Potop is a haunting and powerfully minimalist novel that explores key existential themes such as love, homeland, family, and war. What sets it apart is the unique vantage point of its author – Damir Karakaš – who himself served on the frontlines during the Croatian Homeland War (1990-1992).

Its protagonist, a young man, is torn between the world he comes from and the world he longs for. Love and war, the two greatest forces shaping human existence, arrive in his life simultaneously, pushing him to his limits.

The narrative is structured with precision and stripped of excess. Its language is lyrical, almost ascetic – filled with poetic snapshots of harsh everyday life, gently contrasted by moments of romantic reverie. Potop reaffirms Karakaš’s mastery of literary economy and his place among the most compelling voices in contemporary Croatian literature.

 

“Potop is an emotional bomb, packed with precisely chosen, powerfully suggestive metaphors, written in a clear, ‘slow’ language. Karakaš invites readers to savor every word – to read slowly – because, as he puts it, ‘literature will survive thanks to slowness.” – Gea Vlahović, T-portal

“It took me just a school hour to get acquainted with the novel. But a lifetime won’t be enough to understand it fully. The hunger for its secrets is infinite. ” – Davor Špišić, Telegram

“A typical Karakaš work – terse, poetic, and profoundly evocative. Every word feels weighed a hundred times. Within what remains lie whole worlds. ” – Bojana Radović, Večernji list

“Potop is a novella of striking impressions and meticulously polished images. Its elliptical, nonlinear storytelling leaves key moments deliberately unresolved – like waking from a dream. ” – Dino Staničić, Telegram

“Karakaš proves the impossible – that the darkest depths of the soul, the most disturbing thoughts and actions, can be expressed in the most poetic, moving way. This ambivalence makes him both widely read and debated. But each of his books, without doubt, becomes a literary event. ” – Dragan Babić, HDP

 

93 Pages – Original language: Croatian (Oceanmore, 2024)