Bura: novele

Bura is the only significant literary work by the Croatian legal historian and professor Ferdo Čulinović (1897–1971). It was published in 1927 (some copies date it 1928) in Subotica, published by the Maričić i Janković Bookstore.

The collection contains several novellas (short stories) written in a realistic style. Čulinović created them while he was working as a judge and public prosecutor in Subotica and other places in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, Slovenes and Slovenes. That is why the stories are strongly based on real social and legal problems of the period — poverty, social injustices, the fateful entanglements of ordinary people, bureaucracy, moral dilemmas and the turmoil of life in the newly formed state.

The style is direct, serious and engaged, with a clear social feeling. The author does not strive for experimentation with form, but rather for a precise depiction of reality and human destinies. The stories bear an autobiographical and autobiographical-judicial stamp, which gives them documentary value. Bura stands out as a rare example of the literary work of a lawyer who later became one of the most prolific Yugoslav legal historians.

The work is today a great antiquarian rarity. Copies very rarely appear on the market and are highly valued among collectors of Croatian and Serbian interwar literature, especially those seeking lesser-known authors from legal circles. It represents an interesting insight into the work of an author who is otherwise known for his extensive scholarly monographs on the state and legal history of Yugoslavia.

Bura bears witness to Čulinović's early years, when, in addition to his legal work, he showed an interest in fiction and social criticism. After 1945, he completely turned to scholarly work, so this collection remains his only true literary trace.