Alis Marić: Existence still makes sense

The owner of the regional blog “Read a Book”, Alis Marić, would be called an influencer by the universal language of social networks. Because if more than 500,000 people follow you on Facebook for years, you undoubtedly are.

However, when you achieve what seems impossible to others in a given time and space, someone will sooner or later categorize you as a “pioneer” or even a “revolutionary”. Alis is a bit of both because, at the height of digitalization which has led to overstimulation with written and visual electronic content, she has miraculously replaced mobile phones in many hands with good old books.

Thanks to her insatiable passion for books, but also for life, this aspiring lawyer from Zagreb has today enabled more than half a million people to find in books what Alis finds - answers to all life's questions, joy of life, comfort, a friend, a journey, meaning - again (or for the first time).

Because of everything Alis is, and her invincible, optimistic spirit, we were interested in how she thinks about the pandemic and the crisis it has caused, what she is doing and how she feels in the days of "social distancing".

- In this time of crisis, when humanity worldwide has been attacked by an “unknown enemy” in the form of a dangerous virus, all instructions given by competent health and government institutions must be followed. And that means isolating yourself and staying at home safely, preferably with a good book. That is exactly what I and my whole family are doing. We really need fewer panic-mongers, hysterics, desperate people, those who see only disaster, negative people, and scolders right now. We are all in the same boat - regardless of skin color, religion, age, or gender. But we still have a choice. An important characteristic of human existence is precisely the ability to rise above any circumstances that arise and overcome them. Humans are capable of changing the world for the better and changing themselves for the better, claims the owner of the blog “Read a Book”.

On her website www.citajknjigu.com and Facebook page, Alis recommends new or older titles daily, always with a sincere, authentic impression and explanation for her choice. She also encourages others towards personal and career development through quotes from famous works, extremely sincerely and unreservedly, often citing her own example.

For our readers, Alis recommends titles that she believes can bring some relief in the current crisis situation.

- Now is the time to read some books that will help you cope better with this situation that you cannot change or control, but you can accept:

1. Man's Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl – a world bestseller sold in more than 10 million copies

This book is actually a great testimony of life. A depiction of the search for meaning within oneself, despite the harsh reality that surrounds us. The author of the book, a distinguished doctor at a Vienna clinic, a Jew, a family man, devastated by the politics of the World War II events, ends up in several concentration camps, sharing his experiences. However, he does not write with the intention of presenting historical facts about the crime, but with the intention of testifying how he survived four years of captivity and continued his life afterward. Frankl would say: “You can take everything away from a person except the last of human freedoms - and that is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

2. Cosmic Fireworks – Daniella Kordić – a book of self-discovery

This book is for all those whose life path has brought them disappointment and obstacles in many ways, but they deeply understand that these disappointments are just challenges to prepare for what is to come. And something new always comes. Something unusual. Something that will completely open up a new vision of the world and its hidden possibilities for them. This book reminds us that we all have a voice and the ability to create the life we were born for. And as the author says: “In the magic of gratitude lies the root of wisdom. Only guided by love on our life journey will we know where we are truly going. Everything else is wandering.”

3. The Plague - Albert Camus - a classic on the theme of epidemics

It is important to realize that epidemics and pandemics have always existed. Every so often in human history, some unknown virus appears that ruthlessly attacks humans. Many writers and authors have recorded this. That is why now is the time to read a classic on this topic. When the plague devastates the Algerian city of Oran, many questions arise about human destiny and the state of the human mind. It is believed that he found inspiration in a real event, the cholera epidemic that killed most of the population of Camus's hometown in 1849, but he places his plague in 1940, when World War II and the evil of Nazism were already raging across Europe. The narrator is Dr. Bernard Rieux. From the beginning of the epidemic, the invasion of rats to the retreat of the disease, which took a heavy toll, the fates of people trying to survive, but also to cope with the depression and anxiety that gripped their closed city, are described.

The coronavirus has already changed the appearance of many cities and countries. The resilience of the human spirit is shown by the footage from Italy, the songs to boost morale, and the applause for the doctors fighting the disease. Whether the pandemic will give birth to a great literary work, we will see. Until then, stay home, stay safe, take care of yourself and - read. Now you can shorten or completely complete your list of books you want to read. Perhaps it is time for new book lists, says Alis Marić, owner of the Read a Book blog.