The Wheel of Harmony

Lenart Zajc’s new novel Kolesca harmonije has been published by Založba Pivec in Maribor on July 30, 2026, at 12:30 PM. The book marks the author's first foray into the genre of crime fiction following his acclaimed trilogy Odred, which explored the complexities of World War II and its aftermath on Slovenia. This latest work is described as more fantastical and formally playful than previous novels, blending conventional narrative structures with experimental storytelling techniques. The story follows a detective who, due to time travel, finds herself in an alternate history and dystopian setting. The novel incorporates elements of Marvel-style physics and Tarantino-esque pacing, while also weaving in familiar archetypes such as a woman with a large maternal mark on her face, a sharp-tongued and attractive female investigator, a former member of British special units, a famous literary figure, and a Swiss millionaire. These characters are skillfully integrated into the plot, often recognizable as descendants of figures from earlier works, films, and television series. One of the novel’s most intriguing moments occurs when the detective, named Eli, unexpectedly delivers a long monologue recounting the events of the horror film Idil directed by Tomaz Gorkic in 2015. She reflects that she has never encountered a “so original and geographically determined criminal motive” elsewhere. It seems the author agrees with her assessment and would have welcomed the opportunity to place this work within the broader tradition of young and provocative Slovenian genre fiction. The novel includes ample quality and even innovative violence, though the sexual content, while present, is often less convincing and harder to justify compared to the physical brutality. As the narrative progresses, the multiple timelines initially presented separately begin to intertwine. In the early chapters, the chaotic shifts between these timelines are barely comprehensible, but by the second half of the book, they form a more complex and layered narrative structure. The focus primarily revolves around two male characters, Rok and Dominik. Despite the confusion caused by the mixing of timelines, their identities remain somewhat uncertain. However, it can be argued that the story centers on two individuals whose lives were significantly shaped during the 1980s and 1990s. The novel explores themes of time travel and chaos in a timeless world, yet it feels paradoxically static in its temporal scope. The descriptions of the 1980s and 1990s are rich with nostalgic references, including allusions to popular culture. For instance, one character recalls encountering a prostitute on Czech soil several years ago, comparing her to Julia Roberts in the film Pretty Woman, released in 1990. Another character, Rok, remembers an incident that occurred approximately ten years prior, involving a conversation about the newly released Pobesnel Max. This film appeared in Slovenian cinemas in the early 1980s. Other references include drinking Ležak beer and similar cultural touchstones. The language of these male characters is also distinctly marked by the era, contributing to the overall tone of the novel. The speech patterns of those who lived through the 1980s and 1990s reflect a specific historical context, with terms like “blue eyes,” “mikica,” and “mul” used to describe younger women. The novel’s linguistic style further reinforces this sense of nostalgia and period-specific identity. Despite the ambitious attempt to create a seamless blend of past and present, the novel appears to struggle with maintaining consistency. The author seems unable to fully commit to a single narrative path, resulting in a work that is overly ambitious yet insufficiently skilled in execution. While some aspects of the novel are compelling, others fall short of expectations, leaving readers with a mixed impression.