The nature of Balco's creative work reveals an undoubtedly independent, outspoken, and artistically matured author. He knows how to create a unique atmosphere with deep understanding for the inner world of his characters, telling stories and developing situations in accordance with his moral and ethical intent. His first book
Waxy Yellow Apple goes back to the theme of Second World War but the author adopted an altogether different, non-traditional, non-heroic attitude to this historical period. The war is more like an unsettling and ever present background, the main problem being the moral conflict of the leading character shepherd-father between civil duty and love for his son intensified by his feeling of responsibility. The novella is built on the inner struggle of human action and the need to make decisions during critical situations caused by the war in relation to basic human values.
The Swan-necked Violin, his second book, takes place among Gypsies. Their specific way of life, music, love of the young violinist for Šára, primitive courting habits, clashing passions, the wide Gypsy soul, their wandering, complex philosophical and sensational dimensions, working with symbols: violin, wagon, woman, road, razor, tavern, songs, nature as well as issues related to freedom and lack of restrictions, the tragedy of ever-present death and struggle for existence - all these were blended to form a dynamic and capturing whole. With wonderful imagination the author created ballad-like characters with warm hearts and specific morals, great lovers of life, suffering but purposeful, wanting to be useful. His book
Travelling Back and Forth is rather similar, only it takes place in different surroundings, in the world of an intellectual burdened by problems and concerns caused by civilisation. Love, death, aggressiveness, desires and dreamy visions but mainly the retrospective account of moral and other values of life on the level past-present-future are basic issues in this novelette. It also shows how the intellectual perceives the world.
Lodgings is a collection of short stories from different social milieu with a colourful assortment of human types and characters of our time focusing on their emotional life.
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