Mountain Laurel is translated by D. Mrkich. Petar II Petrović Njegoš, Prince-Bishop (Vladika) of Montenegro from 1830 to 1851, is the Serbian national poet. In Yugoslavia, his principal works, Mountain Laurel, Stephen the Pretender and The Light of the Microcosm,
are widely read, performed and quoted — especially Mountain Laurel, his best work.
Mountain Laurel is an epic drama set in the bitter wilderness of Montenegro, where towards the close of the 17th century, four or five clans – Serbs who survived the destruction of their medieval kingdom – struggle to escape subjugation and to keep alive the spark of freedom and ferment of their nationhood. It is a heroic, almost Homeric, society and in this harsh environment, men are warriors and their life is measured only by their manliness and glory in battle. In such circumstances, weaker Serbs supporting the invading Turks are given short shrift. Mountain Laurel describes the agonizing decision of the Serbs of the day to massacre traitors in their midst. But Mountain Laurel is more than an epic drama or a heroic poem; it is a treasure house of folk wisdom, rough humour, a search for life with honour and an ode to national survival.
This fourth edition commemorating the 150th anniversary of the death of Njegoš includes a chart of the royal lineage of the Njegoš family, a map of Montenegro of the time, selected reproductions of the manuscript and the first Serbian printing, Njegoš’ will, plus an introduction by Nobel Laureate Ivo Andrić.
ISBN 978- 0-88970-109-1 Quality Paperback 100 pages, with illustrations. 5½ x 8½ 2005 Editio