Andrićeva lestvica užasa

The main character, the middle-aged writer Kaloperović, travels from Belgrade to Zagreb for a book promotion. He drops by an old friend, where the encounter turns into an unbridled dialogue – a merciless dissection of local sanctities, primitivism and stupidity. The chapter “Yugonostalghia” depicts Kaloperović’s stay in Croatia, where Croatia is doing better than Serbia, and the characters are ruthless towards themselves and others. The line between Serbs and Greater Serbian hegemony is as thin as a hair; a moment of carelessness turns misery into the sad fate of a people. Quote: “Croats and Serbs should always be kept separate, like two-component explosives.”

Basara uses Andrić’s dialogue for hilarious hyperbole and black humor, mixing the grotesque with philosophy. The novel is a brutal showdown with Yugonostalgia, Balkan barbarism and postmodern shackles, reminding us that every utopia – Yugoslav or national – is a ladder of horror. It is as if Krleža wrote with Andrić’s patience, evoking laughter to tears and deep unease.