Fiction
Mazohistka/The Masochist
by Katja Perat
Description
Designed as a historical novel, The Masochist forges an intimate portrait of a young, tenacious woman who, in uncertain times of intricate political, social and cultural turbulences at the end of the 19th century, chose an uncertain path – the only path that could lead her to freedom.
On Christmas Eve 1874, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, whom history would remember as the most famous masochist, left his home in Bruck an der Mur in Austria for the unknown. The novel surmises he didn’t come back alone, but brought with him a new family member: a tiny red-haired girl he found in the forests around Lemberg (today known as Lviv). The Masochist is the story of Nadezhda Moser, the woman this little girl becomes, a fictional character who forces her way among the historical figures of the time.
This is a pseudo-autobiographical novel that returns post-postmodernism to modernism and more than that it is a story about the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the turn of the century that ponders the limits of women’s desire and freedom against the backdrop of ethnic, class and gender tensions in the empire, which hasn’t yet perceived its decline had already begun.
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Rights Information
Rights sold
Italy (Voland Edizioni)
Serbia (Geopoetika)
UK (Istros Books)
Reviews
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of this novel is its infinite power of linguistic invention, one that makes you appreciate the Slovenian language and above all Katja Perat herself plying it so boldly and so cleverly. – Delo
This is a novel that, in a rich, poetic language, examines historical developments on a personal and a social level and signals the changes that Nadezhdas of this world fought and won over the next century for women today. – Mladina
With her novel The Masochist, which indisputably shines due to its originality and complexity of the story and a refined, piercing style, the poet and writer Katja Perat once again proves she is one of the most talented contemporary Slovenian authors, one who rejects small-mindedness and gender inequality in the past and present.
– Večer
Author Biography
Katja Perat (1988) is one of the leading poetic voices of her generation. Her first poetry collection The Best Have Fallen (Najboljši so padli) came out in 2011 and received both the Best Debut Award and the Kritiško sito Award, an award bestowed by the Slovenian Literary Critics’ Association for best book of the year. Her second book of poetry Value-Added Tax (Davek na dodano vrednost, 2014) was also extremely well received. Currently she is a doctoral student of comparative literature at the Washington University in St. Louis, USA. The Masochist (Mazohistka), published in May 2018, is her first novel.
Beletrina Academic Press
Beletrina Academic Press, established 1996, is a leading Slovenian literary publisher that has gained its reputation by introducing prominent works of classic and contemporary world and national fiction and non-fiction to Slovenian readers. Beletrina currently represents over 20 of the best Slovenian authors, from the great classics to the biggest contemporary names and the most promising up and coming authors.
View all titlesBibliographic Information
- Publisher Beletrina Academic Press
- Orginal LanguageSlovenian
- ISBN/Identifier 9789612843731
- Publication Country or regionSlovenia
- Pages246
- Publish StatusPublished
- Copyright Year2018
