About the book
Imbued with grotesque humour, the pioneering, visionary novel Mačja kuga (Cat-Plague) assumes a special place in contemporary Slovenian literature. As Tanja Petrič writes in the foreword to the book, “The author of this novel addresses an entire range of topics – from nationalism to post-socialism, through Christianity, heresy and paganism, the transition and capitalism, to environmental issues, social policy and gender concerns. Not least, this is one of Slovenian literature’s rare and successful attempts at magical realism that even today remains fresh, extremely relevant and entirely pertinent in its socially critical aspects.”
Original title: Mačja kuga
Edited by: Tanja Petrič
Afterword: Tanja Petrič
Afterward translation: Tadeja Lackner-Naberžnik
ISBN: 978-961-6547-78-9
Pages: 237
Price: 10,00 EUR
About the translators
From the press
The surprising aspect of the novel stems primarily from two turning-points: in the point of view that sees banal quotidian existence and the recent past in terms of the magical – and already through the choice of ‘unsuitable’ material (just try to portray your job interviews or work relationships through the lens of magical realism) – as well as in the fact that both the material and the magical are at the same time parodied.
Julija Uršič, Večer
Slovenia has received a representative postmodern novel.”
Marko Golja, Primorska srečanja
The critical acumen and the flashing banality of the everyday harness the millenarianism, which is handled in a loose and relaxed manner, and they achieve a satirical effect.
Matej Bogataj, Literatura
If we wanted to dally in designations of style, we could call this work an example of a new decadence (exuberance, fantasy bordering on kitsch, to relationships between people distorted to caricature, cultivated and yet unfettered narrative eruptions).
Nives Vidrih, Ampak
Collected in Mačji kugi (Cat-Plague), thus, are all the utterly exaggerated fantastic details from the author’s oeuvre to date. It is an extraordinary, stylistically polished story with bizarre heroes that, with a Rushdian breadth and an ambitious élan, is undoubtedly brilliant at moments.
Vesna Jurca Tadel, Dnevnik
