PSHK #117: Zimsko Ljetovanje / Pripovijesti

The novel Zimsko ljetovanje (Winter Vacation) is set in the autumn and winter of 1943, during World War II and the bombing of Zadar. A group of Zadar residents leaves the devastated city for the nearby village of Smiljevci, where they are forced to live alongside the local population. This encounter between the urban and rural worlds reveals differences in mentality, customs, language, and ways of life. In doing so, Desnica portrays the war not primarily through major military events, but through its impact on the daily lives and psychology of ordinary people.

A key theme of the novel is the impossibility of easily understanding "the other." The Zadar residents harbor various prejudices against the villagers, while the villagers, in turn, form their own attitudes toward the newcomers. Thus, the novel explores the relationship between city and countryside, as well as issues of civilized habits, social disparities, and collective identities. The motif of the fear of death is particularly prominent, permeating the lives of the characters.

The second part of the book consists of short stories. Desnica’s short fiction is characterized by two interconnected approaches: a regional-realist style, depicting the everyday life of a Dalmatian village and its ordinary inhabitants; and a psychological-meditative style, which focuses more on the individual's inner life—their thoughts, moral questions, and philosophical dilemmas. In stories such as "Oko," "Bunarevac," "Florjanovići," "Proljeće u Badrovcu," and "Posjet," the focus is on the everyday lives of people in the Dalmatian region, whereas narratives like "Pravda," "Priča o fratru sa zelenom bradom," "Solilokvij gospodina Pinka," and "Mudrac s istoka" explore intellectual, psychological, and philosophical themes.

The collection presents Desnica as an author who bridges realistic social observation with a profound analysis of the human inner self, using war, village and city life, and everyday events as starting points for reflection on human nature, transience, responsibility, and interpersonal relationships.