Ella Williams, Grade 11
UWC Mostar
The book Sarajevo Marlboro is a compilation of short stories written by Miljenko Jergović, a prominent author of Bosnian nationality. The author, Jergović, was born in Sarajevo, while BiH was a part of Yugoslavia, in 1966 and he stayed in Sarajevo during the siege, before he moved to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, in 1993. His works fall within the genres of short story, poetry, novel, essay, and social commentary, all focusing on life in a post-Yugoslav society. Throughout his career, he has written for both Serbian and Croatian magazines and has won two awards for his writing and is undoubtedly one of the most famous Bosnian writers.
Sarajevo Marlboro is a compilation of short stories, published in 1994, written from a very humane perspective of the Yugoslav war. More specifically, the four-year siege that took place in Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Even though the stories are usually a few pages long, the book brings an understanding of the fate of the young Muslim, Croat and Serbian communities. The book allows the reader to be immersed in the life of those stuck in the war without the prejudice of the media coverage.
I originally read the book as a part of my English class, and that was where I first fell in love with it. Jergović drew me into the history of the country I was living in and showed me the civilian perspective. The stories are full of humor, romance, and struggle, making me feel as though I was living among the characters. The author makes very little reference to ethnicity and where he does, it is never to place blame or create hatred, but rather to express that the people living through the war couldn't care less about what ethnicity the people they speak to, as every single one of them was in the same position of life or death.
The book's message is really displayed to me by a line from one of the stories called 'Mr. Ivo'; it is about a man who has a well and allows his neighbours to take water every day as long as they are civilized. The line reads "A code of behavior was observed as in a mosque or a church," this does not specify or discriminate between the religions (which are closely related to the different ethnicities) showing that it doesn't matter what the people believed, they were orderly and peaceful regardless of their differences.
This book definitely helped me understand and feel connected to where I was living, having visited Sarajevo and then reading this book, it allowed me to visualise and properly put into perspective what the author was talking about. Many of the stories are written in a way that allows you to feel connected to the characters, although they are short, you get a real insight into their lives. Each story brings a different perspective and a different feeling: some make you feel heartbroken for shattered romances, some make you see the implications on families or people with disabilities or couples. However, none of the stories make you feel the same way.
This book encouraged me to further educate myself and added an empathetic perspective to my existing knowledge. It allows you to understand a different perspective of not only the Yugoslav war but all wars. By living through it, Jergović brings a knowledgeable civilian perspective that is very rarely seen or understood. For this reason, I would recommend this book as it is a narrative that is not commonly understood.
Sarajevo Marlboro is a compilation of short stories, published in 1994, written from a very humane perspective of the Yugoslav war. More specifically, the four-year siege that took place in Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Even though the stories are usually a few pages long, the book brings an understanding of the fate of the young Muslim, Croat and Serbian communities. The book allows the reader to be immersed in the life of those stuck in the war without the prejudice of the media coverage.
I originally read the book as a part of my English class, and that was where I first fell in love with it. Jergović drew me into the history of the country I was living in and showed me the civilian perspective. The stories are full of humor, romance, and struggle, making me feel as though I was living among the characters. The author makes very little reference to ethnicity and where he does, it is never to place blame or create hatred, but rather to express that the people living through the war couldn't care less about what ethnicity the people they speak to, as every single one of them was in the same position of life or death.
The book's message is really displayed to me by a line from one of the stories called 'Mr. Ivo'; it is about a man who has a well and allows his neighbours to take water every day as long as they are civilized. The line reads "A code of behavior was observed as in a mosque or a church," this does not specify or discriminate between the religions (which are closely related to the different ethnicities) showing that it doesn't matter what the people believed, they were orderly and peaceful regardless of their differences.
This book definitely helped me understand and feel connected to where I was living, having visited Sarajevo and then reading this book, it allowed me to visualise and properly put into perspective what the author was talking about. Many of the stories are written in a way that allows you to feel connected to the characters, although they are short, you get a real insight into their lives. Each story brings a different perspective and a different feeling: some make you feel heartbroken for shattered romances, some make you see the implications on families or people with disabilities or couples. However, none of the stories make you feel the same way.
This book encouraged me to further educate myself and added an empathetic perspective to my existing knowledge. It allows you to understand a different perspective of not only the Yugoslav war but all wars. By living through it, Jergović brings a knowledgeable civilian perspective that is very rarely seen or understood. For this reason, I would recommend this book as it is a narrative that is not commonly understood.
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