Strah i njegov sluga. (Serbian).
Mirjana Novakovic Strah i njegov sluga Belgrade. Revision. 2000 296 pages. ISBN 86-7304-015-9"FEAR AND ITS SERVANT" is Mirjana Novakovic's first novel. It missed being awarded NIN's "Novel of the Year" prize by one vote. The story takes place in Belgrade during the eighteenth century, and the subject is the official vampire hunt of 1724. The book has attracted a great deal of attention and commentary because of its modern, complex structure, combining elements of a Gothic pseudohistorical and political thriller, a travelogue, and an allegory with mythological, folkloristic, and fantastic elements reminiscent of Gogol, Milovan Glisic, and others.
The story is an interesting one, told in clear, witty, and rapid-fire language that operates on several levels, with a myriad of side remarks, observations, allusions, historical and literary references, and quotations that are funny, clever, and controversial. In an interview, the author admits that her writing technique has been influenced by the modern media of television, movies, and cartoons. While employing secrets, intrigue, and tension to keep us on tiptoe, she aims to bridge the division between boring serious literature and exciting genre fiction.
The author's knowledge of literature and her artistic imagination combine to bring together an unusual variety of characters: from such biblical personages as Christ ("The Toothless"), the Devil (Count Otto von Hausburg), and Mary Magdalene, to "borrowed" literary characters (Glisic's Sava Savanovic, the vampire; Milos Crnjanski's Vuk Isakovich) and contemporary Austrian nobility (Prince Alexander Virtemberg and his wife Princess Maria Augusta Turn i Taksis). The picture is enriched by the presence of officers, servants, Serbian peasants, outlaws (hajduci), even a blind guslar. Although the novel depicts a whole gamut of complex events surrounding the political intrigue in Belgrade during the Austrian "Western occupation," the political allusions are applicable as well to other similar situations and times, including the present.
There are two narrators, the Devil and Princess Maria Augusta. The former is not depicted as a supernatural being, but rather as more of a rogue, a man like any other, a coward using his power ("I have no enemies," says he; "everybody loves me"). He is in charge of the vampire threat, and he is totally dedicated to his goal: "As long as I live, no vampire will leave Serbia!" His servant Novak is a Serb, intelligent and educated, impractically romantic, filled with melancholy, guilt, and alcohol. The Devil relies on Novak's unusual courage and survival skills for his own survival in a new and, to him, alien environment. Novak's tragedy, we later learn "is in not being able to find a better job than serving the Devil." His master kills him mercilessly in the end, then hires another Serb to assist in his future endeavors.
Although "Fear and Its Servant" is not a historical novel, it offers a rich, multilevel modern tale dealing with eternal issues of life and death, good and evil, fear of death and its aftermath, political intrigue, deceit and violence, art and reality, love and hate, and so much more. The author spares neither humor nor sharp irony in dealing with the accepted authorities in religion, politics, history, or national tradition. However, in treating all the characters and events with an equal amount of respect (i.e., none), she creates a world of intrigue and horror that may be interesting in a book or on the screen but is devastating to inhabit. An intelligent reader expects and deserves more than entertainment. That is especially important in the case of the young ("the generation that grew up on Nintendo and computer games," as the author mentions in her interview): they need a clear message, guidance, and a lesson to learn. How do we escape from the darkness of a tunnel and return to the light (enlightenment)? Teaching through entertainment has been the role of true art and good literature in all times. It may be even more appreciated today.
Mira N. Mataric Pasadena, California
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| Author: | Mataric, Mira N. |
|---|---|
| Publication: | World Literature Today |
| Date: | Jun 22, 2001 |
| Words: | 651 |
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