Novak, Vjenceslav

Novak, Vjenceslav

 

Born Sept. 1, 1859, in Senj; died Sept. 20, 1905, in Zagreb. Croatian writer and music critic.

Novak’s first works were published in 1881. Among his works are the novels PavaoŠ egota (1888), Nikola Baretić (1896), and The Last Stipanč ici (1899) and the novella From the Basements of a Big City. He also wrote short stories.

Novak’s works criticize bourgeois society and truthfully depict the life of the urban poor. He was the first Croatian writer to portray working-class characters. Some of Novak’s works show the influence of modernism and naturalism—for example, the novel Tito Dobrić (published posthumously, 1906).

WORKS

Djela, vols. 1–12. Zagreb, 1932–36.
Djela, vols. 1–3. Zagreb, 1951–52. (Contains references.)

REFERENCE

Jurković, M. Vjenceslav Novak. Belgrade, 1962.