A well-known Croatian journalist and, in my opinion, the most important Croatian writer of today, recently published a new book called "Hope". This novella is a witty and cheerful read in which Ante Tomić jokes and gently mocks the prejudices, superstitions and beliefs of our people. Almost all the characters in this story are likable. Ante understands our people and helps us readers get to know and thus better understand characters from all layers of Croatian society. My goal is to present the book to my Croatian friends who have it close at hand, but also to introduce my friends outside of Croatia to this important Croatian writer whose novels have already been made into two films. Considering that I believe that Ante Tomić speaks best from his own works, I will transfer here a paragraph from his latest novel "Hope."
"Somehow, in the third year of marriage, when we realized that, despite our efforts, there was nothing of children, we first vowed to St. Anthony" began Jozefina. "For a whole week, we got up after dark in the boarding house and waited for the dawn by praying at his grave in Padua."
"St. Anthony is the best. You can't go wrong with him," Rada nodded. "He helps with everything, with love, marriage, children, travellers, the poor, the sick, the possessed..."
"Saint Anthony is as universal as a screwdriver," summed up the head of an Austrian metal processing plant with a convenient comparison.
"Saint joker," Vinko quipped, climbing the stairs and carrying a basket full of vegetables, large bell peppers and eggplants sprinkled with tiny drops of mud from watering.
Jozefina frowned because she was not happy that the distinguished Catholic saint was being talked about as if he were a playing card or a piece of equipment, but she did not protest loudly. Instead, she continued:
"Then they advised us to go to Rome and send our prayers to the purest Agnes. She also strongly advocates for couples who cannot have children.”
"Never heard," admitted Rada.
“A very, very powerful saint.”
"A great authority in the treatment of infertility," Mijo added, "although she didn't help us either. But Rome, if you haven’t been, is really something amazing.”
:
"Don't worry, the children will come. You two are still young," Rada said confidently. "I just don't understand why you didn't come here right away? You wandered somewhere from Padua and Rome to Sweden and Ireland, and the solution was right under your nose. Saint Margaret is the best for these things. Father Celestin is contacted almost every day by those who have been helped by our patron saint. They write from Germany, Canada, Australia. People came to the mass on the beautiful 20th of July, went through the town with a procession, kissed the sacred image..."
"And in the evening, they had a good time at the party, drank two glasses of red wine, danced, and relaxed. And there you go," concluded Vinko optimistically.
"You'll see, Saint Margaret is a woman and a half."
"Legend."
"Goddess."
"From your mouth to God's ears," said Jozefina.
"This is really our last hope now," Mijo said desperately. "After everything we've done, if this doesn't work now, we really don't know what else we can do."
"And you didn't hack artificial insemination?" Vinko asked timidly.
It suddenly became cold in the summer afternoon. The temperature suddenly plummeted from plus thirty-three degrees Celsius to below zero, as if a gust of some kind of terrible November blew over the terrace under the vines.
"We, sir, are believers." Jozefina said offended, harshly, and Mijo just lowered his head and stared at his clean white socks and brown sandals.
"That's not an option," he whispered embarrassed.
For a few moments, no one knew what to say, until Rada reproachfully shook her head and, to dispel her discomfort, said to Vinko:
"Oh, come on, man, you only think of stupid things."
Kristina
Friday, June 28th, 2024
O novoj knjizi Ante Tomića “Nada”
Poznati hrvatski novinar i po meni najznačajniji hrvatski pisac današnjice, nedavno je objavio novu knjigu pod nazivom “Nada”. Ova novela je duhovito i veselo štivo u kojem se Ante Tomić šali i nježno izruguje sa predrasudama, praznovjerijima i vjerovanjima našhi ljudi. Gotovo su svi karakteri iz ove priče simpatični i na ovaj ili onaj način dragi. Ante razumije naše ljude i pomaže nama čitaocima da bolje upoznamo i time bolje razumijemo likove iz svih slojeva hrvatskog društva. Meni je cilj da knjigu predstavim svojim hrvatskim prijateljima kojima je nadohvat ruke, ali da isto tako upoznam moje prijatelje izvan Hrvatske sa ovim značajnim hrvatskim piscem po čijim su romanima snimljena već dva filma. S obzirom da smatram da Ante Tomić sam najbolje govori iz svojih djela, prenijet ću ovdje odlomak iz njegovog najnovijeg romana “Nada.”
“Nekako u trećoj godini braka, kad smo shvatili da od djece, unatoč našim nastojanima, nema ništa, zavjetovali smo se prvo svetom Anti”, počela je Jozefina. “Čitav tjedan smo po mraku ustajali u pansionu I dočekivali zoru moleći se kod njegovog groba u Padovi.”
“Sveti Ante je najbolji. Sa njim ne možeš da pogrešiš”, kimnula je Rada. “On za sve pomaže, za ljubav, brak, decu, putnike, siromašne, bolesne, opsedunte…”
“Sveti Ante je univerzalan kao gedora”, sažeo je zgodnom prispodobom šef austrijskog pogona za obradu metala.
“Svetac džoker”, dobacio je Vinko penjući se stepenicama i noseći košaru punu povrća, krupne pome paprika i balancane poprskane sitnim kapljicama blata od zalijevanja.
Jozefina se mrštila jer joj nije bilo drago da se o uglednom katoličkom svecu govori kao da je igraća karta ili komad alata, no nije glasno protestirala. Umjesto toga je nastavila:
“Onda su nam savjetovali da odemo u Rim i uputimo svoje molitve i prečistoj Agnezi. Ona se također snažno zauzima za parove koji ne mogu imati djece.”
“Nikad čula”, priznala je Rada.
“Vrlo, vrlo moćna svetica.”
“Veliki autoritet u liječenju neploddnosti”, dodao je Mijo, “iako nam ni ona nije pomogla. Ali Rim je ako niste bili stvarno nešto ekstra.”
:
“Nemojte da brinete, doći će deca. Još ste vas dvoje mladi”, rekla je Rada samouvjereno. “Ne razumem samo što odma niste ovde došli? Skitali ste se kojekuda od Padove i Rima do Švedske i Irske, a rešenje vam je bilo maltene pod nosom. Sveta Margareta je najbolja za te stvari. Ocu Celestinu skoro svaki dan se javljaju neki kojima je naša svetica zaštitnica pomogla. Pišu iz Njemačke, Kanade, Australije. Došli ljudi lepo dvadesetog jula na misu, prošli sa procesijom kroz mesto, poljubili zavetnu sliku…”
“A navečer se na fešti proveselili, popili dva žmula crnog vina, tancali, opustili se. I eto ti dice”, zaključio je Vinko optimistično.
“Videćete, sveta Margareta je žena i po.”
“Legenda.”
“Boginja.”
“Iz vaših usta u Božje uši”, rekla je Jozefina.
“Ovo nam je sad stvarno zadnja nada”, rekao je Mijo očajno. “Nakon svega što smo učinili, ako ovo sad ne upali, mi stvarno ne znamo što bi više mogli napravit.”
“A umjetnu oplodnju niste provali?” upitao je Vinko bojažljivo.
U ljetnom popodnevu iznenada je postalo hladno. Temperatura se sa plus trideset tri stupnja Celzija u trenutku strmoglavila ispod nule, kao da je zapuh nekakve stravične studeni prohujao preko terase pod lozom.
“Mi smo, gospodine, vjernici.” Rekla je Jozefina uvrijeđeno, tvrdo, a Mijo je samo spustio glavu I zapiljio se u svoje čiste bijele čarape u smeđim sandalama.
“To nije opcija”, šapnuo je postiđeno.
Na nekoliko trenutaka nitko nije znao što bi rekao, dok Rada nije prijekorno zavrtjela glavom i da rastjera nelagodu kazala Vinku:
“Aman, čoveče, tebi samo neke gluposti padaju na pamet.”
Kristina
Petak, 28. lipnja 2024.
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