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A Day in Spring
Pomladni dan je izjemno delo tako v sklopu Kosmačevega opusa kot v loku razvoja sodobne slovenske pripovedne proze. Najprej zaradi doživljajske moči in izjemne pretehtanosti pripovednega postopka, tudi zaradi lirske intenzitete, ki jo gradi pripovedovalčeva perspektiva, ki raste iz intimnega doživetja, in zaradi fabulativne živahnosti, katere motivacijski prehodi so izrazito poetični. Leta 1953, ko je roman izšel, je vse to pomenilo novost ob prevladujočih socialno motiviranih prvih povojnih pripovednih delih.
204 pages
First published January 1, 1953
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 2, 2024
»Tisti pomladni dan je bil lep, svetel in zveneč, kakor iz čistega srebra ulit.«
»...[a] nič ne misliti je najtežavnejše opravilo na tem svetu.«
This isn't even a novel in verse, and yet it's poetry.
»...[a] nič ne misliti je najtežavnejše opravilo na tem svetu.«
This isn't even a novel in verse, and yet it's poetry.
September 2, 2014
[narrator has returned home as WWII ends, after 15 years of fighting as a partisan; his aunt shows him the Latin verb study sheets still tacked to the ceiling of his bedroom where he studied as he lay in bed]
“Right you Are,� I smiled. “Amo--amas--amat…How odd!� I shook my head. “How odd…�
“Eh, what’s odd about it?� asked Auntie. “Who thought at the time that it would be so long before you came back!…�
“I’m not thinking of that,� said I with a kindly gesture. " It only occurred to me in passing, that in Latin the verb “to love� is always given as an example of the easiest and most regular of the verbs. And yet in life that verb has more exception and tenses, more irregular and more difficult than any other. How very few of us can conjugate it correctly!…�
'Outside at this moment the sun was already a good fathom above the hilltops. The valley was divided lengthwise into two aspects. On the sunny side, a gentle, fertile slope still damp with dew; dreamy and blurred, it was screened by finely sifted strands of sunlight; while our steep and barren shady side was vivid and bathed in sunshine. The heath was already dry and so was the yellow, fluffy spring flower the name of which I forget. It quivers under the warm touch of the sunlight. Safe in its protection it fearlessly unfolds, opening its cups and with its perfume invites the fat, yellow, downy bumblebees--so like itself, buzzing on a low note as they seek for honey and at the same time unconciously and involuntarily lend their aid to the flowers in their loves. Such is a May morning on every clearing, along every cartroad, on every hill and grassy upland, and also at Obrekar Oaks.�
[Translated by F S Copeland; 1959 edition, Lincolns Prager or London House and Maxwell, both listed on title page.]
A novel of the countryside, of peasants, superstition, cycles, inescapable poverty and the consequences of love in war. Of a man stranded halfway between his origin in the village and his participation in the wider world of education, resistance, war, cities, betrayal. Of war’s destruction and senselessness. Imbued with the physical presence of the Slovene land.
“Right you Are,� I smiled. “Amo--amas--amat…How odd!� I shook my head. “How odd…�
“Eh, what’s odd about it?� asked Auntie. “Who thought at the time that it would be so long before you came back!…�
“I’m not thinking of that,� said I with a kindly gesture. " It only occurred to me in passing, that in Latin the verb “to love� is always given as an example of the easiest and most regular of the verbs. And yet in life that verb has more exception and tenses, more irregular and more difficult than any other. How very few of us can conjugate it correctly!…�
'Outside at this moment the sun was already a good fathom above the hilltops. The valley was divided lengthwise into two aspects. On the sunny side, a gentle, fertile slope still damp with dew; dreamy and blurred, it was screened by finely sifted strands of sunlight; while our steep and barren shady side was vivid and bathed in sunshine. The heath was already dry and so was the yellow, fluffy spring flower the name of which I forget. It quivers under the warm touch of the sunlight. Safe in its protection it fearlessly unfolds, opening its cups and with its perfume invites the fat, yellow, downy bumblebees--so like itself, buzzing on a low note as they seek for honey and at the same time unconciously and involuntarily lend their aid to the flowers in their loves. Such is a May morning on every clearing, along every cartroad, on every hill and grassy upland, and also at Obrekar Oaks.�
[Translated by F S Copeland; 1959 edition, Lincolns Prager or London House and Maxwell, both listed on title page.]
A novel of the countryside, of peasants, superstition, cycles, inescapable poverty and the consequences of love in war. Of a man stranded halfway between his origin in the village and his participation in the wider world of education, resistance, war, cities, betrayal. Of war’s destruction and senselessness. Imbued with the physical presence of the Slovene land.
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July 14, 2023Audiobook in Slovenian. Narrated by Slovenian actor Aleš Valič.
November 9, 2023
Ne vem, zakaj sem se toliko časa upirala tej knjigi. Očitno je moralo najprej v meni nekaj dozoreti, da sem bila nanjo pripravljena. Vsekakor odlično slovensko delo, vredno svoje slave. Čudovit slog pisanja in tako živo opisani liki.
March 17, 2025
a round of applause for me👏i'm so thankful it's over
after reading it for the second time: this book...is actually not that bad?? i feel like i had to read it twice for me to actually understand the point and the storyline of the book
after reading it for the second time: this book...is actually not that bad?? i feel like i had to read it twice for me to actually understand the point and the storyline of the book
May 9, 2012
I read it in original, of course, but I still strongly recommend it to anyone. It conveys strong pacifist messages and a very vivid depictions of different characters. It tells a story of author's family and his village from First to the end of Second World War, but it is not a family saga (it is quite short). The original version, as all Kosmač oeuvre, is also known for beautiful language, close to poetry. (You can learn more about it from the comment on Amazon: )
September 12, 2023
Kada bih morala opisati život knjigom, ovo bi bila ta knjiga. Ona nije revolucionarna, ona ne opisuje fantastične dogadjaje i junake - ne, ona opisuje ljude i njihove proste, a opet najteže probleme, ljude i njihova prosta, a opet isuviše komplikovana osećanja. Ova knjiga je podsetnik da život nakon svega nastavlja da teče kao Idrijca, uvek od izvorišta prema svetu, a nikada natrag. Podsetnik da ma šta god bilo, čoveku je istinska samo ljubav prema životu. "Ja tako volim da živim", reći će junak. To je ISTINA. A sve što je istinito je i lepo.
March 3, 2016
This book has an unnamed narrator but does mirror certain aspects of the author's life. You can easily tell the love for this beautifully mountainous country as he describes the experiences of the people who live there. The events the characters go through gives the reader feelings of joy, compassion and love. I found this book to be a beautiful and moving novel and reminded me of my grandfather who also left a nearby Croatian area in 1914 because of the onset of World War I.
May 4, 2018
Suprisingly good!
July 18, 2023
3,5 ⭐️
February 6, 2025
Cikel Slovenska zgodba: 3
Počakam, da pride duša za človekom in potem začnem.
Tepka
Svisli
Bzik
Kolnik
ŽžᲹپ
žԱ
ܻ徱č
Mrtvouden
Frakelj
Negnoj
ʰščԾپ
Ni ne krop ne voda
ČԲپ
Š첹Գ
Počakam, da pride duša za človekom in potem začnem.
Tepka
Svisli
Bzik
Kolnik
ŽžᲹپ
žԱ
ܻ徱č
Mrtvouden
Frakelj
Negnoj
ʰščԾپ
Ni ne krop ne voda
ČԲپ
Š첹Գ
March 16, 2025
Ni tok bad iskreno, js sm velik Kadetka fan
December 13, 2018
A very quiet story set in turbulent times - between World War I and II, and time immediately after WW II. A young man, who returns to his home after 15 years, remembers and thinks about the fate his parents, village, love, death ... Beautiful language, dynamic structure, interesting characters, but the story as a whole, unfortunately doesn’t work for me.
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