Summary
Fyodor Mihajlovič Dostoevsky: Mlada žena
This, according to one critic, "a small novel about lonely souls, lost in the abysses of esotericism and wild longing for life" was translated as Landlady and Housewife (originally Hozjajka), and was sung by Tin Ujević and titled Mlada žena. Poetic Narrative, as Dostoevsky subtitled it, stands out a bit in his oeuvre due to a kind of "supernatural phenomena". Namely, supernatural forces seem to be behind the irrational behavior of the protagonist of the love triangle, and not human nature itself, so there was also an assessment that it was a "work of mysticism and horror". Okay, maybe it's a little exaggerated, but it is said that Dostoevsky deliberately left some details out of the frame, encouraging the reader to grasp for hints and clues because, even with all his writing genius and skill, he probably wouldn't have been able to write a completely ordinary love story. Tin Ujević, the second participant in this kind of "clash of the titans", with the creative power of a poet and translator, imaginatively captured the original and skilfully translated it into our language. By singing this small narrative work, for its stylistic simplicity and poetic lapidary, Tin is an exceptional contribution to our translation literature. He highly valued his rendition and said that Mlada žena is one of his most unique translations.
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