Contemporary Slovene Novel

The course gives an overview and development of the contemporary Slovene novel from the beginnings to the latest novels. In the sense of time logic it follows novels from the first contemporary novel (D. Smole, Črni dnevi in beli dan, 1958) to the most recent novels (e.g. N. Gazvoda, Camera obscura, 2006), it also tackles its predecesors (eg. V. Bartol). Students are introduced to modernist (L. Kovačič, Prišleki; N. Kokelj, Milovanje …), existentialist (V. Zupan, Menuet za kitaro; J. Virk, Zadnja Sergijeva skušnjava), postmodernist (A. Blatnik, Plamenice in solze; G. Gluvić, Vrata skozi …) and modified traditional novels (M. Tomšič, Oštrigeca; V. Moderndorfer, Tek za rdečo hudičevko …). Because Slovene novels are so diverse regarding literary currents, genres, themes and style different approaches to the selected novels are required; all of them are also presented through the reading of excerpts. The course also presents overlooked novels (e.g. Z. Simčič, Človek na obeh straneh stene); it avoids labelling novels as »expatriate« (as in traditional labelling, e.g. F. Lipuš, Boštjanov let; M. Sosič, Balerina) and »emigrant« (e.g. T. Kramolc, Potica za navadni dan) as the novels are presented in the unified context of the Slovene novel. It pays special attention to the most recent novels (1990–2005) and the changes in their structure in the time of the so-called prose after the independence.