“PULLING THORNS”: A NEW BOOK BY GORAN DAKIĆ PRESENTED IN BANJA LUKA

The Milanović House in Banja Luka hosted the presentation of “Izvlačenje drače” (Pulling Thorns), the latest work by local author and journalist Goran Dakić.

PHOTO: SeeSrpska

Published by Imprimatur, the book has been described by Boris Maksimović, the founder of the publishing house, as a “raw book” and a “book of listening.” It marks Dakić’s first work centered on Krajina after a series of publications focusing on Slavonia and Dalj.

Following works like Petodinarke, Dalj, Mrlja na šanku (A Stain on the Bar), and Dodatak jelima (A Side Dish), Dakić's Pulling Thorns has been praised for its unique approach. According to reviewer Saša Šmulja, it gives voice to the silenced and overlooked, inspired by the artistic philosophy of Josip Pejaković.

“It feels like listening,” Maksimović said. “Reading this book is an act of listening, as the characters emerge so vividly before you. It feels like you have someone speaking directly to you.” He revealed there had been debates over the book’s cover design, with Dakić rejecting an initially “too beautiful” version, insisting that life in rural areas, like pulling thorns, is harsh and unforgiving.

ANATOMY OF THE KRAJINA SPIRIT

Reviewer Nina Govedar noted that while Dakić’s earlier works on Slavonia and Dalj carried passionate narratives shaped by personal memories, Pulling Thorns skillfully captures the mentality of Krajina. She described how the book paints a universal portrait of a man so relatable that readers might address him by any name.

“The universality of the character Dakić achieves is remarkable,” Govedar said. “He isn’t extraordinary or eccentric in any way. He’s utterly average, living just outside Banja Luka.”

FROM A TAXI TO A BOOK

Dakić explained that the book has an unusual backstory. Recently earning his driver’s license, he frequently relied on taxis and often recorded the drivers’ monologues about politics and current events. These recordings became the basis for his political commentaries in print.

“That’s how Pulling Thorns began,” Dakić admitted. “The first two or three stories were born from recording people talking. I listened to those recordings countless times—not to transcribe them but to capture what I was seeking: not themes or symbols but the language itself.”

“ALL I ASK FROM GOD IS TO WAKE ME UP”

The book left a strong impression on Dakić’s friend and lawyer, Aleksandar Jokić. His unexpected speech during the presentation referenced his grandfather’s wisdom from Krajina, where locals often said, “The hardest thing in life is pulling thorns.”

For Jokić, the philosophical and existential messages embedded in the book stand out. “These messages are subtle but profound,” he remarked. “One line that deeply moved me was from a character so real yet unnamed: ‘All I ask from God is to wake me up; I’ll handle the rest.’ Since reading it, that sentence has stayed with me, shaping my perspective.”

A WORK YEARS IN THE MAKING

Dakić revealed that he spent years writing, rewriting, and editing Pulling Thorns to the point of exhaustion. Yet, he hinted at a second edition with a bonus story he forgot to include.

“You don’t have to read it as many times as I did,” Dakić joked. “But you should read it at least once. After all, as they often say in Krajina, ‘Once doesn’t count.’”