Milorad Pavić is a Serbian prose writer whom critics have dubbed nothing less than the first writer of the 21st century. The novel "Second Body" is imbued with magical realism.
A phone call. It is Elizabeth Swift's late husband, who is also the narrator. Has he truly unlocked the secret of the second body and attained immortality? The answers are to be found in 18th-century Venice. Anna and her lover Zacharias find the master of the house dead. He had been performing a strange ritual involving a poem, a color-changing stone ring, and Virgin Mary's tears. However, it was poison, not witchcraft, that killed him. The protagonists decide to repeat the spell, but before that, Anna gives herself to Zacharias for the first time amidst the noisy carnival.
Answers are also hidden in Hungary. During confession, the monk Gabriel learns the name of his killer, and later receives the stone ring. Yielding to temptation, the monk finds himself in the fiery embrace of Aksinia, who whispers a poem during their intimacy. He tries to cheat fate and wash away his sin with the help of a "graft," but destiny pursues him and leads him along a charted path.
Author: Milorad Pavić
Translator: Larisa Savelyeva
Pages: 256 (offset). Paperback
Dimensions: 203x128x21 mm
Series: Magistral. Counter-movement
