Dictionary of the Khazars
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Dictionary Of The Khazars: A Lexicon Novel is the first novel by Milorad Pavich (Milorad Pavić).
Originally written in Serbo-Croatian, the novel has been translated into many languages, including English. The novel takes the form of three encyclopedias, each compiled from the sources of one of the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism).
The novel may be read in any number of ways, rather than just back to front, so as to challenge readers to shun passive reading and become active participants in the novel, as they piece together the story from fragmented, and often conflicting, accounts.
The novel blends fact and fiction as it addresses the real historical question of what happened to the Khazarian empire. Some have suggested the novel addresses the break up of Yugoslavia, which had not yet happened when the novel was written, but was clearly a distinct possibility. The novel comes in two distinct editions, one male, one female, the difference between them being a single crucial paragraph.
External link
- the male and female versions (http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/pmsf/pavic.html)