Pripoviesti

The second volume of Collected Works contains a selection of the author's short stories from different periods of his creative work, which best represent Nekhayev's prose strength – psychological analysis, modernist sensitivity and subtle social criticism. Among the works represented are:

• Polonaise, Big City, Green Sea – early short stories reflecting the conflict between the province and the metropolis, nostalgia for lost ideals and the theme of the decline of a sensitive intellectual in the modern world.
• Doctor's Night, Godiva, The Kingdom of the Archangel – stories with pronounced psychological portraits, often melancholic and introspective tones.
• From an Unknown Land, Jubilee, The Yellow-Haired One, Kostrenka – later short stories in which Nekhayev masterfully depicts characters from real environments, provincial life, loneliness and the fates of ordinary people.

Nehajev (1880–1931) is one of the most significant representatives of Croatian modernism. He received his doctorate in philosophy and chemistry in Vienna, and worked as a professor, journalist, and theater critic. His stories are characterized by an elegant style, rich language, inner monologue, and a deep understanding of the human psyche. He often deals with the motifs of escape from reality, the clash of generations, artistic loneliness, and the tragic encounter of a sensitive soul with harsh everyday life.

This volume provides an insight into Nehajev's prose art before and in parallel with his great novels (Escape, Drag). The stories show the transition from earlier impressionism to more mature psychological prose, with elements of decadence and modernity. The style is subtle, analytical, and lyrical, with an emphasis on the atmosphere and inner state of the characters.

For collectors and lovers of 20th-century Croatian literature, this is an extremely valuable copy – not only because of its content but also because of the historical context of the 1944 edition. Its rarity in preserved original cover makes it a true pearl of an antiquarian collection, a witness to the rich and diverse oeuvre of an author who has deeply marked Croatian modern prose, essayism, and theater criticism.