A Tomb for Boris Davidovich

A Tomb for Boris Davidovich

Original Serbo-Croatian edition
Original title	Grobnica za Borisa Davidoviča
Translator	Duška Mikić-Mitchell
Language	Serbo-Croatian
Published	BIGZ (original, 1976) Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (English-language, 1978)
Media type	Book
Pages	135
ISBN	9780140054521
OCLC	6196718

A Tomb for Boris Davidovich (Serbo-Croatian: Grobnica za Borisa Davidoviča / Гробница за Бориса Давидовича) is a collection of seven short stories by Danilo Kiš written in 1976 (translated into English by Duška Mikić-Mitchell in 1978). The stories are based on historical events and deal with themes of political deception, betrayal, and murder in Eastern Europe during the first half of the 20th century (except for "Dogs and Books" which takes place in 14th century France). Several of the stories are written as fictional biographies wherein the main characters interact with historical figures. The Dalkey Archive Press edition includes an introduction by Joseph Brodsky and an afterword by William T. Vollmann. Harold Bloom includes A Tomb for Boris Davidovich in his list of canonical works of the period he names the Chaotic Age (1900–present) in The Western Canon. The book was featured in Penguin's series "Writers from the Other Europe" from the 1970s, edited by Philip Roth.

Contents

"The Knife with the Rosewood Handle"

Miksha is a Jewish tailor's apprentice turned revolutionary whose commitment and cruelty lead him to commit a sordid murder and die in prison.

Miksha is the talented budding apprentice of a tailor and can sew buttons extremely well in very short periods of time. Miksha works for two years under his master, Reb Mendel, but scorns him for his Talmudic reasoning. Eventually, this culminates in Reb Mendel releasing Miksha on bad terms. There was a problem of disappearing Cochin hens on Reb Mendel's estate that could not be solved by Talmudic practices and prayers, but Miksha does not assist his master as he wishes to see Reb Mendel swallow his pride and ask him for support. Reb Mendel eventually does this, albeit reluctantly, and Miksha lays out a trap, a box with a lid that opens from the outside but not the inside with bait, for the animal he believes to be stealing the Cochin hens. In the morning Miksha finds a trapped skunk which he disposes of in a gruesome manner by flaying it alive and hanging it on a post with rusty wire. Reb Mendel, shocked by the horrific sight of the still writhing fleshless skunk, yells at Miksha and sends him off with a curse.

After this dismissal Miksha struggled to find work as Reb Mendel, a respected craftsman in the district of Antonovka, spread word of his bloody actions. Miksha, fired from every last position he attempts to attain, is enraged by this to the point that he swears revenge on the Talmudists he believed had wronged him.

Later that same year, Miksha becomes acquainted with E.V. Aimicke who he bonds with due to their shared experiences of being fired from various positions due to their past actions. The two find work by being assistants on hunts organized by Count Bagaryan. During one of these hunts Aimicke speaks about a future without the current nobles they live under. In line with these words, some time later Miksha is accepted into a revolutionary group by Aimicke who immediately demands that he seek out a job. Miksha accomplishes this by attaining a position as a butcher for Herr Baltescu after a fortuitous encounter.

Miksha is later informed by Aimicke that a traitor to their organization has been discovered among them and that he must eliminate them. Miksha struggles to picture who this traitor could be, as any single member of their group seems like they could be guilty but not concretely so. Miksha eventually discovers that the traitor is Hanna Kryzewska, a young freckled woman who fled from Poland, and immediately takes action by strangling her where she stands. After he believes she has died he dumps her body into the river below them, but is shocked when he notices her swimming away and freeing herself of the heavy sheepskin jacket weighing her down. Miksha finishes his job by cornering her on the riverbank and stabbing her repeatedly with the titular rosewood handled Bukovina knife as she desperately calls out in Romanian, Polish, Ukrainian, and finally Yiddish. He then, with his expertise as a butcher, removes her internal organs so that her corpse does not float to the water's surface.

A week later Kryzewska's corpse is found and news of her death is spread by the Czech police, but is unable to link back to Miksha and as he continues to walk free. In November of 1934 Aimicke is arrested due to suspicion of attempting to burn down the Digtaryev firm's, his employers', warehouse. During interrogation he lets slip information about Kryzewska's murder and Miksha's involvement. Following a treaty of mutual aid between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union names of persons of criminal of interest are exchanged and Miksha's, called Micksat Hantesku, is among those sent by the Soviets. He is then taken into custody where he eventually confesses to Kryzewska's murder, but not rape, after nine months of brutal isolation and torture. During this written confession Miksha also implicates twelve other accomplices who in turn receive twenty years. Miksha, continuing his imprisonment at Ezvestoko Prison Camp, eventually passes away on New Year's Eve of 1941.

"The Sow that Eats her Farrow"

Verschoyle, a Republican volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, is punished for criticizing the Soviet takeover.

Gould Verschoyle is born near Dublin, Ireland, a place described as eccentric for varying reasons in the narrative. He grows up near the harbor and the maritime life it bears and additionally acquires a revulsion for his home country. He is fed up with the so-called 'patriotism' found in Ireland and the constant plots and schemes brewing about its lands. Eventually this disgust pushes him to abandon his native lands and sail away on a merchant ship in August of 1935.

By 1936 Verschoyle, at this point 28 years of age, is off the coast of Guadalajara and is involved in naval operations in the 15th Anglo-American Brigade. He writes in favor of the budding Spanish Republic and supports it in his capacity as a naval sailor. He becomes active in conflicts revolving around the young Spanish Republic and participates in many events.

Some time later, in 1937, Verschoyle meets with the battalion commander, a good-looking and kept-together forty-year-old man, where he informs him that their coded messages are being leaked. After this, Verschoyle is pulled away from his work, sending Morse telegraphs to repair a radio on one of the ships in the harbor. The ship, having been damaged by a torpedo, reminds him, in its damaged and ashen visage, of Ireland. Verschoyle was given a general run down of the ships specifications after which he boards the ship and is led to the cabin below deck. At this point he is trapped in this hold and is furious at himself for having been fooled in such a way. During the following period of his capture, roughly eight days, Verschoyle keeps his own liberties by refusing the food given to him, though he does continue to wash himself. Three days into his imprisonment Verschoyle gains two foreign companions, also prisoners, who are friendly and engage in discussion with him. They fervently talk about justice, freedom, the proletariat, and the idea of Revolution. On the fifth day of Verschoyle's capture the two men leave him for some reason after which they return it being visibly apparent that they have consumed alcohol and offer him vodka. Verschoyle refuses this offer due to the possibility that the booze was poisoned. At this point the engines suddenly stop and the three men are eventually led out of the quarters that had been holding them for this period of time.

They arrive in a harbor near Leningrad where Verschoyle is apprehended by Soviet authorities who proceed to restrain and handcuff him and his two companions. The three are interrogated and Verschoyle is cast under suspicion. This is due to his previous actions of relaying worries regarding coded messages falling into the wrong hands, or in this case that Soviet forces were trying to take positions in the Republican army.

All three are convicted to some degree and sent off to various prisons in the Soviet Union. The two companions wear away and degenerate into decrepit forms on the cold banks of the Baltic Sea. Verschoyle is killed following a failed escape attempt from his new assigned prison and his corpse is strung up and used as a warning for those thinking of freedom.

"The Mechanical Lions"

Chelyustnikov organizes a fake religious service for a Western dignitary visiting Kyiv.

Edouard Herriot, a Western dignitary, is introduced as the Mayor of Lyon, Premier, and the leader of the French Radical Socialists. Additionally, descriptions of his physical characteristics are given, referring to a strong broad-shouldered body exuding an air of strength, and his praises for his vocal attributes along with the quality of his public speaking ability. Following this section on Herriot, the aspects of A. L. Chelyustnikov are listed first with his physical characteristics. He is described as a blond forty-year-old man of tall stature with an ego and an eye for women. Multiple stories of Chelyustnikov's escapades follow, including his sleeping with two nurses despite being sick with high malarial fever, being the lover of a prominent figure for an extended period of time, and sneaking a criminal Irishman aboard a Soviet cargo ship, though it is cautioned that the validity of this information is rather questionable.

On an evening in November of 1934 Chelyustnikov is pictured lying asleep in a warm room that still bears the signs of a recent amorous meeting. He dreams of participating in a play, but in this dream he is without his clothing and left bare naked. Much to his horror, the curtains rise and expose him, naked, to the audience at which point a figure he recognizes in the audience, the editor-in-chief of the New Dawn which is the paper Chelyustnikov was involved with, mocks and jeers at him for his predicament. Aspects of the dream cross into reality causing him to reach for his gun, carefully placed under his pillow, but wakes himself up in the chaos caused by his half-awakened flailing. He gives quite a fright to the woman he was sleeping with, Nastasia Fedotevna, the wife of the editor-in-chief of the New Dawn, with his gun brandishing and further confuses her by immediately telling her to get up and answer the ringing phone. She tells Chelyustnikov that the Provincial Committee wants to urgently meet with him.

Chelyustnikov meanders home and eventually receives another phone call about this urgent event to which the Provincial Committee agrees to send Comrade Pyasnikov as a driver. This great task is revealed to be putting on a fake religious service in order to impress the Frenchman Edouard Herriot, who is visiting. Pyasnikov impresses the importance of Herriot by emphasizing the stature of his position due to his actions towards helping similar populist movements previously. After much urging Chelyustnikov agrees that he understands just how tantamount the success of this ruse is.

Chelyustnikov goes about his daily routine, including eating a meal and making phone calls, before arriving at the church where he will be performing his faux services. He arrives at the Cathedral of Saint Sophia at 12:00. A detailed history of the Saint Sophia Cathedral follows laying out its unique origins and circumstances of construction. Additionally, exclamations of parts of The Saint Sophia are given including some of its frescoes and mosaics. Following its heyday, The Saint Sophia during Chelyustnikov's time is said to play host to the Spartacus Brewery. Segments of the brewery, like large tanks, drying kilns, and messes of aluminum pipes, can be seen running throughout the Cathedral.

Chelyustnikov struggles with I. V. Braginsky, the chief production engineer, on the topic of how to handle the brewery spread about the Saint Sophia that is supposed to be a place of sanctity and worship for Chelyustnikov's great farce. Braginsky is stubborn, and refuses to listen to Chelyustnikov's words, all the way up until a pistol is drawn at him. At this point a large number of workers are brought in from nearby prison camps who work together to quickly rectify the brewery situation mucking up the Cathedral.

Following this Chelyustnikov takes a trip to visit where theater associate Avram Romanich creates the priestly disguise Chelyustnikov will use to fool Herriot. Chelyustnikov remembers Romanich as a great help, both for his contributions with the 'costume' Chelyustnikov wears and for his words and assistance with Chelyustnikov's acting. This assurance even chased off the stage fright Chelyustninkov had felt before he began receiving advice from Romanich. The fake service begins a few minutes before seven with all the grandeur and garnishes one would expect of such a ceremony. Chelyustnikov notices many familiar faces among his crowd who he comments are doing a good job supporting his acting for Herriot.

The following day Herriot records his thoughts in regards to the service he observed the day prior. He mentions the one blemish was the sudden appearance of beggars following the end of the service. Herriot then condenses his experience and states that his religious welcome faced no real hitches and that they should be accepted by those he is writing to.

In 1938 Chelyustnikov is arrested, strangely under similar circumstances to the call for this faux priest position, and is forced to make a confession after his family is threatened by the Soviet regime. He was sentenced to ten years of prison time and is eventually rehabilitated in 1958 while married with three children. Eventually, in 1963 he makes his way to Lyons where he finds a statue of Herriot and signs a message of admiration to him.

"The Magic Card Dealing"

The story’s main character is Karl Georgievich Taube, also known as Dr. Taube who is murdered in 1956 after spending time in various prison camps. Kostik Korshunidze, a master criminal known as "the king of thieves" is arrested and confesses to the murder

Karl Taube was born in 1899 in a Hungarian town, throughout his youth he dreams of abandoning small town life and when he was 20 years old he moves to the city of Vienna. During this time Taube socializes with various immigrants and writes works for left-wing papers, eventually getting into trouble with police over his revolutionary activities. Taube eventually leaves for Berlin to further pursue his revolutionary ambitions for he feels Vienna is not radical enough. He continues to write under a pseudonym Kiril Beitz and moves to Moscow where he is arrested in the following year.

Two weeks before he is arrested, a mysterious young man with a hat covering his face runs into Tuabe and knocks his glasses off, the glasses break and the young man hurries off. After his arrest Taube spends time in various prison camps, he utilizes his skills in medicine and performs minor operations on other prisoners in the camp. One of which being a prisoner named Segidulin, who had chopped four of his fingers off with an ax to escape hard labor in the nickel mines. When Segidulin discovers that Dr. Taube had operated and salvaged two of his fingers, he swears he will take revenge and slit Dr. Taube's throat.

The prisoners often play a tarot game with cards made of glued newspaper which they gamble on with whatever they have available. Segidulin, also known is gambling against the "chief" of the prison Kostik. In this game of chance the gamble is whoever loses will be tasked to murder Dr. Taube. Segidulin surprisingly wins the game against the chief, Kostik is thus shamefully assigned with Taubes murder. To further humiliate Kostik, Segidulin warns Dr. Taube of the circumstance causing Taube to transfer out of the camp for his own safety.

Kostik, thus unable to follow through with his task, is deeply ashamed until eight years later it is revealed that Dr. Taube is now a medical director at a hospital in Tumen. Kostik immediately finds a way to get to Tumen and there he murders Dr. Taube at the hospital. Dr. Taube is buried with a funeral that only his housekeeper and another woman from the town attend as all his family had died in either the prison camps or in battle

"A Tomb for Boris Davidovich"

Boris Davidovich Novsky, a noted revolutionary, is arrested with the intent to extract a confession from him in a show-trial. During his interrogation Novsky duels with his interrogator Fedukin over how he will be remembered in the future, fighting over the conclusion to his biography.

The story opens introducing Davidovich's parents, David Abramovich and Solomon Malamud's daughter, and how they met. Abramovich was originally a soldier and on a particular night he was caught with alcohol, so he was flogged and given a prolonged dip in the icy Dnieper river. Sick and beaten, Abramovich received care from Malamud's sixteen-year-old daughter, whom he promised to return for, and he sired Davidovich with her.

Growing up, Davidovich was already very smart, being able to read and write at just four and helping his father in a tavern with his legal consultations. Later, his father falls ill and their family is on the edge of disaster, so he engages in various jobs. At fourteen he worked as an apprentice to a kosher butcher, fifteen he was a dishwasher, sixteen classifying artillery shells, seventeen a dockworker, and others. He took on many names and occupations and is often arrested and imprisoned for his new vigor for the revolutionary movement. One particular arrest, in 1914, leads to a daring escape while he was enroute to Vladimir Central Prison III in which he ends up floating down a cold icy river, much like his father, before eventually being recaptured. He continues to live a life half in and out of prisons.

Going back to 1912, Davidovich appears in an elegant St. Petersburg salon under the alias of an engineer named Zemlyanikov. He is popular with the people there for his stylish outfits and air of importance. His talk of high society and 'Viennese' elements draws in those around him. Peculiarly, he always leaves functions and events he attends at ten, leading to suspicions of a secret wife and child. Here, with the identity of Zemlyanikov the engineer, Davidovich was secretly making bombs for assassinations and even dreamed of making a fearsome bomb the size of a mere walnut. Later, Zemlyanikov suddenly disappears from the salon, at first for what seems like a routine departure, but it quickly becomes apparent this is more permanent. Of course, this is because Davidovich, who is Zemlyanikov, was again arrested.

Davidovich escapes and wanders from place to place in an unclear timeline. At one point he is Paris and at another, he is Berlin. The constant through his movements is his zeal for the revolution as seen by his work on Social Democratic papers while he was in Berlin. On one particular day in autumn while Davidovich is in Basel he is given word by Dr. Grünwald, a member of the Internationals, that there are stirrings of a revolution back in Russia. This greatly excites Davidovich to the point of dashing out of the salon to get a look at the papers where this information originated from.

After time passes and the tidings of a revolution Davidovich found himself a sailor in the Red Navy. He is given charge of the torpedo boat Spartacus during this period. In 1918 he, with the much help from his soon-to-be wife Zinaida Mihailovna Maysner, averts a crisis with a squadron of British gunboats. The two are married on December 27, 1919 with much fanfare on the Spartacus ship itself. The vessel is decorated and the crew raucously celebrate late into the night, getting so drunk they are all on the ground by the morning.

Davidovich and Mihailovna divorce a mere eighteen months later and Mihailovna passes away of malaria in August of 1926. History continues to be murky around Davidovich's exact actions, but it seems he continues with his duties in the navy, accruing merit and battle scars. Eventually he branches out, becoming a representative of his country and a diplomat and even served the newly formed Soviet state in 1924 in negotiations with the British. His last position was in Kazakhstan in the Central Office for Communications and Liaisons.

Novsky, Davidovich, was arrested on December 23, 1930, and was eventually hauled off to Suzdal, a prison, to force a false confession out of him. Davidovich is locked in the "doghouse" , a solitary cell designed to make one feel as if they are buried alive so that their mortality is ever more glaring as they consider their options. This does not shake Davidovich though, and despite the "doghouse['s]" presence and physical beatings he does not break under the premise that he is completing his own metaphysical 'biography' to perfection. Fedukin, the interrogator, is determined to break Davdovich and eventually finds a method to do so. He brings Davidovich before a stripped and fearful young man and explains that the man will be killed unless Davidovich confesses. This forces Davidovich to realize that by allowing these men to be shot he is ruining the 'biography' he so cherished in making as he sees his young self, with a much emptier biography, in the young man and the opportunities they lose when they are ended so abruptly. Two men are killed before Davidovich agrees to confess.

The accusation previously levied on Davidovich, that he had taken money from the British to serve as a spy, has been publicly questioned by the international community and now it is even more imperative to secure a false confession from Davidovich to save face. Davidovich cooperates and even takes great interest in his confession. He and Fedukin work tirelessly on it, each with their own objectives and end goals. Davidovich desperately wanted to show to those willing to look that this was a false confession and that his dignity still remained beneath the forced lies.

Time passes and the trial for the saboteurs is set for March. At the beginning of May Fedukin reveals that there were some revisions to the confession which, upon seeing them, Davidovich finds immediately offensive. So much so that even when he is returned to the "doghouse" he attempts to kill himself by bashing his head on the wall, and is only stopped by a strait jacket. Fedukin continues with his interrogations and secures two other related false confessions from men named Paresyan and Titelheim to bolster matters involving Novsky.

Undaunted, Davidovich remains upset with the revised confession and again attempts to kill himself prompting Fedukin to finally give in to some of Davidovich's desires for the confession. Eventually, after even more squabbling with the confession, in April the trial is held and Davidovich gives his confession. He is described as appearing gaunt and haggard from his months of interrogation, at odds with his previous handsome self, but his frail body still comes alive when it passionately speaks. Multiple attendees, such as Snaserov Novsky and Kaurin, state that Davidovich spoke very well and with great purpose. Surprisingly, the state prosecutor for the trial, V.N. Krichenko does not drag Davidovich through the mud and instead portrays him as an "old revolutionary" who lost his way. Davidovich, to get the ending he wants, insists he deserves the death sentence, but in another sunrise they do not kill him.

In 1934 he is exiled to a colony in Turgay and later the even more remote Aktyubinsk where he lives on a farm growing sugar beets. As an older man, bearing the scars of the previous interrogation efforts, he has an aching body both externally and internally. In 1937 he is again arrested, and later makes his final escape from captivity. With hunting dogs and soldiers chasing him, Davidovich leaps into a furnace, killing himself, dying on his own terms. The date was November 21, 1937.

"Dogs and Books"

Set up as a parallel to "Boris Davidovich", the story deals with Baruch David Neumann, a Jew forced to convert to Christianity during the Shepherds' Crusade (1320). In the year 1330, Bishop Monsignor Jacques is informed of a man named Baruch David Neumann. A German refugee and "former jew" who had converted back to Judaism from Christianity. Upon hearing this the Bishop orders that he be arrested immediately and imprisoned for his actions. The Bishop assembles various representatives and magistrates once they are situated, the bishop begins to question Baruch who then explains his story.

Baruch confesses that about a month prior, the Pastoureaux came to Grenade armed and threatening to "exterminate all Jews". A young Jew, Solomon Vudas, seeks out the Grand Defender of Grenade and asks him to protect him, who advises him to travel by boat to a safe area. As Solomon is traveling on the river, he is caught by the Pastoureaux who threaten to kill him if he does not convert to Christianity. Solomon agrees to be converted and is promptly baptized in the river he had attempted to run away in.

Solomon seeks out Baruch David Neumann and explains the situation and his wish to return to the Jewish faith that he had been converted out of against his will. Baruch consults the Friar Raymond Leinach and the attorney Jacques Marques, it is decided that Solomon’s conversion to Christianity was illegitimate and he is thus converted back to his Jewish faith. The following week, the mayor brings some of the Pastoureaux who have been detained for murdering Jewish civilians into Toulouse. The Pastoureaux persuade the citizens of Toulouse that they have been unjustly arrested and had committed no crimes aside from “avenging Christ’s blood”. Thus an angered mob forms and frees the prisoners; they rally shouting, "Death to the Jews".

The mob arrives at Baruch David Neumann's house, they break down his door and destroy his property. When Baruch replies that he would rather be converted than killed, he is guided through the streets where the bodies of murdered Jews are strewn about. There is even a bloody heart laying on a stone that had been cut out of a Jew who had refused conversion.Baruch is then guided to a castle to be officially baptized by the Vicar of Toulouse where he is advised to leave the town. Upon his exit, Baruch is encountered by another mob of Pastoureaux, they ask and threaten him about his faith. They take him to a house with other Jewish residents. The Jews in the house decide to refuse conversion.

The story cuts back to Baruch's confession to the Bishop, Baruch holds his stance that his conversion was illegitimate and that he will remain true to his Jewish faith. It is noted that months later, Baruch finally gives in and confesses to having renounced Judaism. A final sentence is carried out in 1337 and there is speculation on Baruch's death, some say he was tortured and some say he was burned at the stake.

Historical Background of Baruch David Neumann

The story of Baruch David Neumann comes from a translation of the third chapter of Registers of the Inquisition in which Jacques Fournier (the future Pope Benedict XII) had recorded the confessions and testimony. The manuscript is kept in the Fondi Latin of the Vatican Library. The author Danilo Kiš notes that he discovered the story of Baruch David Neumann after writing his short story "A Tomb for Boris Davidovich", in which he found a number of coincidental similarities between the historical figure and his character Boris Davidovich (including their similar names). In the short story collection that both works are found in, Kiš intentionally places the story Dogs and Books after the story A Tomb for Boris Davidovich.

"The Short Biography of A. A. Darmolatov"

A. A. Darmolatov is born in a small town called Nikolaevski, he is inspired by father who is a biologist to pursue an interest in nature at a young age. His parents foster his interests, buying books and allowing him to dissect small animals with his father. As he grows older he becomes more politically and socially aware. He begins reading ancient texts and comes to despise the present, he becomes bored of his environment and the so called "positivistically educated middle class".

A year after his mother's sudden death, Darmolotov publishes his first verses of poetry in a young revolutionary publication. He enrolls in St. Petersburg University and begins his studies in medicine. Three years later, he is being published in capital reviews and has a number of successful collections. Darmolotov's whereabouts are unknown until he resurfaces in St. Petersburg, it is supposed that he had joined the Acmeist program for poets. Soon after, Darmolatov is at an orgy that is taking place in the Yeliseyev Palace. The event is interrupted by the news of the execution of Nikolai Gumilev, or the "master" of the Acmeist poetry group.

Ten years later, Darmolatov is working on translations for a journal as suggested by Boris Davidovich Novsky. Darmolotov has admired Novsky throughout their friendship as Novsky clarified some of Darmolatov's ambitions as a revolutionary. Novsky is arrested after which a call is sent to Darmalotov's house but the call is silent on the other end. Darmalotov continues to achieve success in his writing career, he is placed on a Writers' request list and is shown in a 1933 photograph aboard the ship J.V Stalin with a number of other writers. It is revealed that Darmalotov is suffering from psychological illness at the time and that he is paranoid about spies and informers surrounding him.

Some years later, Darmalotov is placed in a hospital where he continues to face various medical issues, including early stages of elephantiasis, a disease in which limbs are enlarged due to swelling of the tissue. Eventually he arrives in Montenegro for a jubilee of a work he is translating. At the jubilee, Darmalotov sits in a museum chair that is intended to be on display. The narrator catches a glimpse of the elephantiasis disease that is showing beneath Darmalotov's pants. Before Darmalotov is bedridden from his disease, he spends his time out of the public eye, but he frequently visits and gives flowers to a past lover, Anna Andreyevna.

Themes

The Tomb for Boris Davidovich covers many themes of Stalinism, fascism, and Yugoslav society under communism. The book also discusses much about Judaism and the treatment of Jews in Europe. Kiš features many criticisms of exclusivist or ethnic nationalist thinking. The collection A Tomb for Boris Davidovich was a highly political book but Kiš did not want its political nature to overrule the literary value. Kiš, in reference to the book, said it was "poetry about a political subject, not politics." Kiš’s political views and messages that he portrayed resulted in much criticism and controversy surrounding the collection.

Publication and reception

Danilo Kiš (1935-1989) was a Serbian-Jewish-Yugoslav author who wrote novels, essays, short stories as well as translating various works. By the time he published The Tomb for Boris Davidovich in 1976, Kiš was already an accomplished writer and had received various literary prizes. The short story collection was not subject to censorship but displeased the league of communists for its anti-nationalist themes.

After the book's publication, it was heavily criticized by an editor named Dragan Jeremic. His ongoing criticisms as well as accusations in the press led Kiš to write "Cas Anatomije" or "The Anatomy Lesson" in 1978, which was a literary apology addressing his critics. In "Cas Anatomije" Kiš criticized Jeremic and others as being anti-literary and echoing nationalist opinions. After Kiš responded”, Jeremic published a volume of literary criticisms and theories called "Narcis bez lica" or "Shameless Narcissist" in 1980, the work held many sentiments specifically targeted at Kiš. In the same year Boro Krivokapić, a Yugoslavian journalist, wrote "Treba li Spaliti Kiša" or "Should Kiš be Burned at the Stake?". Krivokapić’s publication directly critiques the book A Tomb for Boris Davidovich as well as The Anatomy Lesson.

Adaptations

In 2011, Kiš's work, A Tomb for Boris Davidovich, in particular the titular short story within it, 'A Tomb for Davidovich', was adapted into a short film. The film is roughly three minutes and directed by Aleksander Kostic, narrated by Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic, known for Underground (1955), The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch (2008), and The Bra (2018), and illustrated by Dragana Vučetić. The adaptation consists of Manoglovic narrating a summary of the events of 'A Tomb for Boris Davidovich while rough sketches illustrate the events in tandem. The images appear as they are drawn, and lack animation to generate the appearance of movement in each scene. The film lacks any apparent notable awards and global recognition.

In 2017, an adaptation of the short story, 'A Tomb for Boris Davidovich', was produced, once again from Kiš's larger work A Tomb for Boris Davidovich, as a theatrical play. The play was produced by the Slovenian National Theatre Drama Ljubljana, more colloquially known as SNT Drama Ljubljana, and directed by Aleksandar Popovoski. The cast consisted of thirteen members and a fully staffed crew for music, choreography, set design, costumes, lighting, sound, and more. Popovoski described the intention of the play to "look" for a "tiny misplaced atom" that represents "justice", making it an "atom of humanity", to show what "keeps" people "human". The play was given positive reviews by Igor Burić, a writer for the Dnevik newspaper in Bulgaria, Mina Petrić on an online journal. The play first opened on October 2, 2017 with a reported runtime of ninety-five minutes.

Plagiarism controversy

The book was the subject of a long-running plagiarism controversy, one of the most famous literary scandals in Tito's Yugoslavia. Kiš was accused of plagiarising 7000 days in Siberia by Karlo Štajner. Kiš wrote a book titled The Anatomy Lesson, written in 1978, in which he defended his methods as legitimate, and launched harsh personal and professional attacks on his critics. In 1981 a book Narcis bez lica by Yugoslav critic Dragan M. Jeremic, was again devoted to in-depth analysis of A Tomb for Boris Davidovich, in which the case for plagiarism has been made again by comparing originals and Kiš' prose in detail. Serbian critics overwhelmingly reject the plagiarism charge.

External links

• A Tomb for Boris Davidovich – Dalkey Archive Press information page and excerpt.