Comments on: The Dictionary of the Khazars

The Dictionary of the Khazars

dhruva — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 01:53:36 -0800

The Dictionary of the Khazars "For all its delights, for all the structural novelty and the comic inventiveness of the imagery, it must be said there is something rather light and airy about this book. It is fun to chase down all the linkages between entries; but as they are conjoined more by the bubbling repetition of motifs and the requirements of the formal devices than by real narrative event or development, it is, as Mr. Pavic himself suggests, a bit like working a crossword puzzle."

By: juv3nal

juv3nal — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 02:39:29 -0800

Does that html-zation have the alternate male and female paragraphs in that one section? For that matter, I don't even remember which entry that paragraph occurs in...but I do remember loving the book, but being upset when I couldn't track down the other version.

By: juv3nal

juv3nal — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 02:40:20 -0800

aw crud. just realized the "book" link has both passages. apologies.

By: thatwhichfalls

thatwhichfalls — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 02:43:46 -0800

Obligatory link to the comment languagehat made about the book and its roots in Serbian whininess.

By: moonbird

moonbird — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 04:56:05 -0800

fantastic book! (I've got the male version)

By: maryh

maryh — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 06:35:41 -0800

What a wonderful post. Thank you, dhruva.

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 08:54:12 -0800

I gotta admit I didn't/couldn't finish it. I like cryptic crosswords as much as anyone, but I guess I like "real narrative development" better.

By: Opposite George

Opposite George — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 09:52:56 -0800

I read the book a long time ago and really liked it. Now after reading what languagehat had to say I feel so dirty and used... (ew.)

By: enakaja

enakaja — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 10:28:00 -0800

Had the same experience as mrgrimm. I think I stopped reading Eastern European literature (I was on a kick for a while) shortly thereafter.

By: theonetruebix

theonetruebix — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 13:08:07 -0800

Problem is, the book does have narrative development, if you teach yourself, as you read it, how to look for it properly. But in the end, the book is on one level just a schtick aimed at the payoff/punchline intent of that single paragraph which differs between the male and female versions of the book. Is he even still writing? Is he writing but they stopped doing English translations? The last book I have of his is Lost Love in Constantinople.