At the very beginning of this work, the biography and creativity of Eugen Kumicic, a Croatian writer who distinguished himself by writing on the model of Émile Zola, and thus earned the title of the founder of Croatian naturalism, is presented. Jelkin bosiljak is a novel published in 1881 and belongs to the period of the second half of the 19th century, when important historical events took place in Croatia. The work is included in the second round of Kumičić's literary oeuvre because it deals with the subject of the Istrian environment and the life of the people in that environment. Among the other themes, there are love themes, attitudes towards religion, historical-political themes and social themes (relationships between residents and newcomers). These are topics that are timeless and that students can identify with. The emphasis of the thesis is on the methodical treatment of Jelkin bosiljak. Since the work is on CARnet's reading list for the third grade of high school, an introductory/motivational class was designed with the aim of arousing interest in reading and preparing the student for reception of a literary work. The preparation is based on the stages of the literature lesson model in the system of school interpretation established by modern methodology, for which methodologist Dragutin Rosandic is responsible. The methods, forms, teaching aids used in the performance are presented, as well as their theoretical meaning in the context of methodology. The preparation was processed through the interpretive-analytical system because it is considered the most suitable methodical system. It is inevitable to mention that the mentioned system is based on the analysis and interpretation of a literary work where the student is no longer just a passive observer, but becomes an active subject in the lesson. He participates in the interpretation with the teacher, and the literary work leads to the awakening of aesthetic experiences. Also, along with it, other methodological systems were presented, and brief suggestions were given on how the novel Jelkin bosiljak can be processed in each individual system.