Whether you’re lounging on the Adriatic coast or sunbathing by the pool, the right book makes all the difference. Here are ten Serbian novels translated into English—each offering a unique experience for your summer reading list.
1. Dictionary of the Khazars – Milorad Pavić
🔹 Genre: Magical realism / Metafiction
🔹 Why it’s perfect: This unconventional “novel-lexicon” lets you read in any order—ideal for dipping into between swims.
🔹 Translated: Yes (both “male” and “female” editions).
2. Death and the Dervish – Meša Selimović
🔹 Genre: Philosophical / Political allegory
🔹 Why it’s perfect: A thought-provoking story of fear, power, and conscience—great for quiet evenings.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
3. How to Quiet a Vampire – Borislav Pekić
🔹 Genre: Absurdist / Satirical fiction
🔹 Why it’s perfect: Bizarre, darkly funny, and philosophical—compact enough for a two-day beach escape.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
4. Zlata’s Diary – Zlata Filipović
🔹 Genre: Memoir / Diary
🔹 Why it’s perfect: Poignant yet accessible diary of a child during the Bosnian War—touching and human.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
5. A Tomb for Boris Davidovich – Danilo Kiš
🔹 Genre: Historical fiction
🔹 Why it’s perfect: Seven gripping stories of political manipulation and identity—short enough for beach reading, deep enough to stay with you.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
6. The Time of Miracles – Milorad Pavić
🔹 Genre: Magical Realism / Satire
🔹 Why it’s perfect: A surreal mix of myth and history, ideal for an imaginative summer mood.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
7. Lake Como – Srđan Valjarević
🔹 Genre: Minimalist fiction
🔹 Why it’s perfect: Light, elegant, and deceptively simple—set by a lake, it mirrors the calm of a beach day.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
8. Fairground Magician – Jelena Lengold
🔹 Genre: Short stories / Modern fiction
🔹 Why it’s perfect: Short yet powerful stories about love, loss, and memory—ideal for quick, emotional reads.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
9. The Great War – Aleksandar Gatalica
🔹 Genre: Historical epic
🔹 Why it’s perfect: Sweeping, cinematic, and full of gripping characters—a vacation read for history lovers.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
10. The Use of Man – Aleksandar Tišma
🔹 Genre: War literature / Psychological realism
🔹 Why it’s perfect: Set in WWII Novi Sad, it’s a moving and intimate look at youth, trauma, and destiny.
🔹 Translated: Yes.
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