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Josip Novakovich's Reminiscences from the Balkans

In his travel essays, writing about other countries, Josip Novakovich also deals with his homeland Croatia. In these essays he recalls memories and emotions from the past when he used to live there. The time has changed as well as the country, but the history has strongly intruded into the present. This paper deals with three Novakovich’s essays and impressions about encounters with different places in Croatia and new perceptions about them. Vukovar and Two Croatias are essays that deal with the post-war period. In Vukovar the author expresses personal moments visiting the city after the massacre and asks himself what the lesson is. Two Croatias is an essay about other people’s completely different perceptions of a country which has gone through the war and is now in a recovery process. Travelling on a train from Zagreb to Sofia, which used to be called Balkan Express, Novakovich recollects memories, scents and tastes from the past, concluding that entire era has passed, the trains in the Balkans are almost dead and it is not only the war to blame. The author's associations and reflections inspired by the visit to his former homeland remind the reader of those past times which have gone forever.

Josip Novakovich, Shopping for a Better Country, travel essays, war, the Balkans

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