Narrative
Drak sa vracia
Not translated into English
Dobroslav Chrobák · 1943
Synopsis
Martin Lepiš, a potter and foundling whom the village calls Drak, the Dragon, is feared out of superstition and wrongly blamed for the misfortunes that strike the community, down to a drought; banished, he returns, one eye covered, his face marked by a scar. His former love, Eva, has married Šimon. When a forest fire threatens the village herd, Drak volunteers to save it, and it is Šimon, his rival, who must go with him and watch him.
Context
Published in 1943, this ballad-like tale is regarded as the major work of so-called naturist prose, which sets nature against civilization. Its author, whom critics call a modern traditionalist, shows in it his art of psychological portrayal; the main theme is the search for lost love and for trust in others. Eduard Grečner made a film of the same title from it in 1967. The tale was translated into Lithuanian in 1974, but neither into French nor into English.
Who it is for
For a short, dense Slovak tale, between village legend and psychological drama, driven by fear and fire.
Prizes and reception
A classic of twentieth-century Slovak prose, it is praised for the mastery of its construction and narration.