Dictionary of the Khazars
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Dictionary Of The Khazars: A Lexicon Novel is the first novel by Milorad Pavich (Milorad Pavić), published in 1984.
Originally written in Serbian, the novel has been translated into many languages, including English. The novel takes the form of three encyclopedias, each compiled from the sources of one of the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism).
Due to its format as a dictionary (or, more accurately, three cross-referenced mini-encyclopedias) the novel may be read in any number of ways, rather than just front to back. This challenges readers to shun passive reading and become active participants in the novel, as they piece together the story from fragmented, and often conflicting, accounts.
The novel purports to blend fact and fiction as it addresses the real historical question of what happened to the Khazarian empire. In fact, notwithstanding the novel's ambiguity, it is known that the Khazars adopted Judaism. Most of the characters and events described in the book are entirely fictional. The same is true of the culture ascribed to the Khazars in the book, which bears little resemblance to any literary or archeological evidence.
Some have suggested the novel addresses the break up of Yugoslavia, which had not yet happened when the novel was written, but was clearly a distinct possibility. The novel comes in two distinct editions, one male, one female, the difference between them being a single crucial paragraph.