Crvena lisica

After the war, Tinter retreats to the idyllic landscapes of the forest, a symbol of the lost Arcadian carefreeness under the protection of the god Dajbog. His search for the legendary deer, a metaphor for the “deer of life”, is intertwined with memories of the horrors of war and the loss of love for Helena, who haunts him like an obsession with grief.

In the forest, where animals such as deer and foxes embody poetic motifs, Tinter vacillates between shooting and observing, provoking dramatic internal conflicts. The idyll of the forest becomes a warning about war, and war, by dreaming of peace – joy is a prisoner of sorrow. The beginning of love for the young Anđa brings healing, but does not erase the past. Horvat avoids sociological analyses of the post-war period, focusing on the panorama of nature and internal reflection, where the silence of the forest contrasts with the noise of war.

The style is fabular and entertaining, with a restrained poetic language full of spontaneous metaphors, without excessive innovations. The novel was praised for its literary elegance and the author's talent, but criticized for its lack of addressing social issues.