The author is one of the most recognizable Croatian writers. He is known for his novels, which are characterized by the interweaving of the fantasy genre with elements of a detective novel. The Danube is a documentary novel about a wide Central European river that connects the Alps with the Black Sea. Pavličić spent his youth by it, listened to stories about it, and wrote a lyrical meditation on the river and life on it. He follows the Danube through all months of the year: from the solidly frozen river, which serves as a bridge to the other bank, to the first brave swimmers and river traffic in early spring, the lively summer swimming and fishing season, and the gradual autumn calm. At the same time, he describes the changes of the Danube also in a historical sense. The Danube is not just a story about a river, but also an outline of the ethnological, historical, and social aspects of life in the Danube region.