Drago Jančar: Katarina, pav in jezuit

Katarina, the Peacock and the Jesuit

Katarina, pav in jezuit

Drago Jančar

Genre:: Novel

Katarina, the Peacock and the Jesuit is an epic novel, set in the mid-18th century, about pilgrims from the then Slovenian provinces on their journey to the mysterious golden casket in the Cologne cathedral, who find themselves in the turmoil of the Seven Years' War and the turmoil of their own spiritual struggles and passions.

Katarina Poljanec, a 30-year old unmarried daughter of a castle steward, joins the pilgrimage after years of yearning after a swaggering cavalry officer in the Austrian army, the Peacock. The Jesuit, or rather an ex-Jesuit, who has left the order after his traumatic experiences in South America, crosses their path on the way.

The novel is more than simply the story of the three individuals, it is rather a panoramic portrait of a past age, an age of turmoil when the social and religious certainties of the past were being undermined by new ideas sweeping across Europe, affecting the lives of all. And while the dilemmas faced by the main protagonists are not all that different from those that might be faced today, the context in which they are made is very different and the consequences far more extreme.

The book is also memorable not only because of what it tells us, but also for the manner of its telling and the teeming richness of its imagery – the words seem to cascade off the page, vividly conjuring up a different world. We are dealing with a literary work that can be read and enjoyed on different levels: as a powerful love story, a gripping narrative, or as a beautifully constructed, finely written portrait of a past age, that offers insights into what is constant in the human spirit and an understanding of how what we are and become is shaped by the world around us.

Drago Jančar is one of the most important Slovenian post-war authors. In his historical novel, Katarina, the Peacock and the Jesuit, he creates a panorama of the 18th century. A pilgrimage of Slovenian Catholics, the Seven Years' War and an intense love triangle. Jančar's novel, with an imaginative structure, proves to be a profound epic tale, permeated by historical pessimism, and a captivating read.

Deutschlandradio
With this novel Drago Jančar once again demonstrates that he is one of the foremost European writers writing today. The barroque tour de force keeps you gripped for all of its almost 500 pages.

Die Furche
Finally – Jančar's historical masterpiece is now available also in German!

Süddeutsche Zeitung