Reactions in American print media to Adamic’s book The Native’s Return

Abstract

Prispevek predstavlja odmeve na Adamičevo delo Vrnitev v rodni kraj (The Native’s Return) v ameriških časopisih. Knjiga je bila rezultat Adamičevega obiska Jugoslavije kot Guggenheimovega štipendista v letih 1932 in 1933. Izšla je februarja 1934 v zelo visoki nakladi, sledilo pa je več ponatisov. Po atentatu na kralja Aleksandra (9. oktobra 1934) je bila knjiga nepogrešljivo branje za Američane, ki so se zanimali za razmere v Jugoslaviji. Avtorja sta povzela nekaj značilnih recenzij, ki so bile ob izidu knjige objavljene v vodilnih ameriških časopisih in ki hvalijo tako jezik kot tudi vsebino knjige. Predstavila sta pozitivne in negativne odzive, pri čemer slednji Adamičevi knjigi niso škodili, temveč so prispevali k njeni še večji prepoznavnosti.

The article presents a description of the reactions to Adamic’s book The Native’s Return in the American newspapers. The book was published in February 1934 in many copies; several reprints followed. The book is the result of Adamic’s visit to Yugoslavia as a Guggenheim Fellow in 1932 and 1933. After the assassination of the Yugoslav King Aleksandar on October 9, 1934, the book was a must-read for Americans interested in the situation in the then Yugoslavia. The authors outlined some positive reviews, which were published in leading American newspapers and magazines. They recommended the book to the readers for its good English, as well as content. In addition to the positive reviews, the authors also described some negative reactions which did not harm Adamic’s book, but promoted it further.