Mansarda
by Danilo Kiš
Translated by John K. Cox
Mansarda is the first novel by the renowned Serbian author Danilo Kiš (1935–1989).
Written in 1960, published in 1962, and set in contemporary Belgrade,
Mansarda explores the relationship of a young man, known only as
Orpheus, to the art of writing; it also tracks the personal relationships
among a colorful cast of characters with nicknames such as Eurydice,
Mary Magdalene, Tam-Tam, and Billy Wise Ass. Rich references to
music, painting, philosophy, and gastronomy, as well as literature,
this bohemian Bildungsroman provides important perspectives on
the evolution of Kiš as a writer. It is a laboratory of techniques
and the anvil of an artistic ethos for Kiš. In other words, as
a work of art, Mansarda is at once a depiction of life in bohemian
Belgrade, a register of stylistic devices and themes that would
recur throughout Kiš’ oeuvre, and an account of one young man’s
quest to work out one’s artistic ethos and approach to representation
by balancing art, life, and text. These three aspects of Mansarda add up to an admirable first novel, indeed.
-- John K. Cox, Translator, Author of The History of Serbia (2002) and Slovenia: Evolving
Loyalties (2005)
***
"That's bound be be some kind of
neo-realism," he said. "Dirty, slobbery children, and
laundry strung up in the narrow gaps between the buildings of some
suburb, and dockside dives, shit-faced railroad switchmen, hookers...."
"There
is some of that in it,” I responded. “But it remains a horribly self-centered
book...." (Mansarda, p. 78)
Mansarda is Danilo Kiš' first
novel in post-WWII socialist Yugoslavia, where he was relatively
free to experiment with European literary forms and trends. Yet,
Mansarda is the embryo of Kiš' later work, which is largely concerned
with the question of engagé literature, which he would fully develop
in his later essays in response to a conflict with the Yugoslav
literary establishment of the late 1970s. Although regularly interpreted
as a staunch critic of Communist totalitarianism, Kiš’ universal
appeal lies in the fact that his criticism is directed at any system
of values that silences freedom of expression as well as any literature
that is subservient to and acts as justification for politics.
Kiš, who defends the independence of literature, is as relevant
today as he was a half century ago.
-- Tatjana Aleksić, Editor of Mythistory and Narratives of the
Nation in the Balkans (2007)