Faceless Men & Other Macedonian StoriesPerhaps villagers were the best natural critics of life under Communism in eastern Europe. Theirs is a perspective at once ironic, satiric and filled with stoicism. In these stories from Macedonia, Meto Jovanovski writes wittily against urban authorities, whose agents are everywhere and nowhere, and who conduct absurd 'modernizing' campaigns such as shooting all the dogs in the village. He writes tellingly of the indignities of queues, telephones, air travel and military conscription. And like John Berger, he persuades us that it is often the villager who is most in touch with the deepest realities of life. In 'Flight to Eternity', for example, it seems entirely natural that a man should gently make love to his dying wife: a powerful scene of the sort hard to find in the brutal and 'sophisticated' sexuality of modern literature. |
Contents
The Man in the Blue Suit | 1 |
Event | 7 |
The President of the Central Committee | 24 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown
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afraid already America appeared asked beautiful became began better Bitola black suit blue suit body clarinet comes comrade couldn't cousin daughter decided didn't don't know door dream enter everything eyes face faceless feel felt finally fool front give hands happened happy head heard immediately inside Joseph Jovanovski keep kill knew later leave Listen live looked Macedonian mind mother moved never night noticed once opened Papa passed peasant person play President realized rest running Sandra seat seemed sense Serbian shouted side Skopje snow someone soon Spiro stand started steps stood stopped stories strange street sure tell thing thought told took Tote tree trouble Trpen trying turned Uncle village visitors wait walk wanted woman wonder writing young