Dialogues in Montenegro - through the eyes of the literary critics

Jovanka Vukanović, literary critic and poet, wrote an essay about Dialogues in Paris in 2014. Six years later, she wrote an impressive analysis of the Dialogues in Montenegro. Here comes a quote from her recommendation:

‘‘Tijana Živaljević has offered a completely new literary perception of life to our reading public with her first book of prose medallions Dialogues in Paris. She continues in the same way with her Dialogues in Montenegro, which in their visionary coordinates paint an even more complex picture of our contemporary everyday life. This time even closer – the dialogues paint the picture of Montenegrin milieu in all its inconsistencies, and its connection to both the past and the future. A choice of specific psychological blueprint combined with the author’s minimalist narrative point of view will lead us through, page by page, our dramatic little lives, our strivings, natures, habits, aspirations for the unknown, easy acceptances and difficult adjustments.”

Jasna Tatar-Anđelić, Associate professor of French language and literature, wrote a comment for the book Dialogues in Paris and it was published on the back cover. This time she wrote more and we are sharing a quote:

‘‘Dialogues in Montenegro are a language about language. These Dialogues invite us to go to a physical and inner journey, as well as to listen to the rhythm and to search for the meanings of the mother tongue, but also to search for the meanings of other languages, which are nothing but vivid images of the cultures. Suffering, embraces, meetings and partings, losses and limitations, pride and little joys of life are all contained in the Dialogues in the rhythm of a tumbling stone and everlasting Mediterranean sun. You can feel the free spirit which makes the borders become bridges, which makes the spirit air in the sun and which makes you grow from every journey.”

MSc Ljubica Slavković-Pejaković, lecturer of French language and literature, encountered Montenegro and the Dialogues in Montenegro three years after she had decided to move and settle among the black mountains. Among other things, she noticed:

‘‘Tijana Živaljević does not waste her words. But with the ones she chooses she accomplishes the idea and conveys the demands of life wisdom. This rare form of narrating about life situations encourages love for language and reading. The lines of the author are full of love, which is undoubtedly one of the motives. By introducing unexpected details, she reminds us that love is omnipresent and available to everyone.”

All three essays are included in the Epilogue of the book helping the readers to see all the layers and atmospheres that may inspire them further… to come back to the Dialogues again and again.