short conversation with them, she invariably finds out that they are related in some way or another. And it is that sort of thing that sums this book up, it is a little-understood area of the world and through her wonderful prose, Kassabova untangles the people from the politics. Slowly the rifts are being healed, even when she is there it is finally agreed with Greece that Macedonia can formally be called North Macedonia. With all these things though, it is a process that has taken far too long, but it does show that even after years of conflict they still have so much more in common than the differences between them.
March 21, 2021
袙 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 褋械 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪 蟹邪 械蟹械褉邪褌邪 薪邪 袨褏褉懈写 懈 袩褉械褋锌邪, "胁谢芯卸械薪懈 泻邪褌芯 写懈邪屑邪薪褌懈 胁 锌谢邪薪懈薪懈褌械 薪邪 袟邪锌邪写薪邪 袦邪泻械写芯薪懈褟 懈 袠蟹褌芯褔薪邪 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟", 褌械 褋邪 薪邪泄-褋褌邪褉懈褌械 胁 袝胁褉芯锌邪, 邪 袨褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯 械 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯 写邪 械 胁褌芯褉芯褌芯 锌芯 胁褗蟹褉邪褋褌 胁 褋胁械褌邪 (写芯锌褍褋泻邪 褋械, 褔械 械 薪邪 褌褉懈 屑懈谢懈芯薪邪 谐芯写懈薪懈...). 袧械谐芯胁邪褌邪 锌褉懈褌械谐邪褌械谢薪邪 褋懈谢邪 褋褗蟹写邪胁邪 芯褋芯斜械薪 屑懈褋褌懈褑懈蟹褗屑. 袧懈泻芯泄 薪械 谐芯 薪邪锌褍褋泻邪 蟹邪胁懈薪邪谐懈, 写芯褉懈 写邪 械 懈蟹斜褟谐邪谢 褔邪泻 胁 袗胁褋褌褉邪谢懈褟. 小谢械写 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 褋懈 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁褟屑 写械褉胁懈褕泻懈褌械 屑邪薪邪褋褌懈褉懈, 袝谐薪邪褑懈械胁懈褟褌 锌褗褌, 屑懈褋褌懈褔薪懈褟 褋褍褎懈蟹褗屑, 褋屑械褋胁邪薪械褌芯 薪邪 械褌薪芯褋懈 懈 泻褍谢褌褍褉懈, 锌懈褖薪邪褌邪 锌褉懈褉芯写薪邪 泻褉邪褋芯褌邪, 胁褋懈褔泻芯 褋械 褋谢懈胁邪 胁 械写薪邪 谐芯谢褟屑邪 胁褗谢薪邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 胁械泻芯胁械 薪邪褉械写 锌芯 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪懈 锌褉懈褔懈薪懈 褋械 芯锌懈褌胁邪屑械 写邪 褉邪蟹写械谢懈屑 薪邪 泻邪锌泻懈. 袠屑邪 褋懈 写芯褉懈 褌械褉屑懈薪, 泻芯泄褌芯 蟹邪 锌褉褗胁 锌褗褌 械 懈蟹锌芯谢蟹胁邪薪 锌褉械蟹 1918 谐. 胁 New York Times - "写邪 斜邪谢泻邪薪懈蟹懈褉邪褕", 泻芯械褌芯 斜褍泻胁邪谢薪芯 芯蟹薪邪褔邪胁邪 写邪 褉邪蟹写械谢褟褕 芯斜谢邪褋褌懈 懈谢懈 褉械谐懈芯薪懈 薪邪 胁褉邪卸写械斜薪懈 械写薪邪 薪邪 写褉褍谐邪 谐褉褍锌懈. 袧械 褔械 锌芯胁械褔械褌芯 薪械褖邪 薪械 褋褗屑 谐懈 蟹薪邪械谢邪, 薪芯 械 褋褗胁褋械屑 写褉褍谐芯, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 褍褔懈褕 薪械 褋邪屑芯 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 懈 褋 褎邪泻褌懈, 邪 褋 褔芯胁械褕泻懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈. 袧械 懈褋泻邪屑 写邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪屑 薪懈褌芯 械写薪邪 芯褌 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 薪懈褌芯 褖械 褍褋锌械褟 写邪 谐芯 薪邪锌褉邪胁褟 写芯褋褌邪褌褗褔薪芯 写芯斜褉械, 薪懈褌芯 屑芯谐邪 写邪 懈蟹斜械褉邪 械写薪邪 械写懈薪褋褌胁械薪邪. 袩芯写芯斜薪芯 薪邪 蟹邪斜械谢械卸懈褌械谢薪懈褟 褌褉褍写 薪邪 袦邪褉懈褟 小褌械锌邪薪芯胁邪, 懈 褌褍泻 芯褋褌邪薪邪褏 褋 褍褋械褖邪薪械褌芯, 褔械 锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪屑 胁褋懈褔泻懈 褏芯褉邪, 褔械 褋褗屑 褌褟褏薪邪, 薪械 褔褍卸写邪.
May 4, 2022
North Macedonia, you owe me. If I had a sigh-ometer, it would have run out of power very quickly. This has been one of the hardest around the world challenge destinations yet. The place is full of human suffering. It felt like the author interviewed every person she came across and said 鈥渢ell me about your worst experience鈥�. So much chronic grief.
I was into it for the first few chapters as it was densely packed with information and experience but it wore off pretty quickly. Here is one snippet:
鈥淲hen I sat under my cherry tree at night, sensing the vast presence of the lake, I almost expected to see the outlines of my own mind projected on those walls, as in some opera arena of the collective unconscious where everything is laid bare.鈥�
A bit too flowery? Can you tell the author is a poet.
Another thing was the structure and lack of engagement. The premise is that the author returns to her ancestral land. She starts with the experiences of her relatives or people that knew her relatives, but it soon gets formulaeic. It was like, I caught a boat across the lake. A poet once crossed this lake. The captain told me his life story. They escaped via the lake. Centuries ago someone else escaped across the lake. But ahhhh, the lake, it binds you.
As much as I want to give this book one star, the book is so cram packed with local information. The sources of information were thesis-worthy and deserving of credit. Having said that, it felt more non-fiction than a travelogue or semi-memoir. The description of every location was done very well too. The underwater river systems and formations of the lakes were pretty cool. Despite my opinion, I think this book would appeal to many readers.
I was into it for the first few chapters as it was densely packed with information and experience but it wore off pretty quickly. Here is one snippet:
鈥淲hen I sat under my cherry tree at night, sensing the vast presence of the lake, I almost expected to see the outlines of my own mind projected on those walls, as in some opera arena of the collective unconscious where everything is laid bare.鈥�
A bit too flowery? Can you tell the author is a poet.
Another thing was the structure and lack of engagement. The premise is that the author returns to her ancestral land. She starts with the experiences of her relatives or people that knew her relatives, but it soon gets formulaeic. It was like, I caught a boat across the lake. A poet once crossed this lake. The captain told me his life story. They escaped via the lake. Centuries ago someone else escaped across the lake. But ahhhh, the lake, it binds you.
As much as I want to give this book one star, the book is so cram packed with local information. The sources of information were thesis-worthy and deserving of credit. Having said that, it felt more non-fiction than a travelogue or semi-memoir. The description of every location was done very well too. The underwater river systems and formations of the lakes were pretty cool. Despite my opinion, I think this book would appeal to many readers.
December 16, 2020
袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪, 鈥炐氀娦� 械蟹械褉芯褌芯鈥�, 袞邪薪械褌45/20
袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 褍屑械械 写邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪. 袣邪蟹胁邪屑 谐芯 褋褗胁褋械屑 芯褌谐芯胁芯褉薪芯, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褋褗屑 褟 谐谢械写邪谢邪 懈 褋谢褍褕邪谢邪 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 锌褗褌懈, 械写懈薪懈褟褌 芯褌 泻芯懈褌芯 薪邪 卸懈胁芯 锌褉懈 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁褟薪械褌芯 薪邪 锌褉械写懈褕薪邪褌邪 懈 泻薪懈谐邪 鈥炐撗€邪薪懈褑邪鈥� 胁 袘褍褉谐邪褋. 袧芯 褌褟 褍屑械械 懈 写邪 褋谢褍褕邪 懈 写邪 锌芯锌懈胁邪 斜械蟹斜褉芯泄薪懈褌械 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 懈 屑械褋褌邪褌邪, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋褉械褖邪 锌褉懈 薪械锌褉械泻褗褋薪邪褌懈褌械 褋懈 锌褗褌褍胁邪薪懈褟:鈥溾€π感窖傂笛€械褋薪芯 屑懈 械 泻邪泻 褏芯褉邪褌邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪褌 褋械斜械 褋懈鈥π� 芯薪芯胁邪, 泻芯械褌芯 薪械 泻邪蟹胁邪褌, 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪泄泻懈 褋械斜械 褋懈鈥π� 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪褔械褋泻邪褌邪 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌 薪邪 屑褟褋褌芯褌芯, 泻芯屑斜懈薪懈褉邪薪邪 褋 褔芯胁械褕泻懈褟 懈蟹泻邪蟹鈥�. 袣薪懈谐邪褌邪 懈 鈥炐氀娦� 械蟹械褉芯褌芯鈥� 薪械 械 褌芯褔薪芯 褉芯屑邪薪, 褌褟 械 锌褗褌械锌懈褋 懈谢懈 鈥炑呇冃葱拘缎笛佈傂残敌叫� 写芯泻褍屑械薪褌邪谢懈褋褌懈泻邪鈥�, 泻邪泻褌芯 褟 芯锌褉械写械谢褟褌 胁 袨斜械写懈薪械薪芯褌芯 泻褉邪谢褋褌胁芯 懈 械 锌芯-胁褗谢薪褍胁邪褖邪 芯褌 写褉褍谐懈褌械 懈 锌褗褌械锌懈褋懈, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 邪胁褌芯褉泻邪褌邪 褋懈 械 锌芯褋褌邪胁懈谢邪 薪械谢械泻邪褌邪 蟹邪写邪褔邪 写邪 褌褉褗谐薪械 锌芯 褋谢械写懈褌械, 芯褋褌邪胁械薪懈 芯褌 褉芯写邪 懈 锌芯 屑邪泄褔懈薪邪 谢懈薪懈褟, 邪 胁懈薪邪谐懈 械 锌芯-褌褉褍写薪芯 写邪 锌褉械写邪写械褕 芯斜械泻褌懈胁薪芯 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟 懈 褏邪褉邪泻褌械褉懈, 泻褗写械褌芯 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪邪褌邪 褌懈 泻褉褗胁 械 蟹邪屑械褋械薪邪. 袗 蟹邪谐谢邪胁懈械褌芯 械 谢械泻芯 锌芯写胁械卸写邪褖芯, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 胁 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 薪械 褋褌邪胁邪 胁褗锌褉芯褋 褋邪屑芯 蟹邪 械写薪芯 械蟹械褉芯, 袨褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯, 邪 懈 蟹邪 袩褉械褋锌邪薪褋泻芯褌芯 懈 薪邪泄-胁械褔械 蟹邪 卸懈胁芯褌邪 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 芯泻芯谢芯 褌械蟹懈 械蟹械褉邪, 械写薪芯褌芯 褉邪蟹写械谢褟薪芯 屑械卸写褍 写胁械, 写褉褍谐芯褌芯 屑械卸写褍 褌褉懈 写褗褉卸邪胁懈, 褋褟泻邪褕 屑芯卸械褕 写邪 褉邪蟹写械谢懈褕 胁芯写邪褌邪! 袩芯写蟹邪谐谢邪胁懈械褌芯 胁 邪薪谐谢懈泄褋泻懈褟 胁邪褉懈邪薪褌 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 鈥濧 Balkan Journey of War and Peace鈥�, 薪芯 邪蟹 斜懈褏 泻邪蟹邪谢邪, 褔械 懈 褌芯 械 锌芯写胁械卸写邪褖芯, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 锌褉械薪械斜褉械谐胁邪 /懈谢懈 薪邪褉芯褔薪芯 锌褉械屑褗谢褔邪胁邪 / 懈蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪芯 谢懈褔薪邪褌邪 芯斜胁褗褉蟹邪薪芯褋褌 薪邪 邪胁褌芯褉泻邪褌邪 褋 屑械褋褌邪褌邪 懈 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟褌邪 懈 写褗谢谐芯 褌邪械薪芯褌芯 懈 泻芯谢械斜邪薪懈械 写邪谢懈 懈 泻芯谐邪 写邪 锌褉械写锌褉懈械屑械 褌芯胁邪 锌褗褌褍胁邪薪械: 鈥炐椥� 写邪 褋械 蟹邪胁褗褉薪械褕 褌邪屑, 泻褗写械褌芯 褋邪 卸懈胁械谢懈 锌褉械写褑懈褌械 褌懈, 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋懈 谐芯褌芯胁 写邪 胁懈写懈褕 芯薪芯胁邪, 泻芯械褌芯 械 锌芯-谢械褋薪芯 写邪 芯褌褉械褔械褕鈥�. 袟邪褖芯褌芯 泻芯泄 斜褗谢谐邪褉懈薪 芯褋褌邪胁邪 斜械蟹褍褔邪褋褌械薪, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 褋械 谐芯胁芯褉懈 蟹邪 袦邪泻械写芯薪懈褟 懈 孝褉邪泻懈褟 懈 蟹邪 褌芯胁邪, 泻邪泻 褌械蟹懈 蟹械屑懈 褋邪 懈褋泻芯薪薪芯 薪邪褕懈, 薪芯 褟 写邪 锌芯谐谢械写薪械屑 芯褌 褋褌褉邪薪邪褌邪 薪邪 小褗褉斜懈褟 懈谢懈 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟, 懈谢懈 袚褗褉褑懈褟. 袩谢芯写芯褉芯写薪懈褌械 蟹械屑懈 芯泻芯谢芯 写胁械褌械 械蟹械褉邪 芯褌 褏懈谢褟写芯谢械褌懈褟 褋邪 写褗褉锌邪薪懈 泻邪褌芯 褌械褋褌芯 褌褍 芯褌 械写薪邪 写褗褉卸邪胁邪, 褌褍 芯褌 写褉褍谐邪, 褌褍 芯褌 褌褉械褌邪 懈 褔械褌胁褗褉褌邪 蟹邪 写邪 谐芯 锌褉械胁褗褉薪邪褌 胁 褍写芯斜薪邪 蟹邪 褌褟褏 锌懈褌泻邪, 写芯泻邪褌芯 褏芯褉邪褌邪 褌邪屑 锌褉芯褋褌芯 懈褋泻邪褌 写邪 谐懈 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 写邪 卸懈胁械褟褌. 鈥炐斝� 写邪 屑芯卸械褕械 锌芯谢懈褌懈褑懈褌械 写邪 薪懈 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 薪邪 屑懈褉邪!鈥�. 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 懈褋泻邪 写邪 芯斜懈泻芯谢懈 械蟹械褉邪褌邪 芯褌 胁褋懈褔泻懈褌械 懈屑 褋褌褉邪薪懈, 写邪 褔褍械 胁褋懈褔泻懈 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 屑芯谐邪褌 写邪 懈 锌褉械写芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 屑械褋褌薪懈褌械 懈 褌芯谐邪胁邪 写邪 褋懈 褋褗褋褌邪胁懈 锌褉邪胁懈谢薪邪褌邪 泻邪褉褌懈薪邪: 邪 褌芯胁邪 褋邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 蟹邪 谢褞斜芯胁 懈 褋屑褗褉褌, 蟹邪 锌褉懈褟褌械谢褋褌胁邪 懈 锌褉械写邪褌械谢褋褌胁邪, 蟹邪 胁芯泄薪懈, 芯褋芯斜械薪芯 袩褗褉胁邪褌邪 懈 袙褌芯褉邪褌邪 褋胁械褌芯胁薪懈, 褔懈懈褌芯 芯泻芯锌懈 芯褖械 谢懈褔邪褌 锌芯 褋薪邪谐邪褌邪 薪邪 芯泻芯谢薪懈褌械 锌谢邪薪懈薪懈 懈 褍卸 屑懈褉械薪 卸懈胁芯褌, 邪 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 写懈泻褌邪褌褍褉懈 薪邪 孝懈褌芯, 袝薪胁械褉 啸芯写卸邪 懈 谐褉褗褑泻邪褌邪 褏褍薪褌邪, 蟹邪 褉邪蟹写械谢械薪懈械 薪邪 谢褞写械褌械, 泻芯械褌芯 褌械 薪械 斜懈褏邪 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈谢懈 锌芯 褋胁芯褟 胁芯谢褟, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褋邪 械蟹械褉薪懈 褏芯褉邪, 褏芯褉邪 懈蟹锌褗谢薪械薪懈 褋 芯谐褉芯屑薪邪 谢褞斜芯胁 泻褗屑 蟹械屑褟褌邪 褋懈 懈 泻褗屑 胁芯写邪褌邪, 薪芯 锌褉懈薪褍写械薪懈 写邪 褋械 锌芯写褔懈薪褟胁邪褌 薪邪 蟹邪泻芯薪懈, 褋褗蟹写邪胁邪薪懈 懈蟹胁褗薪 褌褟褏, 锌褉械懈屑械薪褍胁邪薪懈 锌芯 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 锌褗褌懈, 褋屑褟褌邪薪懈 蟹邪 锌褉械写邪褌械谢懈 懈 芯褌 写胁械褌械 褋褌褉邪薪懈 薪邪 屑械薪褟褖邪褌邪 褋械 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪, 褋褟泻邪褕 褌械 褋邪屑懈褌械 褋邪 褟 锌芯褋褌邪胁褟谢懈. 袩芯泻褗褉褌懈褌械谢械薪 械 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹褗褌 薪邪 孝邪薪邪褋 小锌邪褋械, 褋懈薪 薪邪 屑邪泻械写芯薪褑懈 芯褌 写胁械褌械 褋褌褉邪薪懈 薪邪 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪褌邪 / 挟谐芯褋谢邪胁懈褟, 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟 / 蟹邪 鈥炐⌒啃把団€�, 薪邪泄-褍卸邪褋薪懈褟 芯褌 胁褋懈褔泻懈褌械 锌械褌写械褋械褌 蟹邪褌胁芯褉邪 薪邪 袝薪胁械褉 啸芯写卸邪, 泻褗写械褌芯 褏芯褉邪褌邪 蟹邪 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪械 薪邪 薪械锌芯蟹胁芯谢械薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪 懈谢懈 蟹邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪薪械 薪邪 胁懈褑 斜懈谢懈 芯褋褗卸写邪薪懈 薪邪 褏懈谢褟写邪 懈 褋械写械屑褋褌芯褌懈薪 谐芯写懈薪懈 谢懈褕邪胁邪薪械 芯褌 褋胁芯斜芯写邪!!! 袗 褌芯泄 械 懈蟹锌褉邪褌械薪 写邪 褋谢褍卸懈 鈥炐盒把傂� 褉械谐懈褋褌褉懈褉邪薪 胁褉邪谐 薪邪 薪邪褉芯写邪鈥� 懈 斜械蟹 写邪 薪芯褋懈 芯褉褗卸懈械 胁 小邪褉邪薪写邪, 屑邪谢褗泻 锌芯谢褍芯褋褌褉芯胁 薪邪 褞卸薪懈褟 斜褉褟谐 薪邪 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟, 薪械写邪谢械褔 芯褌 褋褍褏芯锌褗褌薪邪褌邪 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪 褋 袚褗褉褑懈褟, 泻褗写械褌芯 胁芯泄薪懈褔械褌邪褌邪 懈蟹锌褗谢薪褟胁邪褌 谢芯蟹褍薪谐邪: 鈥溞斝� 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈屑 锌谢邪薪懈薪懈褌械 泻邪褌芯 薪懈胁邪!鈥�. 鈥炐曅葱叫� 谐芯写懈薪邪 褋褟泻芯褏屑械 写褗褉胁邪. 啸褍斜邪胁懈, 褋褌邪褉懈 谐芯褉懈 芯褌懈写芯褏邪 蟹邪 薪懈褖芯. 袩芯褋谢械 芯褌 写褗褉胁械褌邪褌邪 锌褉邪胁械褏屑械 褋褌褗锌邪谢邪, 蟹邪 写邪 褋械 泻邪褔胁邪 锌谢邪薪懈薪邪褌邪. 袙械褉褌懈泻邪谢薪懈. 袧邪泄-写褗谢谐邪褌邪 褋褌褗谢斜邪 薪邪 褋胁械褌邪. 袗 薪邪 锌褉芯褔懈褋褌械薪懈褌械 芯褌 写褗褉胁械褌邪褌邪 褋泻谢芯薪芯胁械 蟹邪褋邪卸写邪褏屑械 褑懈褌褉褍褋芯胁懈 写褉褗胁褔械褌邪. 袛邪 锌褉械胁褗褉薪械屑 锌谢邪薪懈薪邪褌邪 胁 褑懈褌褉褍褋芯胁邪 谐芯褉懈褔泻邪. 袗屑邪 薪械 褋械 锌芯谢褍褔懈. 袩芯褋谢械写薪芯褌芯 谐芯 泻邪蟹邪 薪褟泻邪泻 懈蟹胁懈薪懈褌械谢薪芯, 褋褟泻邪褕 屑谢邪写懈褌械 胁芯泄薪懈褑懈 斜懈谢懈 胁懈薪芯胁薪懈, 褔械 泻邪屑械薪懈褋褌邪褌邪 锌谢邪薪懈薪邪 薪械 褋褌邪胁邪 蟹邪 锌芯褉褌芯泻邪谢芯胁邪 谐芯褉懈褔泻邪鈥︹€�.
孝芯胁邪 写邪 胁懈 蟹胁褍褔懈 锌芯蟹薪邪褌芯鈥�
袧芯 懈褋褌懈薪邪褌邪 械, 褔械 邪胁褌芯褉泻邪褌邪 薪械 锌芯谢懈褌懈蟹懈褉邪, 薪械 锌褉邪胁懈 懈蟹胁芯写懈, 褌褟 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈褌械, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褑械谢褌邪 懈 械 褌械蟹懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 写邪 懈 写芯泻邪卸邪褌 写芯泻芯谢泻芯 褌褟 锌褉懈薪邪写谢械卸懈 泻褗屑 械蟹械褉薪懈褌械 懈 锌谢邪薪懈薪褋泻懈 褏芯褉邪 懈 屑芯卸械 谢懈 泻邪褌芯 褌褟褏 写邪 褋械 锌褉芯屑械薪褟, 薪芯 写邪 褋懈 芯褋褌邪胁邪 褋褗褖邪褌邪: 鈥炐愋盒� 芯褌 小泻芯锌懈械 褋胁褗褉薪械褕 薪邪 懈蟹褌芯泻 泻褗屑 袘褗谢谐邪褉懈褟, 胁懈褋芯泻懈褌械 胁褗褉褏芯胁械 薪邪 袨褋芯谐芯胁褋泻邪 锌谢邪薪懈薪邪 褋邪 锌芯褉械写薪邪褌邪 懈蟹薪械薪邪写邪; 芯褌 胁懈褋芯泻芯锌谢邪薪懈薪褋泻懈褟 锌褗褌 褉邪蟹锌懈谢械薪懈褌械 褌褍泻-褌邪屑 褋械谢褑邪 褋邪 泻邪褌芯 褏胁褗褉谢械薪懈 胁 斜械蟹写薪邪褌邪. 袩谢邪薪懈薪褋泻懈褌械 褏褉械斜械褌懈, 褋褟泻邪褕 谐褗褉斜芯胁械 薪邪 锌褉邪懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 蟹胁械褉芯胁械, 锌芯械谢懈 谢械写薪懈泻芯胁懈褟 褋懈 锌褗褌 薪邪薪褟泻褗写械, 褋邪 械写薪芯 懈蟹褏邪斜械薪芯 褋懈薪褜芯, 泻芯械褌芯 锌芯锌懈胁邪 胁 泻芯褋褌懈褌械 褌懈 泻邪褌芯 胁褉械屑械, 斜邪谢泻邪薪褋泻芯-褋懈薪褜芯 胁褉械屑械.鈥� 袗 芯褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯: 鈥炐⑿� 褔懈褟 褋懈?鈥� 懈 屑懈谢芯褌芯 芯斜褉褗褖械薪懈械 薪邪 屑邪泄褋褌芯褉邪 薪邪 褋械写械褎械薪懈 褌邪斜邪泻械褉懈 袪械写卸械锌 芯褌 小褌褉褍谐邪: 鈥炐熜狙囆秆傃冃残靶叫� 屑芯褟, 懈写胁邪褌械 褋 褕械泄褋械褌 谐芯写懈薪懈 蟹邪泻褗褋薪械薪懈械鈥�, 芯褌锌褉邪胁械薪懈 泻褗屑 锌芯褌芯屑泻邪褌邪 薪邪 袛懈屑褔械 袣邪褉邪褌邪 懈 芯褖械 褏懈谢褟写懈 胁懈写懈屑懈 懈 薪械胁懈写懈屑懈 蟹薪邪褑懈 写芯泻邪蟹胁邪褌, 褔械 褌褟 锌褉懈薪邪写谢械卸懈. 袧械褖芯 锌芯胁械褔械, 屑芯卸械 写邪 懈 褋械 褋褌褉褍胁邪, 褔械 鈥炐啃恍靶叫感叫秆傂� 懈蟹褟卸写邪褌 胁褉械屑械褌芯, 写芯泻邪褌芯 械蟹械褉芯褌芯 谐芯 褋褗斜懈褉邪鈥�, 薪芯 褌褟 械 懈 褖械 斜褗写械 械写薪邪 芯褌 褉械写懈褑邪褌邪 卸械薪懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 锌褉邪胁褟褌 褌芯胁邪 胁褉械屑械 蟹薪邪褔懈屑芯, 泻芯懈褌芯 谐芯 锌褉懈胁褗褉蟹胁邪褌 泻褗屑 卸懈胁芯褌邪, 写芯泻邪褌芯 屑褗卸械褌械 褋械 锌芯写褔懈薪褟胁邪褌 薪邪 泻邪薪褍薪邪, 械屑懈谐褉懈褉邪褌, 斜褍薪褌褍胁邪褌 褋械, 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 谐懈 写邪 褋械 褋锌褉邪胁褟褌 褋邪屑懈 懈 褌械蟹懈 卸械薪懈 褋械 薪邪褍褔邪胁邪褌 写邪 蟹邪褋褌邪胁邪褌 胁 褑械薪褌褗褉邪 薪邪 褌芯蟹懈 卸懈胁芯褌, 蟹邪 写邪 谐懈 懈屑邪 锌芯泻芯谢械薪懈褟褌邪. 鈥炐毿谎幯囇娧� 械 胁 卸械薪懈褌械. 袣芯谐邪褌芯 卸械薪懈褌械 屑褗谢褔邪褌, 胁褉械屑械褌芯 屑褗谢褔懈.鈥� 袠谢懈 褋 褍褔褍写胁邪薪械 写邪 芯褋褗蟹薪邪械, 胁 写芯屑邪褕薪懈褟 械褌薪芯谐褉邪褎褋泻懈 屑褍蟹械泄 薪邪 斜懈胁褕懈褟 褌邪薪褑褜芯褉 芯褌 袩芯写屑芯褔邪薪懈 泻褉邪泄 袩褉械褋锌邪, 褔械 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 褋械 褋褌褉械屑懈 写邪 褋褌懈谐薪械 写芯 锌褗褉胁芯懈蟹褌芯褔薪懈泻邪 薪邪 屑褉邪泻邪 懈 薪邪 谢褞斜芯胁褌邪: 鈥炐澭徯夹� 谢懈 写褉褍谐邪 褉械泻芯谢褌邪 胁 褌邪蟹懈 蟹械屑褟 芯褋胁械薪 屑褉邪泻? 袧邪 袘邪谢泻邪薪懈褌械 褑褟谢 卸懈胁芯褌 薪芯褋懈屑 褔械褉薪芯, 芯褋芯斜械薪芯 卸械薪懈褌械.鈥�
袩褉械泻褉邪褋薪懈褌械 锌褉懈褉芯写薪懈 泻邪褉褌懈薪懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 褉械写褍胁邪褌 褋 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈褌械 懈谢懈 褋邪 胁褗褌褉械 胁 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈褌械, 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪懈褌械 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 褎邪泻褌懈, 薪邪 泻褉邪褟 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 懈蟹斜褉芯械薪邪 锌芯褔褌懈 褔械褌懈褉懈 谢懈褋褌邪 斜懈斜谢懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褟, 锌褉械锌褉邪褌泻懈褌械 泻褗屑 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹邪薪芯褌芯 芯褌 懈屑械薪懈褌懈 锌褗褌械褕械褋褌胁械薪懈褑懈 芯褌 袝胁谢懈褟 效械谢械斜懈 写芯 袝写褍邪褉写 袥懈褗褉, 褔褍写械褋薪芯 褋褌褉褍泻褌褍褉懈褉邪薪邪褌邪 锌芯褋谢械写芯胁邪褌械谢薪芯褋褌 薪邪 写械泄褋褌胁懈械褌芯, 谢懈褔薪邪褌邪 胁褉褗蟹泻邪 薪邪 邪胁褌芯褉泻邪褌邪 褋 芯褌写械谢薪懈 谐械褉芯懈 懈 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟, 锌芯械褌懈褔薪懈褟褌 懈蟹泻邪蟹, 胁褋懈褔泻芯 褌芯胁邪 锌褉邪胁懈 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 卸械谢邪薪邪 蟹邪 褔械褌械薪械 懈 锌褉械锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪械. 袧械 屑芯谐邪 写邪 薪械 褑懈褌懈褉邪屑 械写懈薪 锌芯褋谢械写械薪 锌邪褋邪卸 芯褌 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪, 褌芯蟹懈 蟹邪 锌褉械卸懈胁褟薪芯褌芯 懈 锌褉芯褕泻邪褌邪: 鈥炐捬佇秆囆盒� 械 械写薪芯. 袧械泻邪 薪械 谐芯 蟹邪斜褉邪胁褟屑械, 薪械泻邪 薪械 锌芯蟹胁芯谢褟胁邪屑械 薪邪 薪懈泻芯谐芯 懈 薪懈褖芯 写邪 薪懈 褉邪蟹写械谢褟 褋 谐褉邪薪懈褑懈. 孝褉邪谐械写懈褟褌邪 薪懈 械 懈屑械薪薪芯 胁 褌芯胁邪 胁褉邪卸写械斜薪芯 褉邪蟹锌芯泻褗褋胁邪薪械. 袟邪锌芯褔胁邪 泻邪褌芯 褍屑褋褌胁械薪邪 薪邪谐谢邪褋邪 懈 褋械 锌褉械胁褉褗褖邪 胁 褋褗写斜邪. 孝芯胁邪 械 褌褉邪谐械写懈褟褌邪 薪邪 薪邪褕械褌芯 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯 芯褌 薪邪褉芯写懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褌褗锌褔邪褌 褌芯蟹懈 斜芯卸械褋褌胁械薪 锌芯谢褍芯褋褌褉芯胁, 褌邪蟹懈 锌褉械谢械褋褌薪芯 褉邪蟹褋褌谢邪薪邪 袟械屑褟, 褌褗锌褔邪褌 泻邪褌芯 邪褉屑懈褟 芯褌 芯褋谢械锌械薪懈 胁芯泄薪懈褑懈 芯褌锌褉械写懈 褏懈谢褟写邪 谐芯写懈薪懈, 褌褗褉褋械褖懈 锌芯泻芯泄. 袧械泻邪 薪邪屑械褉褟褌. 袩褉芯褋褌械褌械 懈屑, 锌褉芯褋褌械褌械 屑懈, 锌褉芯褋褌械褌械 薪懈 懈 薪械泻邪 褋懈 锌褉芯褋褌懈屑. 小褌褉邪褏褗褌 薪懈 锌褉邪胁懈 谢褍写懈 懈 褋泻褗褉斜褟褖懈.
袗 懈蟹胁芯褉褗褌 褋懈 械 褌褍泻 锌褉械蟹 褑褟谢芯褌芯 胁褉械屑械. 袙褋懈褔泻懈 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌懈 褋邪 褋褗斜褉邪薪懈 胁 械写薪芯, 胁褋械 芯褖械鈥� 袙谢械蟹 褋屑械谢芯鈥π� 褋械 芯褋胁芯斜芯写懈 芯褌 褌芯胁邪褉邪, 泻芯泄褌芯 屑褗泻薪械褕 胁械泻芯胁械 薪邪褉械写, 锌褉械胁褗褉薪懈 褋械 胁 泻邪泻胁芯褌芯 懈 写邪 械. 袙 锌褗褋褌褗褉胁邪, 胁 蟹屑懈芯褉泻邪, 胁 薪褟泻芯谐芯 芯褌 锌褉械写褑懈褌械 褌懈, 胁褋械 芯褖械 写械褌械, 械写薪芯 褋 胁芯写邪褌邪 懈 胁褋械 芯褖械 薪械谐芯褌芯胁芯 写邪 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈 薪械芯斜褏芯写懈屑芯褌芯, 蟹邪 写邪 褋械 褋褌懈谐薪械 写芯 褌胁芯械褌芯 褉邪卸写邪薪械, 写芯 褔芯胁械泻邪, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋懈 屑懈褋谢懈褕, 褔械 褋懈, 胁褗锌褉械泻懈 褔械 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 褋懈 胁芯写邪 鈥� 懈蟹胁芯褉, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋械 芯斜薪芯胁褟胁邪 胁褋褟泻邪 褋械泻褍薪写邪, 褍褋褌褉械屑械薪 胁 斜褍械薪 械泻褋褌邪蟹 泻褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯.鈥�
袞.袠.
袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 褍屑械械 写邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪. 袣邪蟹胁邪屑 谐芯 褋褗胁褋械屑 芯褌谐芯胁芯褉薪芯, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褋褗屑 褟 谐谢械写邪谢邪 懈 褋谢褍褕邪谢邪 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 锌褗褌懈, 械写懈薪懈褟褌 芯褌 泻芯懈褌芯 薪邪 卸懈胁芯 锌褉懈 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁褟薪械褌芯 薪邪 锌褉械写懈褕薪邪褌邪 懈 泻薪懈谐邪 鈥炐撗€邪薪懈褑邪鈥� 胁 袘褍褉谐邪褋. 袧芯 褌褟 褍屑械械 懈 写邪 褋谢褍褕邪 懈 写邪 锌芯锌懈胁邪 斜械蟹斜褉芯泄薪懈褌械 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 懈 屑械褋褌邪褌邪, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋褉械褖邪 锌褉懈 薪械锌褉械泻褗褋薪邪褌懈褌械 褋懈 锌褗褌褍胁邪薪懈褟:鈥溾€π感窖傂笛€械褋薪芯 屑懈 械 泻邪泻 褏芯褉邪褌邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪褌 褋械斜械 褋懈鈥π� 芯薪芯胁邪, 泻芯械褌芯 薪械 泻邪蟹胁邪褌, 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪泄泻懈 褋械斜械 褋懈鈥π� 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪褔械褋泻邪褌邪 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌 薪邪 屑褟褋褌芯褌芯, 泻芯屑斜懈薪懈褉邪薪邪 褋 褔芯胁械褕泻懈褟 懈蟹泻邪蟹鈥�. 袣薪懈谐邪褌邪 懈 鈥炐氀娦� 械蟹械褉芯褌芯鈥� 薪械 械 褌芯褔薪芯 褉芯屑邪薪, 褌褟 械 锌褗褌械锌懈褋 懈谢懈 鈥炑呇冃葱拘缎笛佈傂残敌叫� 写芯泻褍屑械薪褌邪谢懈褋褌懈泻邪鈥�, 泻邪泻褌芯 褟 芯锌褉械写械谢褟褌 胁 袨斜械写懈薪械薪芯褌芯 泻褉邪谢褋褌胁芯 懈 械 锌芯-胁褗谢薪褍胁邪褖邪 芯褌 写褉褍谐懈褌械 懈 锌褗褌械锌懈褋懈, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 邪胁褌芯褉泻邪褌邪 褋懈 械 锌芯褋褌邪胁懈谢邪 薪械谢械泻邪褌邪 蟹邪写邪褔邪 写邪 褌褉褗谐薪械 锌芯 褋谢械写懈褌械, 芯褋褌邪胁械薪懈 芯褌 褉芯写邪 懈 锌芯 屑邪泄褔懈薪邪 谢懈薪懈褟, 邪 胁懈薪邪谐懈 械 锌芯-褌褉褍写薪芯 写邪 锌褉械写邪写械褕 芯斜械泻褌懈胁薪芯 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟 懈 褏邪褉邪泻褌械褉懈, 泻褗写械褌芯 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪邪褌邪 褌懈 泻褉褗胁 械 蟹邪屑械褋械薪邪. 袗 蟹邪谐谢邪胁懈械褌芯 械 谢械泻芯 锌芯写胁械卸写邪褖芯, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 胁 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 薪械 褋褌邪胁邪 胁褗锌褉芯褋 褋邪屑芯 蟹邪 械写薪芯 械蟹械褉芯, 袨褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯, 邪 懈 蟹邪 袩褉械褋锌邪薪褋泻芯褌芯 懈 薪邪泄-胁械褔械 蟹邪 卸懈胁芯褌邪 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪 芯泻芯谢芯 褌械蟹懈 械蟹械褉邪, 械写薪芯褌芯 褉邪蟹写械谢褟薪芯 屑械卸写褍 写胁械, 写褉褍谐芯褌芯 屑械卸写褍 褌褉懈 写褗褉卸邪胁懈, 褋褟泻邪褕 屑芯卸械褕 写邪 褉邪蟹写械谢懈褕 胁芯写邪褌邪! 袩芯写蟹邪谐谢邪胁懈械褌芯 胁 邪薪谐谢懈泄褋泻懈褟 胁邪褉懈邪薪褌 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 鈥濧 Balkan Journey of War and Peace鈥�, 薪芯 邪蟹 斜懈褏 泻邪蟹邪谢邪, 褔械 懈 褌芯 械 锌芯写胁械卸写邪褖芯, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 锌褉械薪械斜褉械谐胁邪 /懈谢懈 薪邪褉芯褔薪芯 锌褉械屑褗谢褔邪胁邪 / 懈蟹泻谢褞褔懈褌械谢薪芯 谢懈褔薪邪褌邪 芯斜胁褗褉蟹邪薪芯褋褌 薪邪 邪胁褌芯褉泻邪褌邪 褋 屑械褋褌邪褌邪 懈 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟褌邪 懈 写褗谢谐芯 褌邪械薪芯褌芯 懈 泻芯谢械斜邪薪懈械 写邪谢懈 懈 泻芯谐邪 写邪 锌褉械写锌褉懈械屑械 褌芯胁邪 锌褗褌褍胁邪薪械: 鈥炐椥� 写邪 褋械 蟹邪胁褗褉薪械褕 褌邪屑, 泻褗写械褌芯 褋邪 卸懈胁械谢懈 锌褉械写褑懈褌械 褌懈, 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋懈 谐芯褌芯胁 写邪 胁懈写懈褕 芯薪芯胁邪, 泻芯械褌芯 械 锌芯-谢械褋薪芯 写邪 芯褌褉械褔械褕鈥�. 袟邪褖芯褌芯 泻芯泄 斜褗谢谐邪褉懈薪 芯褋褌邪胁邪 斜械蟹褍褔邪褋褌械薪, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 褋械 谐芯胁芯褉懈 蟹邪 袦邪泻械写芯薪懈褟 懈 孝褉邪泻懈褟 懈 蟹邪 褌芯胁邪, 泻邪泻 褌械蟹懈 蟹械屑懈 褋邪 懈褋泻芯薪薪芯 薪邪褕懈, 薪芯 褟 写邪 锌芯谐谢械写薪械屑 芯褌 褋褌褉邪薪邪褌邪 薪邪 小褗褉斜懈褟 懈谢懈 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟, 懈谢懈 袚褗褉褑懈褟. 袩谢芯写芯褉芯写薪懈褌械 蟹械屑懈 芯泻芯谢芯 写胁械褌械 械蟹械褉邪 芯褌 褏懈谢褟写芯谢械褌懈褟 褋邪 写褗褉锌邪薪懈 泻邪褌芯 褌械褋褌芯 褌褍 芯褌 械写薪邪 写褗褉卸邪胁邪, 褌褍 芯褌 写褉褍谐邪, 褌褍 芯褌 褌褉械褌邪 懈 褔械褌胁褗褉褌邪 蟹邪 写邪 谐芯 锌褉械胁褗褉薪邪褌 胁 褍写芯斜薪邪 蟹邪 褌褟褏 锌懈褌泻邪, 写芯泻邪褌芯 褏芯褉邪褌邪 褌邪屑 锌褉芯褋褌芯 懈褋泻邪褌 写邪 谐懈 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 写邪 卸懈胁械褟褌. 鈥炐斝� 写邪 屑芯卸械褕械 锌芯谢懈褌懈褑懈褌械 写邪 薪懈 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 薪邪 屑懈褉邪!鈥�. 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪 懈褋泻邪 写邪 芯斜懈泻芯谢懈 械蟹械褉邪褌邪 芯褌 胁褋懈褔泻懈褌械 懈屑 褋褌褉邪薪懈, 写邪 褔褍械 胁褋懈褔泻懈 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 屑芯谐邪褌 写邪 懈 锌褉械写芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 屑械褋褌薪懈褌械 懈 褌芯谐邪胁邪 写邪 褋懈 褋褗褋褌邪胁懈 锌褉邪胁懈谢薪邪褌邪 泻邪褉褌懈薪邪: 邪 褌芯胁邪 褋邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 蟹邪 谢褞斜芯胁 懈 褋屑褗褉褌, 蟹邪 锌褉懈褟褌械谢褋褌胁邪 懈 锌褉械写邪褌械谢褋褌胁邪, 蟹邪 胁芯泄薪懈, 芯褋芯斜械薪芯 袩褗褉胁邪褌邪 懈 袙褌芯褉邪褌邪 褋胁械褌芯胁薪懈, 褔懈懈褌芯 芯泻芯锌懈 芯褖械 谢懈褔邪褌 锌芯 褋薪邪谐邪褌邪 薪邪 芯泻芯谢薪懈褌械 锌谢邪薪懈薪懈 懈 褍卸 屑懈褉械薪 卸懈胁芯褌, 邪 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 写懈泻褌邪褌褍褉懈 薪邪 孝懈褌芯, 袝薪胁械褉 啸芯写卸邪 懈 谐褉褗褑泻邪褌邪 褏褍薪褌邪, 蟹邪 褉邪蟹写械谢械薪懈械 薪邪 谢褞写械褌械, 泻芯械褌芯 褌械 薪械 斜懈褏邪 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈谢懈 锌芯 褋胁芯褟 胁芯谢褟, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褋邪 械蟹械褉薪懈 褏芯褉邪, 褏芯褉邪 懈蟹锌褗谢薪械薪懈 褋 芯谐褉芯屑薪邪 谢褞斜芯胁 泻褗屑 蟹械屑褟褌邪 褋懈 懈 泻褗屑 胁芯写邪褌邪, 薪芯 锌褉懈薪褍写械薪懈 写邪 褋械 锌芯写褔懈薪褟胁邪褌 薪邪 蟹邪泻芯薪懈, 褋褗蟹写邪胁邪薪懈 懈蟹胁褗薪 褌褟褏, 锌褉械懈屑械薪褍胁邪薪懈 锌芯 薪褟泻芯谢泻芯 锌褗褌懈, 褋屑褟褌邪薪懈 蟹邪 锌褉械写邪褌械谢懈 懈 芯褌 写胁械褌械 褋褌褉邪薪懈 薪邪 屑械薪褟褖邪褌邪 褋械 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪, 褋褟泻邪褕 褌械 褋邪屑懈褌械 褋邪 褟 锌芯褋褌邪胁褟谢懈. 袩芯泻褗褉褌懈褌械谢械薪 械 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹褗褌 薪邪 孝邪薪邪褋 小锌邪褋械, 褋懈薪 薪邪 屑邪泻械写芯薪褑懈 芯褌 写胁械褌械 褋褌褉邪薪懈 薪邪 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪褌邪 / 挟谐芯褋谢邪胁懈褟, 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟 / 蟹邪 鈥炐⌒啃把団€�, 薪邪泄-褍卸邪褋薪懈褟 芯褌 胁褋懈褔泻懈褌械 锌械褌写械褋械褌 蟹邪褌胁芯褉邪 薪邪 袝薪胁械褉 啸芯写卸邪, 泻褗写械褌芯 褏芯褉邪褌邪 蟹邪 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪械 薪邪 薪械锌芯蟹胁芯谢械薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪 懈谢懈 蟹邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪薪械 薪邪 胁懈褑 斜懈谢懈 芯褋褗卸写邪薪懈 薪邪 褏懈谢褟写邪 懈 褋械写械屑褋褌芯褌懈薪 谐芯写懈薪懈 谢懈褕邪胁邪薪械 芯褌 褋胁芯斜芯写邪!!! 袗 褌芯泄 械 懈蟹锌褉邪褌械薪 写邪 褋谢褍卸懈 鈥炐盒把傂� 褉械谐懈褋褌褉懈褉邪薪 胁褉邪谐 薪邪 薪邪褉芯写邪鈥� 懈 斜械蟹 写邪 薪芯褋懈 芯褉褗卸懈械 胁 小邪褉邪薪写邪, 屑邪谢褗泻 锌芯谢褍芯褋褌褉芯胁 薪邪 褞卸薪懈褟 斜褉褟谐 薪邪 袗谢斜邪薪懈褟, 薪械写邪谢械褔 芯褌 褋褍褏芯锌褗褌薪邪褌邪 谐褉邪薪懈褑邪 褋 袚褗褉褑懈褟, 泻褗写械褌芯 胁芯泄薪懈褔械褌邪褌邪 懈蟹锌褗谢薪褟胁邪褌 谢芯蟹褍薪谐邪: 鈥溞斝� 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈屑 锌谢邪薪懈薪懈褌械 泻邪褌芯 薪懈胁邪!鈥�. 鈥炐曅葱叫� 谐芯写懈薪邪 褋褟泻芯褏屑械 写褗褉胁邪. 啸褍斜邪胁懈, 褋褌邪褉懈 谐芯褉懈 芯褌懈写芯褏邪 蟹邪 薪懈褖芯. 袩芯褋谢械 芯褌 写褗褉胁械褌邪褌邪 锌褉邪胁械褏屑械 褋褌褗锌邪谢邪, 蟹邪 写邪 褋械 泻邪褔胁邪 锌谢邪薪懈薪邪褌邪. 袙械褉褌懈泻邪谢薪懈. 袧邪泄-写褗谢谐邪褌邪 褋褌褗谢斜邪 薪邪 褋胁械褌邪. 袗 薪邪 锌褉芯褔懈褋褌械薪懈褌械 芯褌 写褗褉胁械褌邪褌邪 褋泻谢芯薪芯胁械 蟹邪褋邪卸写邪褏屑械 褑懈褌褉褍褋芯胁懈 写褉褗胁褔械褌邪. 袛邪 锌褉械胁褗褉薪械屑 锌谢邪薪懈薪邪褌邪 胁 褑懈褌褉褍褋芯胁邪 谐芯褉懈褔泻邪. 袗屑邪 薪械 褋械 锌芯谢褍褔懈. 袩芯褋谢械写薪芯褌芯 谐芯 泻邪蟹邪 薪褟泻邪泻 懈蟹胁懈薪懈褌械谢薪芯, 褋褟泻邪褕 屑谢邪写懈褌械 胁芯泄薪懈褑懈 斜懈谢懈 胁懈薪芯胁薪懈, 褔械 泻邪屑械薪懈褋褌邪褌邪 锌谢邪薪懈薪邪 薪械 褋褌邪胁邪 蟹邪 锌芯褉褌芯泻邪谢芯胁邪 谐芯褉懈褔泻邪鈥︹€�.
孝芯胁邪 写邪 胁懈 蟹胁褍褔懈 锌芯蟹薪邪褌芯鈥�
袧芯 懈褋褌懈薪邪褌邪 械, 褔械 邪胁褌芯褉泻邪褌邪 薪械 锌芯谢懈褌懈蟹懈褉邪, 薪械 锌褉邪胁懈 懈蟹胁芯写懈, 褌褟 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈褌械, 蟹邪褖芯褌芯 褑械谢褌邪 懈 械 褌械蟹懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 写邪 懈 写芯泻邪卸邪褌 写芯泻芯谢泻芯 褌褟 锌褉懈薪邪写谢械卸懈 泻褗屑 械蟹械褉薪懈褌械 懈 锌谢邪薪懈薪褋泻懈 褏芯褉邪 懈 屑芯卸械 谢懈 泻邪褌芯 褌褟褏 写邪 褋械 锌褉芯屑械薪褟, 薪芯 写邪 褋懈 芯褋褌邪胁邪 褋褗褖邪褌邪: 鈥炐愋盒� 芯褌 小泻芯锌懈械 褋胁褗褉薪械褕 薪邪 懈蟹褌芯泻 泻褗屑 袘褗谢谐邪褉懈褟, 胁懈褋芯泻懈褌械 胁褗褉褏芯胁械 薪邪 袨褋芯谐芯胁褋泻邪 锌谢邪薪懈薪邪 褋邪 锌芯褉械写薪邪褌邪 懈蟹薪械薪邪写邪; 芯褌 胁懈褋芯泻芯锌谢邪薪懈薪褋泻懈褟 锌褗褌 褉邪蟹锌懈谢械薪懈褌械 褌褍泻-褌邪屑 褋械谢褑邪 褋邪 泻邪褌芯 褏胁褗褉谢械薪懈 胁 斜械蟹写薪邪褌邪. 袩谢邪薪懈薪褋泻懈褌械 褏褉械斜械褌懈, 褋褟泻邪褕 谐褗褉斜芯胁械 薪邪 锌褉邪懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 蟹胁械褉芯胁械, 锌芯械谢懈 谢械写薪懈泻芯胁懈褟 褋懈 锌褗褌 薪邪薪褟泻褗写械, 褋邪 械写薪芯 懈蟹褏邪斜械薪芯 褋懈薪褜芯, 泻芯械褌芯 锌芯锌懈胁邪 胁 泻芯褋褌懈褌械 褌懈 泻邪褌芯 胁褉械屑械, 斜邪谢泻邪薪褋泻芯-褋懈薪褜芯 胁褉械屑械.鈥� 袗 芯褏褉懈写褋泻芯褌芯: 鈥炐⑿� 褔懈褟 褋懈?鈥� 懈 屑懈谢芯褌芯 芯斜褉褗褖械薪懈械 薪邪 屑邪泄褋褌芯褉邪 薪邪 褋械写械褎械薪懈 褌邪斜邪泻械褉懈 袪械写卸械锌 芯褌 小褌褉褍谐邪: 鈥炐熜狙囆秆傃冃残靶叫� 屑芯褟, 懈写胁邪褌械 褋 褕械泄褋械褌 谐芯写懈薪懈 蟹邪泻褗褋薪械薪懈械鈥�, 芯褌锌褉邪胁械薪懈 泻褗屑 锌芯褌芯屑泻邪褌邪 薪邪 袛懈屑褔械 袣邪褉邪褌邪 懈 芯褖械 褏懈谢褟写懈 胁懈写懈屑懈 懈 薪械胁懈写懈屑懈 蟹薪邪褑懈 写芯泻邪蟹胁邪褌, 褔械 褌褟 锌褉懈薪邪写谢械卸懈. 袧械褖芯 锌芯胁械褔械, 屑芯卸械 写邪 懈 褋械 褋褌褉褍胁邪, 褔械 鈥炐啃恍靶叫感叫秆傂� 懈蟹褟卸写邪褌 胁褉械屑械褌芯, 写芯泻邪褌芯 械蟹械褉芯褌芯 谐芯 褋褗斜懈褉邪鈥�, 薪芯 褌褟 械 懈 褖械 斜褗写械 械写薪邪 芯褌 褉械写懈褑邪褌邪 卸械薪懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 锌褉邪胁褟褌 褌芯胁邪 胁褉械屑械 蟹薪邪褔懈屑芯, 泻芯懈褌芯 谐芯 锌褉懈胁褗褉蟹胁邪褌 泻褗屑 卸懈胁芯褌邪, 写芯泻邪褌芯 屑褗卸械褌械 褋械 锌芯写褔懈薪褟胁邪褌 薪邪 泻邪薪褍薪邪, 械屑懈谐褉懈褉邪褌, 斜褍薪褌褍胁邪褌 褋械, 芯褋褌邪胁褟褌 谐懈 写邪 褋械 褋锌褉邪胁褟褌 褋邪屑懈 懈 褌械蟹懈 卸械薪懈 褋械 薪邪褍褔邪胁邪褌 写邪 蟹邪褋褌邪胁邪褌 胁 褑械薪褌褗褉邪 薪邪 褌芯蟹懈 卸懈胁芯褌, 蟹邪 写邪 谐懈 懈屑邪 锌芯泻芯谢械薪懈褟褌邪. 鈥炐毿谎幯囇娧� 械 胁 卸械薪懈褌械. 袣芯谐邪褌芯 卸械薪懈褌械 屑褗谢褔邪褌, 胁褉械屑械褌芯 屑褗谢褔懈.鈥� 袠谢懈 褋 褍褔褍写胁邪薪械 写邪 芯褋褗蟹薪邪械, 胁 写芯屑邪褕薪懈褟 械褌薪芯谐褉邪褎褋泻懈 屑褍蟹械泄 薪邪 斜懈胁褕懈褟 褌邪薪褑褜芯褉 芯褌 袩芯写屑芯褔邪薪懈 泻褉邪泄 袩褉械褋锌邪, 褔械 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 褋械 褋褌褉械屑懈 写邪 褋褌懈谐薪械 写芯 锌褗褉胁芯懈蟹褌芯褔薪懈泻邪 薪邪 屑褉邪泻邪 懈 薪邪 谢褞斜芯胁褌邪: 鈥炐澭徯夹� 谢懈 写褉褍谐邪 褉械泻芯谢褌邪 胁 褌邪蟹懈 蟹械屑褟 芯褋胁械薪 屑褉邪泻? 袧邪 袘邪谢泻邪薪懈褌械 褑褟谢 卸懈胁芯褌 薪芯褋懈屑 褔械褉薪芯, 芯褋芯斜械薪芯 卸械薪懈褌械.鈥�
袩褉械泻褉邪褋薪懈褌械 锌褉懈褉芯写薪懈 泻邪褉褌懈薪懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋械 褉械写褍胁邪褌 褋 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈褌械 懈谢懈 褋邪 胁褗褌褉械 胁 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈褌械, 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪懈褌械 懈褋褌芯褉懈褔械褋泻懈 褎邪泻褌懈, 薪邪 泻褉邪褟 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 懈蟹斜褉芯械薪邪 锌芯褔褌懈 褔械褌懈褉懈 谢懈褋褌邪 斜懈斜谢懈芯谐褉邪褎懈褟, 锌褉械锌褉邪褌泻懈褌械 泻褗屑 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹邪薪芯褌芯 芯褌 懈屑械薪懈褌懈 锌褗褌械褕械褋褌胁械薪懈褑懈 芯褌 袝胁谢懈褟 效械谢械斜懈 写芯 袝写褍邪褉写 袥懈褗褉, 褔褍写械褋薪芯 褋褌褉褍泻褌褍褉懈褉邪薪邪褌邪 锌芯褋谢械写芯胁邪褌械谢薪芯褋褌 薪邪 写械泄褋褌胁懈械褌芯, 谢懈褔薪邪褌邪 胁褉褗蟹泻邪 薪邪 邪胁褌芯褉泻邪褌邪 褋 芯褌写械谢薪懈 谐械褉芯懈 懈 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟, 锌芯械褌懈褔薪懈褟褌 懈蟹泻邪蟹, 胁褋懈褔泻芯 褌芯胁邪 锌褉邪胁懈 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 卸械谢邪薪邪 蟹邪 褔械褌械薪械 懈 锌褉械锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪械. 袧械 屑芯谐邪 写邪 薪械 褑懈褌懈褉邪屑 械写懈薪 锌芯褋谢械写械薪 锌邪褋邪卸 芯褌 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪, 褌芯蟹懈 蟹邪 锌褉械卸懈胁褟薪芯褌芯 懈 锌褉芯褕泻邪褌邪: 鈥炐捬佇秆囆盒� 械 械写薪芯. 袧械泻邪 薪械 谐芯 蟹邪斜褉邪胁褟屑械, 薪械泻邪 薪械 锌芯蟹胁芯谢褟胁邪屑械 薪邪 薪懈泻芯谐芯 懈 薪懈褖芯 写邪 薪懈 褉邪蟹写械谢褟 褋 谐褉邪薪懈褑懈. 孝褉邪谐械写懈褟褌邪 薪懈 械 懈屑械薪薪芯 胁 褌芯胁邪 胁褉邪卸写械斜薪芯 褉邪蟹锌芯泻褗褋胁邪薪械. 袟邪锌芯褔胁邪 泻邪褌芯 褍屑褋褌胁械薪邪 薪邪谐谢邪褋邪 懈 褋械 锌褉械胁褉褗褖邪 胁 褋褗写斜邪. 孝芯胁邪 械 褌褉邪谐械写懈褟褌邪 薪邪 薪邪褕械褌芯 褋械屑械泄褋褌胁芯 芯褌 薪邪褉芯写懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褌褗锌褔邪褌 褌芯蟹懈 斜芯卸械褋褌胁械薪 锌芯谢褍芯褋褌褉芯胁, 褌邪蟹懈 锌褉械谢械褋褌薪芯 褉邪蟹褋褌谢邪薪邪 袟械屑褟, 褌褗锌褔邪褌 泻邪褌芯 邪褉屑懈褟 芯褌 芯褋谢械锌械薪懈 胁芯泄薪懈褑懈 芯褌锌褉械写懈 褏懈谢褟写邪 谐芯写懈薪懈, 褌褗褉褋械褖懈 锌芯泻芯泄. 袧械泻邪 薪邪屑械褉褟褌. 袩褉芯褋褌械褌械 懈屑, 锌褉芯褋褌械褌械 屑懈, 锌褉芯褋褌械褌械 薪懈 懈 薪械泻邪 褋懈 锌褉芯褋褌懈屑. 小褌褉邪褏褗褌 薪懈 锌褉邪胁懈 谢褍写懈 懈 褋泻褗褉斜褟褖懈.
袗 懈蟹胁芯褉褗褌 褋懈 械 褌褍泻 锌褉械蟹 褑褟谢芯褌芯 胁褉械屑械. 袙褋懈褔泻懈 胁褗蟹屑芯卸薪芯褋褌懈 褋邪 褋褗斜褉邪薪懈 胁 械写薪芯, 胁褋械 芯褖械鈥� 袙谢械蟹 褋屑械谢芯鈥π� 褋械 芯褋胁芯斜芯写懈 芯褌 褌芯胁邪褉邪, 泻芯泄褌芯 屑褗泻薪械褕 胁械泻芯胁械 薪邪褉械写, 锌褉械胁褗褉薪懈 褋械 胁 泻邪泻胁芯褌芯 懈 写邪 械. 袙 锌褗褋褌褗褉胁邪, 胁 蟹屑懈芯褉泻邪, 胁 薪褟泻芯谐芯 芯褌 锌褉械写褑懈褌械 褌懈, 胁褋械 芯褖械 写械褌械, 械写薪芯 褋 胁芯写邪褌邪 懈 胁褋械 芯褖械 薪械谐芯褌芯胁芯 写邪 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈 薪械芯斜褏芯写懈屑芯褌芯, 蟹邪 写邪 褋械 褋褌懈谐薪械 写芯 褌胁芯械褌芯 褉邪卸写邪薪械, 写芯 褔芯胁械泻邪, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋懈 屑懈褋谢懈褕, 褔械 褋懈, 胁褗锌褉械泻懈 褔械 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 褋懈 胁芯写邪 鈥� 懈蟹胁芯褉, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋械 芯斜薪芯胁褟胁邪 胁褋褟泻邪 褋械泻褍薪写邪, 褍褋褌褉械屑械薪 胁 斜褍械薪 械泻褋褌邪蟹 泻褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯.鈥�
袞.袠.
November 26, 2024
Prije dvije godine po prvi put sam 膷itala knjigu bugarsko-engleske knji啪evnice Kapke Kassabove. Bila je to 鈥濭ranica 鈥� putovanje na rub Europe鈥�, gdje je opisivala rubno podru膷je Balkana i Europe, trome膽u Bugarske, Gr膷ke i Turske. Prvi dojam o toj knjizi bio je blago razo膷aranje 鈥� knjiga se, manje nego putopisom, vi拧e bavila narodnim vjerovanjima, skidanjem uroka, a bilo je tu i babe Vange i 沤eljezne zavjese.
Ipak, kako volim putopisnu prozu, posegnula sam i za najnovijom njezinom knjigom, 鈥濸rema jezeru鈥� (prijevod na hrvatski: Patricija Horvat; izdava膷 Fraktura, 2024.), gdje se bavi podru膷jem dvaju grani膷nih jezera na rubu Makedonije, Albanije i Gr膷ke 鈥� Ohridskim i Prespanskim jezerom. Za razliku od 鈥濭ranice鈥�, ova knjiga pru啪ila mi je pun 膷itala膷ki u啪itak 膷istog dokumentarizma.
Slijede膰i isprva povijest vlastite obitelji, Kassabova najprije putuje u Ohrid i ondje boravi u nekoliko navrata po vi拧e dana, detaljno obilaze膰i prvo makedonsku, a zatim i albansku stranu jezera. Uzimaju膰i kao polazni motiv makedonske pjesme (Tga za jug, Makedonsko devoj膷e, Biljana platno bele拧e), Kassabova uvjerljivo do膷arava tugaljivu, ali i 膷arobnu atmosferu ohridskog kraja, pripovijedaju膰i usput i obiteljsku povijest. O baki Anastaziji i prabaki Ljubici (jezivog obiteljskog mota 鈥� 鈥瀞avr拧enstvo ili smrt鈥� ), tetki Tatjani koju jo拧 uvijek pamte u Ohridu, o bijegu pradjeda Koste preko jezera, okupljanju obitelji u Sofiji. Postupno se pri膷a 拧iri dalje od obiteljske povijesti 鈥� prelaskom na albansku stranu upoznajemo neke druge ljude, nevjerojatnih sudbina, koji su nakon Drugog svjetskog rata zavr拧ili s 鈥瀔rive鈥� strane jezera i ostali zadugo zaklju膷ani u Hoxhinu re啪imu, odakle se i Jugoslavija 膷inila kao obe膰ana zemlja u koju je bijeg bio prakti膷ki nemogu膰 (doznajemo, ipak, i pri膷u obitelji kojoj je to uspjelo). S vodi膷em Angelom, Kassabova se penje na planinu Gali膷icu, jo拧 uvijek pro拧aranu tragovima borbi iz Prvog svjetskog rata. Gali膷ica je tako svojevrstan uvod u drugo jezero iz ove knjige 鈥� manje razvikano, hladnije i mra膷nije Prespansko jezero. Dok je Ohrid okrenut turizmu, na Prespi toga gotovo da i nema, malobrojni hoteli zjape prazni, a stanovnici tog zaba膷enog kraja sve su rje膽i. U Prespi 膰emo ponovo 膷uti i jezivu pri膷u o porazu vojske cara Samuila (kao i o tradiciji kopanja o膷iju koja je, 膷ini se, ukorijenjena u tom kraju), ali otkriti i neke detalje iz suvremenije povijesti koju su ispisali Veliki igra膷i 鈥� Churchill i Staljin, dijele膰i svoj vojni utjecaj na Balkanu na salveti. Posebno pogavlje posve膰eno je zbivanjima u Gr膷kom gra膽anskom ratu i njegovim stra拧nim posljedicama za stanovni拧tvo sjeverozapadne Gr膷ke, koje je mahom bilo slavenskog porijekla. I jo拧 mnogo toga na膰i 膰e se u ovoj opse啪noj, a ipak nimalo dosadnoj knjizi, pisanoj jednostavnim, pristupa膷nim stilom, tako da se 膷itatelj pomalo osje膰a kao da i sam putuje tim krajem, gdje su se narodi i jezici stolje膰ima mije拧ali, a granice su naj膷e拧膰e prisilno nametnute.
O autori膷inom nastojanju da bude 拧to objektivnija i da nikog ne povrijedi u svojoj interpretaciji, dovoljno govori posljednji odlomak iz Uvoda:
鈥濻 obzirom na slo啪enost i osjetljivost dijela materijala u ovoj knjizi, osjetite li da je va拧e mi拧ljenje nedovoljno zastupljeno usprkos mojim nastojanjima da budem uklju膷iva i pravedna, molim da mi oprostite.鈥�
Izuzetna, zanimljiva, pou膷na i privla膷na knjiga!
Ipak, kako volim putopisnu prozu, posegnula sam i za najnovijom njezinom knjigom, 鈥濸rema jezeru鈥� (prijevod na hrvatski: Patricija Horvat; izdava膷 Fraktura, 2024.), gdje se bavi podru膷jem dvaju grani膷nih jezera na rubu Makedonije, Albanije i Gr膷ke 鈥� Ohridskim i Prespanskim jezerom. Za razliku od 鈥濭ranice鈥�, ova knjiga pru啪ila mi je pun 膷itala膷ki u啪itak 膷istog dokumentarizma.
Slijede膰i isprva povijest vlastite obitelji, Kassabova najprije putuje u Ohrid i ondje boravi u nekoliko navrata po vi拧e dana, detaljno obilaze膰i prvo makedonsku, a zatim i albansku stranu jezera. Uzimaju膰i kao polazni motiv makedonske pjesme (Tga za jug, Makedonsko devoj膷e, Biljana platno bele拧e), Kassabova uvjerljivo do膷arava tugaljivu, ali i 膷arobnu atmosferu ohridskog kraja, pripovijedaju膰i usput i obiteljsku povijest. O baki Anastaziji i prabaki Ljubici (jezivog obiteljskog mota 鈥� 鈥瀞avr拧enstvo ili smrt鈥� ), tetki Tatjani koju jo拧 uvijek pamte u Ohridu, o bijegu pradjeda Koste preko jezera, okupljanju obitelji u Sofiji. Postupno se pri膷a 拧iri dalje od obiteljske povijesti 鈥� prelaskom na albansku stranu upoznajemo neke druge ljude, nevjerojatnih sudbina, koji su nakon Drugog svjetskog rata zavr拧ili s 鈥瀔rive鈥� strane jezera i ostali zadugo zaklju膷ani u Hoxhinu re啪imu, odakle se i Jugoslavija 膷inila kao obe膰ana zemlja u koju je bijeg bio prakti膷ki nemogu膰 (doznajemo, ipak, i pri膷u obitelji kojoj je to uspjelo). S vodi膷em Angelom, Kassabova se penje na planinu Gali膷icu, jo拧 uvijek pro拧aranu tragovima borbi iz Prvog svjetskog rata. Gali膷ica je tako svojevrstan uvod u drugo jezero iz ove knjige 鈥� manje razvikano, hladnije i mra膷nije Prespansko jezero. Dok je Ohrid okrenut turizmu, na Prespi toga gotovo da i nema, malobrojni hoteli zjape prazni, a stanovnici tog zaba膷enog kraja sve su rje膽i. U Prespi 膰emo ponovo 膷uti i jezivu pri膷u o porazu vojske cara Samuila (kao i o tradiciji kopanja o膷iju koja je, 膷ini se, ukorijenjena u tom kraju), ali otkriti i neke detalje iz suvremenije povijesti koju su ispisali Veliki igra膷i 鈥� Churchill i Staljin, dijele膰i svoj vojni utjecaj na Balkanu na salveti. Posebno pogavlje posve膰eno je zbivanjima u Gr膷kom gra膽anskom ratu i njegovim stra拧nim posljedicama za stanovni拧tvo sjeverozapadne Gr膷ke, koje je mahom bilo slavenskog porijekla. I jo拧 mnogo toga na膰i 膰e se u ovoj opse啪noj, a ipak nimalo dosadnoj knjizi, pisanoj jednostavnim, pristupa膷nim stilom, tako da se 膷itatelj pomalo osje膰a kao da i sam putuje tim krajem, gdje su se narodi i jezici stolje膰ima mije拧ali, a granice su naj膷e拧膰e prisilno nametnute.
O autori膷inom nastojanju da bude 拧to objektivnija i da nikog ne povrijedi u svojoj interpretaciji, dovoljno govori posljednji odlomak iz Uvoda:
鈥濻 obzirom na slo啪enost i osjetljivost dijela materijala u ovoj knjizi, osjetite li da je va拧e mi拧ljenje nedovoljno zastupljeno usprkos mojim nastojanjima da budem uklju膷iva i pravedna, molim da mi oprostite.鈥�
Izuzetna, zanimljiva, pou膷na i privla膷na knjiga!
January 11, 2025
2.5 stars. I went on a vacation to the lake of Ohrid which is why I wanted to read more about it. I did find the subject of the balkan wars ( the book talks a lot about the history of the people of the lake and the war) interesting but also very hard to follow.
January 30, 2021
鈥溾€淏ut the only thing that is forever are the mountains. The mountains and relationships.鈥�
June 9, 2021
袣邪褌邪褉蟹懈褋薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 袟邪蟹械屑褟胁邪褖邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 袥械泻邪褉褋褌胁芯 蟹邪 薪械褋锌芯泻芯泄薪懈 写褍褕懈. 袠屑邪屑 卸械谢邪薪懈械 写邪 褟 锌褉械锌芯褉褗褔胁邪屑 薪邪 胁褋懈褔泻懈.
袩芯 薪褟泻芯械 胁褉械屑械 褋械 褋械褌懈褏, 写邪 褋懈 懈蟹胁邪卸写邪屑 谢褞斜懈屑懈 褑懈褌邪褌懈:
"肖褉械褋泻邪褌邪 薪邪 "小胁械褌邪 袩械褌泻邪" 锌褉懈谢懈褔邪褕械 锌芯褉邪蟹懈褌械谢薪芯 薪邪 斜邪斜邪 屑懈, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 斜懈谢邪 薪邪 芯泻芯谢芯 褔械褌懈褉懈写械褋械褌. 袧邪 胁褗蟹褉邪褋褌褌邪, 薪邪 泻芯褟褌芯 褋褗屑 邪蟹 褋械谐邪 - 褋懈谢薪芯 写械褋械褌懈谢械褌懈械, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪褕 薪邪泄-褋械褌薪械 写邪 锌褉懈褌械卸邪胁邪褕 谢懈褑械褌芯 褋懈, 邪 懈 卸懈胁芯褌邪 褋懈. 袨褌褌褍泻 薪邪褋械褌薪械 褌芯胁邪 褋懈 褌懈."
"袧懈泻芯泄 褌褍泻 薪械 械 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 屑谢邪写, 褔械 写邪 薪械 写芯卸懈胁械械 写邪 胁懈写懈 褉褍懈薪懈褌械 薪邪 屑谢邪写芯褋褌褌邪 褋懈".
"鈥� 袨褌 袦邪胁褉芯胁芯 械. 袙 袦邪胁褉芯胁芯 写褉械褏懈褌械 薪邪 卸械薪懈褌械 锌芯泻邪蟹胁邪谢懈 胁 泻邪泻褗胁 械褌邪锌 芯褌 卸懈胁芯褌邪 褋邪.
袗屑懈 写邪. 袗泻芯 褋懈 卸械薪邪, 胁褋械泻懈 锌芯 胁褋褟泻芯 胁褉械屑械 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 蟹薪邪械 薪邪 泻邪泻褗胁 褋械泻褋褍邪谢械薪, 褋械屑械械薪 懈 褉械锌褉芯写褍泻褌懈胁械薪 械褌邪锌 芯褌 卸懈胁芯褌邪 褋懈 褋械 薪邪屑懈褉邪褕!"
"袛褗褖械褉褟 屑褍 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪褟屑邪 写邪 褋械 胁褗褉薪械 芯褌 袗屑械褉懈泻邪. 孝褟 薪械 谐芯胁芯褉械谢邪 *薪邪褕械*, 褋邪屑芯 谐褉褗褑泻懈, 邪 薪械泄薪芯褌芯 写械褌械 胁 袗屑械褉懈泻邪 薪械 谐芯胁芯褉械谢芯 懈 谐褉褗褑泻懈, 褋邪屑芯 邪薪谐谢懈泄褋泻懈. 袪邪蟹斜懈褉邪褏 褟: 褌褟 锌褉芯褋褌芯 懈褋泻邪 胁褋懈褔泻芯 褌芯胁邪 写邪 锌褉械褋褌邪薪械."
"袠蟹胁械写薪褗卸 褋械 褋械褌懈褏 蟹邪 邪斜蟹邪褑 芯褌 袝写懈褌 袛褗褉邪屑, 芯锌懈褋胁邪褖 褔芯胁械泻 芯褌 袨褏褉懈写: "泻邪褌芯 胁褋械泻懈 斜邪谢泻邪薪褋泻懈 褏褉懈褋褌懈褟薪懈薪 褌芯泄 械 薪邪褋谢械写懈谢 褋泻谢芯薪薪芯褋褌褌邪 胁懈薪邪谐懈 写邪 芯褔邪泻胁邪 薪邪泄-谢芯褕芯褌芯"."
袩芯薪械卸械 褋械 褋械褌懈褏 泻褗屑 泻褉邪褟, 锌谢邪薪懈褉邪屑 薪邪 胁褌芯褉芯褌芯 褔械褌械薪械 写邪 胁邪写褟 锌邪泻. 小褗褋 褋懈谐褍褉薪芯褋褌 褖械 褟 褔械褌邪 芯褖械 胁械写薪褗卸 褋褗胁褋械屑 褋泻芯褉芯 懈 懈褋泻邪屑 写邪 芯斜懈泻芯谢褟 褌械蟹懈 屑械褋褌邪. 小褌邪胁邪 谢懈 褟褋薪芯 泻芯谢泻芯 褋褗屑 蟹邪锌谢械薪械薪邪 芯褌 "袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯"? ("袚褉邪薪懈褑邪" 胁械褔械 械 泻褍锌械薪邪 懈 懈蟹褔邪泻胁邪 褉械写邪 褋懈.)
袙褗锌褉芯褋褗褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 薪械 屑懈 写邪胁邪 屑懈褉邪 械, 锌谢邪薪懈褉邪 谢懈 褋械 屑邪泻械写芯薪褋泻懈 锌褉械胁芯写?
袩芯 薪褟泻芯械 胁褉械屑械 褋械 褋械褌懈褏, 写邪 褋懈 懈蟹胁邪卸写邪屑 谢褞斜懈屑懈 褑懈褌邪褌懈:
"肖褉械褋泻邪褌邪 薪邪 "小胁械褌邪 袩械褌泻邪" 锌褉懈谢懈褔邪褕械 锌芯褉邪蟹懈褌械谢薪芯 薪邪 斜邪斜邪 屑懈, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 斜懈谢邪 薪邪 芯泻芯谢芯 褔械褌懈褉懈写械褋械褌. 袧邪 胁褗蟹褉邪褋褌褌邪, 薪邪 泻芯褟褌芯 褋褗屑 邪蟹 褋械谐邪 - 褋懈谢薪芯 写械褋械褌懈谢械褌懈械, 泻芯谐邪褌芯 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪褕 薪邪泄-褋械褌薪械 写邪 锌褉懈褌械卸邪胁邪褕 谢懈褑械褌芯 褋懈, 邪 懈 卸懈胁芯褌邪 褋懈. 袨褌褌褍泻 薪邪褋械褌薪械 褌芯胁邪 褋懈 褌懈."
"袧懈泻芯泄 褌褍泻 薪械 械 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 屑谢邪写, 褔械 写邪 薪械 写芯卸懈胁械械 写邪 胁懈写懈 褉褍懈薪懈褌械 薪邪 屑谢邪写芯褋褌褌邪 褋懈".
"鈥� 袨褌 袦邪胁褉芯胁芯 械. 袙 袦邪胁褉芯胁芯 写褉械褏懈褌械 薪邪 卸械薪懈褌械 锌芯泻邪蟹胁邪谢懈 胁 泻邪泻褗胁 械褌邪锌 芯褌 卸懈胁芯褌邪 褋邪.
袗屑懈 写邪. 袗泻芯 褋懈 卸械薪邪, 胁褋械泻懈 锌芯 胁褋褟泻芯 胁褉械屑械 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 蟹薪邪械 薪邪 泻邪泻褗胁 褋械泻褋褍邪谢械薪, 褋械屑械械薪 懈 褉械锌褉芯写褍泻褌懈胁械薪 械褌邪锌 芯褌 卸懈胁芯褌邪 褋懈 褋械 薪邪屑懈褉邪褕!"
"袛褗褖械褉褟 屑褍 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪褟屑邪 写邪 褋械 胁褗褉薪械 芯褌 袗屑械褉懈泻邪. 孝褟 薪械 谐芯胁芯褉械谢邪 *薪邪褕械*, 褋邪屑芯 谐褉褗褑泻懈, 邪 薪械泄薪芯褌芯 写械褌械 胁 袗屑械褉懈泻邪 薪械 谐芯胁芯褉械谢芯 懈 谐褉褗褑泻懈, 褋邪屑芯 邪薪谐谢懈泄褋泻懈. 袪邪蟹斜懈褉邪褏 褟: 褌褟 锌褉芯褋褌芯 懈褋泻邪 胁褋懈褔泻芯 褌芯胁邪 写邪 锌褉械褋褌邪薪械."
"袠蟹胁械写薪褗卸 褋械 褋械褌懈褏 蟹邪 邪斜蟹邪褑 芯褌 袝写懈褌 袛褗褉邪屑, 芯锌懈褋胁邪褖 褔芯胁械泻 芯褌 袨褏褉懈写: "泻邪褌芯 胁褋械泻懈 斜邪谢泻邪薪褋泻懈 褏褉懈褋褌懈褟薪懈薪 褌芯泄 械 薪邪褋谢械写懈谢 褋泻谢芯薪薪芯褋褌褌邪 胁懈薪邪谐懈 写邪 芯褔邪泻胁邪 薪邪泄-谢芯褕芯褌芯"."
袩芯薪械卸械 褋械 褋械褌懈褏 泻褗屑 泻褉邪褟, 锌谢邪薪懈褉邪屑 薪邪 胁褌芯褉芯褌芯 褔械褌械薪械 写邪 胁邪写褟 锌邪泻. 小褗褋 褋懈谐褍褉薪芯褋褌 褖械 褟 褔械褌邪 芯褖械 胁械写薪褗卸 褋褗胁褋械屑 褋泻芯褉芯 懈 懈褋泻邪屑 写邪 芯斜懈泻芯谢褟 褌械蟹懈 屑械褋褌邪. 小褌邪胁邪 谢懈 褟褋薪芯 泻芯谢泻芯 褋褗屑 蟹邪锌谢械薪械薪邪 芯褌 "袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯"? ("袚褉邪薪懈褑邪" 胁械褔械 械 泻褍锌械薪邪 懈 懈蟹褔邪泻胁邪 褉械写邪 褋懈.)
袙褗锌褉芯褋褗褌, 泻芯泄褌芯 薪械 屑懈 写邪胁邪 屑懈褉邪 械, 锌谢邪薪懈褉邪 谢懈 褋械 屑邪泻械写芯薪褋泻懈 锌褉械胁芯写?
February 11, 2022
I'm due to visit the exact area covered by this book in a few months' time: my very first time in this part of the world. This book has done a lot to whet my appetite, give me some grounding in the complex history and culture of the area, and make me understand how very much there is to find out. This is no simple time line, involving a single ethnic strand. This area has for many many centuries been a stopover for people crossing to and from Europe in every possible direction: an area to conquer and subvert: and area to impose ideas from major world religions upon (though till recently, these religious groups largely lived together in harmony. More recently, attempts were made, specifically by Communist rule, to quash ancient cultures.
How to explain all this? Kassabova doesn't attempt a text book. Instead, she journeys round the region, looking up old family friends, making new connections, and generally getting to know a wide range of people. And she tells their stories, and those of their families. In this way she illuminates the history of the area, and more specifically shows the impact of political, religious and economic change on the lives of those involved. This is a story of people who call themselves Albanians, Macedonians, and Greeks. It's also the story of their landscapes and the towns and communities in which they live. It's fascinating.
How to explain all this? Kassabova doesn't attempt a text book. Instead, she journeys round the region, looking up old family friends, making new connections, and generally getting to know a wide range of people. And she tells their stories, and those of their families. In this way she illuminates the history of the area, and more specifically shows the impact of political, religious and economic change on the lives of those involved. This is a story of people who call themselves Albanians, Macedonians, and Greeks. It's also the story of their landscapes and the towns and communities in which they live. It's fascinating.
February 12, 2021
小 胁褉械屑械褌芯 泻邪褌芯 褔械 谢懈 胁褋懈褔泻懈 蟹邪锌芯褔胁邪屑械 写邪 褋械 芯斜褉褗褖邪屑械 薪邪蟹邪写 - 褋 锌褉褗褋褌懈, 泻芯懈褌芯 褌褗褉褋褟褌 写邪 芯斜褏胁邪薪邪褌, 写邪 薪械 锌褉芯锌褍褋薪邪褌 锌邪屑械褌 锌褉械蟹 锌褉芯谢褍泻懈褌械, 写邪 锌褉械写邪写邪褌 薪邪褌邪褌褗泻..
"袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯" 屑芯卸械褕械 写邪 械 蟹邪写褗谢斜芯褔械薪芯 卸褍褉薪邪谢懈褋褌懈褔械褋泻芯 懈蟹褋谢械写胁邪薪械, 泻邪泻胁懈褌芯 泻薪懈谐懈 懈屑邪 懈 薪械 谢芯褕懈 - 薪芯 械 屑薪芯谐芯 锌芯胁械褔械 懈 胁 褌芯胁邪 械 薪械泄薪邪褌邪 褏褍斜芯褋褌. 孝械卸械褋褌褌邪 泄 懈写胁邪 锌芯褉邪胁薪芯 芯褌 谢懈褔薪邪褌邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 懈 邪薪谐邪卸懈屑械薪褌 薪邪 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪, 懈 芯褌 褌芯胁邪, 褔械 褟 褔械褌械屑 泻邪褌芯 褍褔邪褋褌胁邪褖 胁 斜邪谢泻邪薪褋泻懈褌械 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟 谐械褉芯泄.
袪邪蟹泻邪蟹褗褌 锌褉械褔懈褋褌胁邪, 褋谢懈胁邪 屑懈薪邪谢芯 懈 斜褗写械褖械, 懈 锌褉懈蟹芯胁邪胁邪 蟹邪 锌褉芯褕泻邪 锌芯屑械卸写褍 薪懈 - 芯褋芯斜械薪芯 褌褍泻, 泻褗写械褌芯 胁褋懈褔泻芯 懈蟹谐谢械卸写邪 锌芯-褌褉褍写薪芯 懈 锌芯-褋谢芯卸薪芯. 袗 蟹邪 写邪 褋械 芯褋胁芯斜芯写懈屑, 锌褗褉胁芯 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褉邪蟹斜械褉械屑 - 胁褋械泻懈 锌褉懈 褋胁芯械褌芯 械蟹械褉芯.
5/5
"袣褗屑 械蟹械褉芯褌芯" 屑芯卸械褕械 写邪 械 蟹邪写褗谢斜芯褔械薪芯 卸褍褉薪邪谢懈褋褌懈褔械褋泻芯 懈蟹褋谢械写胁邪薪械, 泻邪泻胁懈褌芯 泻薪懈谐懈 懈屑邪 懈 薪械 谢芯褕懈 - 薪芯 械 屑薪芯谐芯 锌芯胁械褔械 懈 胁 褌芯胁邪 械 薪械泄薪邪褌邪 褏褍斜芯褋褌. 孝械卸械褋褌褌邪 泄 懈写胁邪 锌芯褉邪胁薪芯 芯褌 谢懈褔薪邪褌邪 懈褋褌芯褉懈褟 懈 邪薪谐邪卸懈屑械薪褌 薪邪 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪, 懈 芯褌 褌芯胁邪, 褔械 褟 褔械褌械屑 泻邪褌芯 褍褔邪褋褌胁邪褖 胁 斜邪谢泻邪薪褋泻懈褌械 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟 谐械褉芯泄.
袪邪蟹泻邪蟹褗褌 锌褉械褔懈褋褌胁邪, 褋谢懈胁邪 屑懈薪邪谢芯 懈 斜褗写械褖械, 懈 锌褉懈蟹芯胁邪胁邪 蟹邪 锌褉芯褕泻邪 锌芯屑械卸写褍 薪懈 - 芯褋芯斜械薪芯 褌褍泻, 泻褗写械褌芯 胁褋懈褔泻芯 懈蟹谐谢械卸写邪 锌芯-褌褉褍写薪芯 懈 锌芯-褋谢芯卸薪芯. 袗 蟹邪 写邪 褋械 芯褋胁芯斜芯写懈屑, 锌褗褉胁芯 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褉邪蟹斜械褉械屑 - 胁褋械泻懈 锌褉懈 褋胁芯械褌芯 械蟹械褉芯.
5/5
January 21, 2021
There were some really beautiful lines and passages in this book and lots of food for thought about a region I was completely unfamiliar with before. However, the number of characters, unfamiliar words, unfamiliar places, and centuries of history packed into this book often left me feeling more confused and lost than engaged.
June 9, 2024
(2.5 stars, so 3, because it is better than just 2)
*
When I started this book, I thought I would read something more personal, like a family saga. And it was like that at first, but then drifted to stories of other people in the area and then drifted even more to stories from a different lake. And the stories, as the lakes, might be connected but put a distance between the reader and the personal.
I did enjoy those stories, though, and I did connect with them, because, I am greek. I come from the balkans, I know the struggles and the history, and the conflicts, and my family has experienced (some of) the things described. And that's when the frustration started creeping in. In her introduction, the author says that she tried to put her bias aside. The funny thing with bias is that it's hard to put aside. I know because I was also trying to forget mine. And there were things that were colored in one way, completely disregarding the other side. I won't get into details, I will name just a couple of examples. The author seems that she doesn't understand Greece's objection towards Northern Macedonia to call their country Macedonia. There is no effort to explain it, I think she even finds it irrational. Yet whenever she refers to the greek part of the geographical region of Macedonia, she calls it Aegean Macedonia. So the country is called Macedonia (North Macedonia, the mutually accepted name, comes into the narrative at the end of the book), the greek region, is called Aegean Macedonia, and she pretends that she can't see a problem with that. Another issue I had was with the stories from her trip to Big Prespa, the lake that is divided between Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece. In the albanian and north macedonian part, everything is fine. But in the greek part, she travels to multiple villages, she goes all the way to Florina and Kastoria and she can't find one, just one person that identifies as greek. Seriously?
The personal stories of the people she met, were very touching as I said, heartbreaking, touching the collective trauma of all the people that live in the Balkans, but were a bit too much, too repetitive, too similar.
And the last chapter was way too spiritual for my liking.
I did like and dislike the book at the same time, and I sure won't forget it easily!
*
When I started this book, I thought I would read something more personal, like a family saga. And it was like that at first, but then drifted to stories of other people in the area and then drifted even more to stories from a different lake. And the stories, as the lakes, might be connected but put a distance between the reader and the personal.
I did enjoy those stories, though, and I did connect with them, because, I am greek. I come from the balkans, I know the struggles and the history, and the conflicts, and my family has experienced (some of) the things described. And that's when the frustration started creeping in. In her introduction, the author says that she tried to put her bias aside. The funny thing with bias is that it's hard to put aside. I know because I was also trying to forget mine. And there were things that were colored in one way, completely disregarding the other side. I won't get into details, I will name just a couple of examples. The author seems that she doesn't understand Greece's objection towards Northern Macedonia to call their country Macedonia. There is no effort to explain it, I think she even finds it irrational. Yet whenever she refers to the greek part of the geographical region of Macedonia, she calls it Aegean Macedonia. So the country is called Macedonia (North Macedonia, the mutually accepted name, comes into the narrative at the end of the book), the greek region, is called Aegean Macedonia, and she pretends that she can't see a problem with that. Another issue I had was with the stories from her trip to Big Prespa, the lake that is divided between Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece. In the albanian and north macedonian part, everything is fine. But in the greek part, she travels to multiple villages, she goes all the way to Florina and Kastoria and she can't find one, just one person that identifies as greek. Seriously?
The personal stories of the people she met, were very touching as I said, heartbreaking, touching the collective trauma of all the people that live in the Balkans, but were a bit too much, too repetitive, too similar.
And the last chapter was way too spiritual for my liking.
I did like and dislike the book at the same time, and I sure won't forget it easily!
August 18, 2022
Wonderfully written, but I wish we just had some clearer chronological r茅f茅rences. I got a little Lost in the countries' timelines.
December 30, 2020
What a ride reading this book was!
I picked it up coz I was interested in the subject matter of a book set on the lakes, but I stuck on for the detailed history lessons Kassabova gave while taking me through the lives of everyday people around Macedonia and Albania.
The book did not start well for me, with the author delving into her family history and getting into details of her grandmother Anastasia and her expectations from her loved ones. It all felt familiar with the Indian family setup, and I didn't get the point of going into details of her life or how she shaped her progeny. However, I am glad I hung around, coz the book picked up, and how, after that!
Only after I read this book did I realize how much I did not know about the world. I knew of Albania and Kanun, thanks to Ismail Kadare's Broken April. I only vaguely knew of Macedonia, but nothing of significance. But reading this book gave me so much insight into the people, the land, their rulers, some of their struggles, the ravages of the war on these people and their lives.
My heart broke while reading the travails of these people, all of whom are similar to each other but divided because of the borders, the borders themselves made of outrageous stuff, the current struggles in these lands (the Prespa agreement in 2019 over Greece agreeing to the name of North Macedonia, whitewashing of all Cyrillic alphabet in Greece, fear to speak Macedonian in parts of Northern Greece) - all of these left my heart very heavy!
All of these were new to me, and I hope to read more about these - Reading about how Albanians endured Enverism under Enver Hoxha; the continuing impact of besa, kanun, the Albanization, the biscuit-factory line of everything in Albania; how Zachariadis got away with his rule in Greece; Balkanization and the resulting Balkan wars dividing the same people into chunks of lands - these are a reality so many Balkan people live with!
I realized how first world my problems are all (including the civil rights ones I advocate for) , and how I have to keep a bigger picture with an eye on the struggles people have for basic freedoms.
Like the author closes the book, the only way to get away from this never-ending wheel of war and peace is for people to find within themselves the strength to break away... :-(
Strongly recommend this book if you have a desire to know what goes on around the world. It will make you sad, but the book will make you more aware of your world.
I picked it up coz I was interested in the subject matter of a book set on the lakes, but I stuck on for the detailed history lessons Kassabova gave while taking me through the lives of everyday people around Macedonia and Albania.
The book did not start well for me, with the author delving into her family history and getting into details of her grandmother Anastasia and her expectations from her loved ones. It all felt familiar with the Indian family setup, and I didn't get the point of going into details of her life or how she shaped her progeny. However, I am glad I hung around, coz the book picked up, and how, after that!
Only after I read this book did I realize how much I did not know about the world. I knew of Albania and Kanun, thanks to Ismail Kadare's Broken April. I only vaguely knew of Macedonia, but nothing of significance. But reading this book gave me so much insight into the people, the land, their rulers, some of their struggles, the ravages of the war on these people and their lives.
My heart broke while reading the travails of these people, all of whom are similar to each other but divided because of the borders, the borders themselves made of outrageous stuff, the current struggles in these lands (the Prespa agreement in 2019 over Greece agreeing to the name of North Macedonia, whitewashing of all Cyrillic alphabet in Greece, fear to speak Macedonian in parts of Northern Greece) - all of these left my heart very heavy!
All of these were new to me, and I hope to read more about these - Reading about how Albanians endured Enverism under Enver Hoxha; the continuing impact of besa, kanun, the Albanization, the biscuit-factory line of everything in Albania; how Zachariadis got away with his rule in Greece; Balkanization and the resulting Balkan wars dividing the same people into chunks of lands - these are a reality so many Balkan people live with!
I realized how first world my problems are all (including the civil rights ones I advocate for) , and how I have to keep a bigger picture with an eye on the struggles people have for basic freedoms.
Like the author closes the book, the only way to get away from this never-ending wheel of war and peace is for people to find within themselves the strength to break away... :-(
Strongly recommend this book if you have a desire to know what goes on around the world. It will make you sad, but the book will make you more aware of your world.
Read
May 28, 2021I'm not sure how to rate this - Beautiful writing, and a haunting tone. Though I don't come from the exact same background as Kassabova, my own family history is complicated by the tumultuous politics of Eastern Europe. Ohrid and Prespa are not my home, but seeing the author long for a past and a connection evokes those same feelings in me of the places I've come from but have yet to witness. I would recommend this to those with interest in the region as it does require some historical context, though the essays in here transcend place with universal feelings of family and culture.
June 3, 2020
A gorgeous book which is both informative about the history of the Macedonian peoples and an introspective, poetic reflection on the personal and familial weight of history. It is about exile, identity and historical memory and how all these elements are internalised by people. But also how, in turn, people themselves reproduce these identities and schisms which, if left unchecked, can become extremely destructive. Or as Kassabova puts it: war and peace begin within us.
June 14, 2021
A really really good book about a region I had honestly never heard about. I love Kassabova's Borders and this book is not as dramatic as Borders, but touches on the same concepts of division, war, identities, history, suffering and inheritance. I loved how deeply rooted Kassabova is in the region and her subject matter. Some of the stories are very harrowing. I would recommend this book.
April 11, 2021
W stron臋 Ochrydy (dlaczego wydawca zmieni艂 oryginalny tytu艂?) to podr贸偶 ze 艣wiat艂a w ciemno艣膰 i otch艂a艅: od s艂onecznej Ochrydy do mrocznej Prespy, z ciemno艣ci ku 艣wiat艂o艣ci i nadziei: ku maj膮cym pono膰 uzdrawiaj膮ca moc 藕r贸d艂om przy klasztorze 艣w. Nauma. Jak przekonuje Kassabova, kr膮g odziedziczonych po przodkach traum mo偶na przerwa膰, kismet mo偶na zmieni膰. A przynajmniej trzeba pr贸bowa膰, na przek贸r nacjonalistycznej narracji i rachunkom nie wyr贸wnanych krzywd.
June 26, 2021
Niepor贸wnanie s艂absza ni偶 jej poprzednia ksi膮偶ka 鈥濭ranica鈥�
April 11, 2022
袩褉械泻褉邪褋薪邪 懈 屑薪芯谐芯 谢懈褔薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 袟邪 屑械薪 斜械褕械 褍写芯胁芯谢褋褌胁懈械 写邪 褋械 蟹邪锌芯蟹薪邪褟 蟹邪 锌褗褉胁懈 锌褗褌 褋 褌胁芯褉褔械褋褌胁芯褌芯 薪邪 袣邪锌泻邪 袣邪褋邪斜芯胁邪. 袙锌械褔邪褌谢械薪邪 褋褗屑 芯褌 写褗谢斜芯褔懈薪邪褌邪 薪邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹邪 懈 谢械泻芯褌邪褌邪 褋 泻芯褟褌芯 褌芯泄 褋械 懈蟹谐褉邪卸写邪. 袘谢邪谐芯写邪褉褟.
January 9, 2023
I'm disappointed... Expected more from this book. Too much bulgarian propaganda. A very underwhelming read!
September 10, 2024
This book was so much better once I had been to Ohrid. 10/10 would recommend going to the region first.
October 22, 2021
Me dej茅 llevar demasiado por la tem谩tica regional a la hora de escoger este libro, y me ha decepcionado. Si bien es una historia (o un conjunto de vivencias) muy personales, tiernas y tr谩gicas, la narraci贸n no me ha capturado. Tira m谩s hacia la literatura biogr谩fica que hacia la de viajes, y habr铆a podido ahondar mucho m谩s en an茅cdotas o eventos de la pol铆tica contempor谩nea. Meh.
September 25, 2024
孝芯锌谢邪 懈 薪械卸薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪 懈 锌芯泻褉邪褬 屑薪芯谐褍褌械 褔芯胁械褔泻懈 褋褍写斜懈薪懈 懈褋锌褉械锌谢械褌械薪懈 褋芯 褉邪蟹薪懈/褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪懈 懈褋褌芯褉懈懈 懈 芯锌褕褌械褋褌胁械薪懈 褋谢褍褔褍胁邪褮邪.
" 袦邪谢懈褌械 谐械褋褌芯胁懈 薪邪 写芯斜褉懈薪邪 写芯锌懈褉邪邪褌 屑薪芯谐褍 写邪谢械泻褍"
" 袦邪谢懈褌械 谐械褋褌芯胁懈 薪邪 写芯斜褉懈薪邪 写芯锌懈褉邪邪褌 屑薪芯谐褍 写邪谢械泻褍"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.