Critical Reception of Hemingway's Novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (Komu zvoni) in the Slovene Cultural Environment, 1950-1960.

Abstract

Since its first publication, the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls has been reissued eight times, always in Janez Gradisnik’s translation. This allows the conclusion that, despite social changes over the years and the ever-increasing distance from the subject matter, the translation has preserved its meaning in the Slovene cultural arena. It should also be noted that the reprinted text has not changed significantly; Gradisnik made only minor updates in 1964, when the translation was reprinted as part of the series Sto romanov (A hundred novels). The updates mostly encompassed stylistic corrections; obsolete words were replaced with contemporary counterparts. Given the few updates, the revised text does not have any significant shift in meaning. It has remained unchanged in subsequent reprints. Nevertheless, there is evidence that the text remains current: in recent times, young generations of readers have taken an interest in it, especially after it was “rediscovered” and became part of the obligatory readings for high school examinations in 2005. This shows that Gradisnik’s