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Reading up on facts about Croatia through travel guides is fantastic, but imbibing the country's history, values and culture through literature and novels is on another level. There's a reason why reading stories is another form of travelling, especially when they are well-crafted and based on real accounts around the country's history, society, and geography. Also, people enjoy and connect more by learning through stories than travel guides-- as the former offer more personal accounts than travel guides which only intend to strive for factual accuracy. Even if these can be often chaotic or dark, people like to relate to what feels more "real" to them.
So, whether you're interested in Croatia in general, its history, literature, or planning a forthcoming holiday here, reading these riveting novels is a great start to quench your desire for this beautiful country!
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The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna is a suspenseful, fictional story recounting the secrets of a small Croatian town and its war-ridden past-- which are revealed slowly but surely through the compelling storyline. The story becomes shrouded in mystery from the start. A British family takes up residency in this town and befriends a local handyman called Duro that offers his assistance to restore the family's house; as the restoration progresses, Duo begins to recall harrowing memories from the previous occupants.
On the Edge of Reason by Miroslav Krleza is a Croatian literary classic-- and a must-read for any of those who love Dovstoyevky and Kafka. Written in 1938, this story reveals about the life of a middle-aged lawyer who unwittingly blurts out some honest truths in the middle of a local elite party which eventually cost him a lot of unexpected and unfortunate events. The prose of this brilliant novel is steeped in wit and freshness. What's more, you can visit the author's statue in Tuskanac forest in Zagreb.
If you're into humorous crime novels, then Zagreb Noir is for you. This book is a collection of different noir-ish crime stories and harrowing tales composed by various Croatian authors. What's great about it is the fact it centres around many locations of Zagreb's capital and can give you a taste of the hustle and bustle of this city and its people.
Black Lamb and Grey Falcon is a classic travel book by Dame Rebecca West which gives an account of the turbulent story of Croatian and Balkan history. Something to be aware of: it's only 1150 pages long.
Café Europa by Slavenja Drakulic is a collection of 25 short essays that centre around the theme of how Eastern European countries started wanting to westernize and acquire more of its flair after the Iron Curtain fell. One way they did that was by opening Vienna-style coffee shops. This novel also shows how much Croatia has progressed over the last 25 years.
The Culture of Lies by Dubravka Ugresic is a funny and darkly humorous collection of essays, academic and satyrical writings which denounce post-socialist Croatia and many of the perversions of political-cultural life, and were written during the collapse of Yugoslavia (1991-1995) and in the post-war period. Its greatly poignant, piercing and polemic anecdotes and topics make it a worth-reading book. The well-crafted prose makes it an absorbing read to the point of finding yourself completely trapped in the book.
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