"This is a dream about the all-powerful ruler Boniface, two imperial ministers and three poor young men. It is dreamed in
Hebrew, but written down in Galatian." These are the opening sentences of the unusual first novel of an unusual writer. Mihajlo
Kazic is a young Serbian who studied in Los Angeles and who has worked since last year as a senior engineer in Neumarkt. The
genesis of the book is almost equally fascinating and mysterious as the novel "Emperor of the Galatians" itself, which is
at present available from the Leipzig publishing house Kiepenhauer.
The author himself is also a somewhat enigmatic character, who seems more mature than his thirty-three years would suggest.
Mihajlo Kazic only just manages to conceal his literary ambition and profound historical knowledge behind the formal office
attire of the engineer and mathematics graduate. At the same time, he is himself surprised that a renowned publisher is now
bringing out his debut novel, which was written in the USA in Serbo-Croat, for the first time in German.
"This book would never have been written but for my American experiences", says Kazic. "I changed in America. Every evening
one goes to bed there with the feeling that everything is possible. That gave me the courage to write." Kazic worked on his
novel "Emperor of the Galatians" six years long and thereby condensed in literary form his own experiences of life abroad.
"At first I felt very lonely and isolated in this huge city between all the Rambos and Rockys" Kazic explains. By chance,
he discovered a surprisingly extensive selection of Serbian literature in a library, which, for the first time, wakened his
desire to read. The exchange student also began to write long letters home from Los Angeles, which were circulated among his
circle of friends. This was the later basis of the idea for the book.
The "Emperor of the Galatians" is however far from being a travel report. It reads rather like a blend of fantasy novel and
apocalyptic revelation. The author, with his very condensed literary form of short sentences, creates a dark and threatening
mood. The insistent, powerful language is laden with symbols and is reminiscent at times of a Kafkaesque nightmare, at times
of a biblical parable.
Mihajlo Kazic does not deny a biblical influence: the title awakens associations with St. Pauls epistles to the Galatians,
a forgotten folk living in the territory of present-day Turkey. The story of the imperial minister of humble descent, who
works his way up from simple circumstances in exile, refers to the biblical story of Joseph who was abducted as a slave to
Egypt and rose to be keeper of the kings household.
Kazic, whose favourite authors are Aldous Huxley and Thomas Mann, describes in his book the battle for power in a totalitarian
state. The action takes place in Rome, somewhere between the past, present and the future. The aged emperor is wasting away
and three outsiders are chosen to rescue the ailing ruler. The plot is involved and multilayered and sadly, Kazic fails to
bring his mysteries and symbols to a convincing conclusion.
"I serve no particular ideology", says Mihajlo Kazic, "instead I play with symbols. Every reader must discover his own interpretation
for them." The literary debut of the Serbian engineer, who lives very contentedly in the Oberpfalz, betrays more than literary
ambition, even if it finally leaves the reader disturbed and at a loss. Mihajlo Kazic does not intend to remain a nine-day
wonder. His second novel, "The Interrupted Journey" is very nearly finished.
