Magdalena Blažević

À la fin de l’été

AT the End of Summer

January 23, 2025

First Novel

184 pages

140 × 205 mm

19,90 €

979-1-0949-3640-5

Translated from Croatian into French by Chloé Billon

“Fiction Europe” collection

Diffusion: CEDIF
Distribution: POLLEN

The lives of two friends in the heart of a picturesque Bosnian village are brimming with joy, beauty, colour and scents. But their carefree games fade after a military attack takes the life of one of them. Told by the young girl who was killed, this story transcends the boundaries of time and place.

In concise prose where every word resonates with intensity, Magdalena Blažević weaves a palpable narrative tension, while conducting a poetic exploration of complex themes such as death, suffering, and the absurdity of war, barely mentioned.

A universal anti-war novel in an exceptional linguistic and stylistic setting.

Strong points

An acclaimed first novel. À la fin de l’été was acclaimed by the critics, translated into several languages and awarded the prize for the best Croatian novel in 2023.

This novel offers a female perspective on war, rarely found in literature.

A topical novel that questions the absurdity of military conflict. A universal anthem against war.

An author compared to the great literary voices. Magdalena Blažević, considered one of the most beautiful voices of the Balkans, has also been compared to Agota Kristof and Ingeborg Bachmann for her concise prose, charged with intense emotion, which explores poignant themes with a style imbued with poetry.