Under the Crocodile’s Skin

Dear Majda, I read the last pages of Under the Crocodile’s Skin… and I have to write you a few words right away. I won’t mention your style and expression at all, I read and think to myself – there are too many of these ‘hit-on’ thoughts, she could have stretched it out into a couple of novels… and the stories, eh… I would be really interested to hear the comments of children who are going through or have gone through it… I felt furious at times because of Srna and Klara’s determination, because of their clear desire for change, their courage to stand up for themselves… And why was I furious? Because I am personally a conformist, a pleaser of others, and I regret that some of my needs and desires while growing up were not as drastic as gender reassignment because then I might have stood up for them more strongly!… And yes, the reference to Srna is wonderful to me, ever since Matanović’s ‘Who’s Afraid of a Character Anymore’ I have loved the idea of ​​reviving characters from literature… Srna de facto didn’t fight her way out, but she was persistent until the end, so when you look at it from that perspective – she knew what she wanted and didn’t agree to any compromise, at the cost of death… And stigmas, it seems to me, are more prevalent today than ever, sometimes even within ‘traditionally’ stigmatized groups… All of this needs to be discussed! Bravo!

The book is BEAUTIFUL. I really didn’t expect something like this. You did it again! When you pick it up, you expect almost nothing from what you read… I myself have never been interested in learning more about such topics, they were not close to me. But you managed to interest me, explain and evoke for me the despair and pain that these people must go through. It is such a universal topic, it is completely irrelevant what the characters are struggling with, despair and pain are at the center of all these struggles. You write beautifully, worldly. Almost every sentence is a small work of art. The title of the book is a perfect fit. Well done, Majda!

Oh my, Majda, your writing… As painful as these topics are, everything about your writing is even more delightful. You’re really playing! Everyone should read this.

The book Under the Crocodile’s Skin by Majda Tometić is a powerful and honest work that draws the reader into the intimate world of Klara and Srna. With great sensitivity and understanding, the author depicts the inner struggles, emotions, and physical pain of Srna and Klara, whose worlds are separated by neither time nor place. The story is told simply, yet deeply, and constantly encourages reflection on diversity, acceptance, and the power of empathy. The special value of this book lies in the way Majda Tometić gives voice to those who are often misunderstood. And if your throat tightens while reading, feel free to cry and speak up, for all those Srnas in the past and present who were not allowed to show their true selves.

Dear Majda, I read your book. In one breath, I have to say. Impression? Maybe it’s best to put it in one sentence (okay, maybe in two).

First: I need to seriously and thoroughly work on my inner self, tolerance and understanding of others.

Second: Wow, this woman really knows how to write!

Honestly, before reading it, I had a little resistance to the topic, because the blood of all those stereotypical traditional mothers flows through my veins, torn between the desire to understand and accept others and ignoring those who are different, especially those at my table, where I want to have an ideal bubble of cotton candy and Hallmark hearts. Therefore, any scenario that deviates from that throws me into despair, frustration, helplessness and sadness, and then, in evolutionary survival, justified isolation from everything that requires any additional energy, which I otherwise distribute drop by drop to patches of all those ravines and holes in life that require urgent and inevitable intervention. Reading this novel requires self-exposure and looking in the mirror with the right diopter, which is not easy at all, but after (and during) reading it becomes inevitable. To encourage the reader to think, self-criticize, desire for change and action – I believe that is what you wanted and congratulations, you succeeded.