Zapreke: Pripovijest iz savremenoga hrvatskoga života

Obstacles (1905) is one of Vjenceslav Novak's later works, published in an edition edited by Slavko Ježić (Volume 8 of Collected Works, Minerva, 1932). The novel is subtitled A Tale from Contemporary Croatian Life and presents a realistic portrayal of bourgeois and intellectual society at the turn of the century.

The work addresses numerous obstacles faced by individuals in contemporary Croatia: social conventions, class differences, material difficulties, moral dilemmas, and the conflict between personal desires and public duties. Novak particularly addresses the sensitive topic of priestly love life and the internal conflict between calling and the human need for love, which was very bold at the time.

As a typical realistic novel, Obstacles emphasizes the influence of the environment on the fate of the individual, the hypocrisy of bourgeois society, the problem of female emancipation, and the difficulties of intellectuals in a conservative environment. The author demonstrates a deep understanding of the characters' psychology, sympathy for their weaknesses, and a critical view of social norms that stifle personal happiness.

With a style that is precise, analytical, and rich in everyday details, Novak continues the tradition of his best works, but with a greater emphasis on contemporary Zagreb and civic affairs. Obstacles represents an important step towards more modern themes in Croatian literature and is a valuable testimony to the social and moral tensions of the early 20th century.