Novel
Поп Ћира и поп Спира
Not translated into English
Stevan Sremac · 1898
Synopsis
In a village in the Banat, two priests, Ćira and Spira, live as good neighbours, each with his wife and a daughter of marriageable age. When a young man looking for a wife arrives in the village, the two wives, Sida and Persa, each see in him the son-in-law they need. The visits multiply, politeness turns into rivalry, and the friendship between the two households begins to crack under the gossip.
Context
A first, shorter version had appeared in 1894; the definitive novel came out in 1898. The author, who said he did not have to invent his subjects when life offered them to him, is said to have found its setting in Elemir, a village in the Banat where his aunts lived and which had two priests. In 1957 Soja Jovanović made from it the first Yugoslav colour fiction film, remade it in 1982 and gave a television version of it in 1983; Dejan Despić has made a comic opera of it.
Who it is for
A novel of nearly three hundred pages, made up of episodes, in which the plot matters less than the conversations and the portraits. It is best to know that Orthodox priests marry.
Prizes and reception
One of the best Serbian humorous novels, which became very popular and was adapted for the screen three times.