Product Description

A touching story of cultural difference and tested loyalties. Set in Belgrade before WWII, Fathers and Forefathers tells the story of the marriage between a Steven, a Serb, and Elizabeth, an Englishwoman. After meeting at an English university they marry and leave England to build their life together. Steven's narrative and Elizabeth's letters home reveal two very different personal accounts of the difficulties this involves. Raised in Serbia their son, Mihajlo, is ashamed of his mixed parentage and rebels against his non-Serbian ancestry. On the eve of the war, Steven's loyalties are challenged when his counsel is sought by both the Serbian king and the opposition. He resolves to keep his distance from the conflict, but Mihajlo's more radical response forces him to become involved, and tragedy engulfs the family.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #581703 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-03
• Original language: Serbian
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From the Publisher
An epic novel which covers 50 years of life in Belgrade and the 20th century struggles of the Serbian people.

About the Author
Slobodan Selenic was born in Croatia in 1933. He published six novels and a number of plays, and was a member of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. He was the winner of the prestigous NIN literary prize and Belgrade's Poet Laureate. He died in 1995.

Customer Reviews

Deep, emotive and vast
This book deals with many subjects in a deep, well researched fashion whilst at the same time being well researched and brilliantly written.
The central theme of this book is the complex emotions Nationalism and attachment to a nation, real or imagined, can manifest itself in human behaviour and how this abstract belief manages to affect the daily life of a young family.
When taking this into account it is easy to see why Serbia, in the first half of the 20th century, is the perfect setting for such a novel. The personal stories of the main characters are interspersed with the history of the Balkans where Nationalism was once again about to set of another bloody period in the history of the Balkans.
The story is told through letters and diaries wrote by the main characters. In doing this the author manages to give the reader an nsight into the thoughts, mistaken assumptions and flaws in the characters and it becomes increasingly clear how they all play a part in the dramtic ending.
All in all an excellent book which deals with grand ideas in a very personal way. Id reccommend this boo to anyone interested in Nationalism, The Balkans, World War Two or just as an excellent story of how a family unit can be torn apart by events from above.

(My only criticism would be not on read the back of the book before you start as it actually tell you how the story ends)

Interesting and valuable read!
In a way, I can identify myself with the many aspects of the book. I am a Serb who has been studying in England for 5 years now. However, I do not intend to be subjective in my review given the peculiar similarity of the first part of the book and my most recent period in life - being a student abroad.

The main theme of the book that is set and illuminates events ranging from 1920's to the post WWII era, has many relevant 'messages' today. In one brief sentence, the book is of perpetual bearing. The message and the value of this work come from the ever- present 'clash of cultures' and attempts by those who are faced with 'the foreign' to accommodate and deal with it. Selenic not only goes into the very detail of the nature of inner values but also beliefs, virtues and the very identity that are 'implemented' by our parents and family from the early days of upbringing. He masters this struggle very well, and presents it to the reader in a way that he/she cannot feel indifferent.

What is more than apparent is that beyond immediate upbringing, the state, and in fact the region from where we come influence our way of perceiving both ourselves and others around us, be it compatriots or foreigners.

The excellence of this work also comes from another aspect. It is the political implications of the communist revolution during the WWII in Yugoslavia and Serbia in particular. A true devotee to the virtues of liberal democracy will be confronted with horror when reading about some of the consequences of losing political and moral freedom to communism.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing how it feels to be alienated in a foreign country and sadly but more frighteningly, in your own.