The Scent of Rain in the Balkans
Encyclopedia
The Sent of Rain in the Balkans (Serbian
: Мирис кише на Балкану / Miris kiše na Balkanu) is a historical
novel
written by Gordana Kuić
. The novel was published in 1986, becoming an instant bestseller
. It centers around the Salom family, most notably five sisters — Buka, Nina, Klara, Blanki and Riki. The novel was inspired by Kuić's mother Blanki Levi and her sisters. The Scent of Rain in the Balkans follows destinies of, not only Jews
, but also Serbs
, Muslims and Catholics during two major historical events — World War I
and World War II
.
In his review of the novel, David Albahari
wrote:
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans has been adapted into a ballet, a play and a television series
.
in 1914, to the end of World War II
in 1945 through the lives and destinies of the Saloms, a Sephardic Jewish family from Sarajevo
. The leading characters are the five courageous Salom sisters whose struggle to fulfill personal desires and aspirations run contrary to the strict conventions of the multicultural and religious societies — Bosnian Jew, Muslim
, Serbian Orthodox and Catholic
— of the time, living side by side in the small town of Sarajevo.
, with some parts in Ladino, the language of Sephardi, and Bosnian variant of Serbian. It is divided in thirteen parts — 28 June 1914 (28. jun 1914), A Flight to Unknown (Let u nepoznato), Linden, the Tree of Old Slavs (Lipa, drvo starih Slovena), Time for Decisions (Vreme za odluke), Toboggan (Tobogan), When a Day Turns Cold and the Shadows Are Gone (Kad zahladni dan i senke odu), The End of One Age (Kraj jednog vremena), A Critic Point (Kritična tačka), Runaways (Bežanja), Paper Jesters (Papirni pajaci), A New Life (Novi život), Lasting (Trajanje) and Epilogue (Epilog).
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans – a Ballet for Riki premiered in Sarajevo
, and then a week after in Belgrade
. In 2009, screenwriter Nebojša Romčević wrote a stage adaptation of the novel that premiered on 12 April 2009 in the Madlenianum Opera and Theatre
, starring Sloboda Mićalović
and Vuk Kostić
. In 2010, Ljubiša Samardžić
directed the television adaptation
of the novel, which was shown on the RTS
.
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: Мирис кише на Балкану / Miris kiše na Balkanu) is a historical
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Gordana Kuić
Gordana Kuić
Gordana Kuić is a Serbian novelist. She is the winner of numerous literature awards in the countries former Yugoslavia. Her work has been mainly inspired by her mother Blanki Levi and her aunts, who were descendants of Sephardi Jews in Balkans, and most of her novels are set in 1914–1944...
. The novel was published in 1986, becoming an instant bestseller
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
. It centers around the Salom family, most notably five sisters — Buka, Nina, Klara, Blanki and Riki. The novel was inspired by Kuić's mother Blanki Levi and her sisters. The Scent of Rain in the Balkans follows destinies of, not only Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, but also Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Muslims and Catholics during two major historical events — World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In his review of the novel, David Albahari
David Albahari
David Albahari is a Serbian writer of Jewish origin from Kosovo, residing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Albahari writes mainly novels and short stories. He is also an established translator from English into Serbian. He is a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts...
wrote:
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans has been adapted into a ballet, a play and a television series
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans (TV series)
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans is a Serbian television series, adapted from the novel of the same name by Gordana Kuić. Consisting of fourteen episodes, it was directed by actor, director and producer Ljubiša Samardžić, and produced by his wife Mirjana...
.
Plot
The novel describes the historic period in the Balkans from the beginning of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914, to the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1945 through the lives and destinies of the Saloms, a Sephardic Jewish family from Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. The leading characters are the five courageous Salom sisters whose struggle to fulfill personal desires and aspirations run contrary to the strict conventions of the multicultural and religious societies — Bosnian Jew, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Serbian Orthodox and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
— of the time, living side by side in the small town of Sarajevo.
The Salom family
- Leon Salom, the father of the family
- Estera Salom, the mother of the family
- Laura "Buka" Salom, later Laura Papo, the eldest daughter of Leon and Estera
- Nina Salom, later Nina Ignjatić, the second daughter of Leon and Estera
- Klara Salom, later Klara Valić, the third daughter of Leon and Estera
- Isak "Atleta" Salom, the eldest son of Leon and Estera
- Blanka "Blanki" Salom, later Branka Korać, the fourth daughter of Leon and Estera
- Rifketa "Riki" Salom, the fifth and the youngest daughter of Leon and Estera, who becomes a successful ballerinaBallerinaA ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
- Elijas Salom, the second son and the youngest child of Leon and Estera
- Nona Salom, one of the aunts of the Salom children and a highly respected member of the family
Serbian characters
- Marko Korać, a MostarMostarMostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
–born Blanki's childhood crush and eventually her husband - Škoro "Ignjo" Ignjatić, Danijel's friend and Nina's husband
- Miloš Ranković, Riki's mentor and lover for a while
- Dušan, a journalist from BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
who fancies Riki - Sanda Jovanović, Riki's friend from Belgrade of Jewish heritage
- Nena Ranković, Miloš's wife
- Vlada Stefanović, a teacher in the village where Riki hides
- Danica Stefanović, Vlada's wife
- Vera Korać, Blanki and Marko's daughter
- Risto Korać, one of Marko's brothers
- Pero Korać, one of Marko's brothers
- Saveta Primorac, Marko's sister
- Jovo Primorac, Saveta's husband
- Ana Primorac, one of two Saveta and Jovo's daughters
- Jelena Primorac, one of two Saveta and Jovo's daughters
- Toma, a Serbian peasant who shelters Riki
- Spasenija, Toma's wife
- Mrs. Ninković, a frequent shopper in Nina's hat boutique who likes gossiping
Jewish characters
- Danijel Papo, Buka's husband and the father of her sons Leon and Koki
- Zdenka Vajs, an Ashkenazi Jew, Atleta's wife
- Leon Papo, Buka and Danijel's elder son, named after his maternal grandfather
- Barkohba "Koki" Papo, Buka and Danijel's younger son
Other characters
- Ivo Valić, a Catholic Croat, Klara's husband
- Didi Valić, Klara and Ivo's daughter
- Pol Valić, Klara and Ivo's son
- Cliff Morton, an American soldier and Didi's husband
- Grethen, a rich Austrian girl and Blanki's good friend from school
- Carl Raimund, the agent of a balletBalletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
school from ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... - Dragu, a ballet dancer and Riki's friend
- Mr. Panzini, an ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
rich man who fancies Blanki - Sister Agata, a nun in the conventConventA convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
where Buka dies
Structure and language
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans is written in Serbian languageSerbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
, with some parts in Ladino, the language of Sephardi, and Bosnian variant of Serbian. It is divided in thirteen parts — 28 June 1914 (28. jun 1914), A Flight to Unknown (Let u nepoznato), Linden, the Tree of Old Slavs (Lipa, drvo starih Slovena), Time for Decisions (Vreme za odluke), Toboggan (Tobogan), When a Day Turns Cold and the Shadows Are Gone (Kad zahladni dan i senke odu), The End of One Age (Kraj jednog vremena), A Critic Point (Kritična tačka), Runaways (Bežanja), Paper Jesters (Papirni pajaci), A New Life (Novi život), Lasting (Trajanje) and Epilogue (Epilog).
Adaptations
In 1992, balletBallet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans – a Ballet for Riki premiered in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, and then a week after in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. In 2009, screenwriter Nebojša Romčević wrote a stage adaptation of the novel that premiered on 12 April 2009 in the Madlenianum Opera and Theatre
Madlenianum Opera and Theatre
Madlenianum Opera and Theatre is the first privately owned opera and theater company both in Serbia and in south-eastern Europe. It is located in Belgrade, Serbia, and was founded on 26 January 1999, by Madlena Zepter, wife of the Philip Zepter, Serbian businessman...
, starring Sloboda Mićalović
Sloboda Mićalović
Sloboda Mićalović Ćetković is a Serbian actress, known for her roles in film Zona Zamfirova, and television series Mešoviti brak and Ranjeni orao.- Early and personal life :...
and Vuk Kostić
Vuk Kostic
Vuk Kostić is a Serbian actor, famous of his roles in films Apsolutnih 100, Stvar srca and Klopka.- Private life :...
. In 2010, Ljubiša Samardžić
Ljubiša Samardžic
Ljubiša Samardžić is a Serbian actor and director, who is best known as Šurda in the Vruć vetar TV series.- Early life :Born to the family of a coal miner, his acting talent was discovered very early and he won a scholarship with respected director Bojan Stupica. Samardžić was educated at the...
directed the television adaptation
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans (TV series)
The Scent of Rain in the Balkans is a Serbian television series, adapted from the novel of the same name by Gordana Kuić. Consisting of fourteen episodes, it was directed by actor, director and producer Ljubiša Samardžić, and produced by his wife Mirjana...
of the novel, which was shown on the RTS
RTS
RTS is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:* Real-time strategy, a gaming genre* Reclaim the Streets, an organization* Reformed Theological Seminary, a theological seminary in the United States* Return to Sender...
.
External links
- Official Website of Gordana KuićGordana KuićGordana Kuić is a Serbian novelist. She is the winner of numerous literature awards in the countries former Yugoslavia. Her work has been mainly inspired by her mother Blanki Levi and her aunts, who were descendants of Sephardi Jews in Balkans, and most of her novels are set in 1914–1944...