From Publishers Weekly
A man who suffers from two obsessions is the protagonist of Krausser's novel, first published in Germany and the U.K. in 1997. Stanislaus Nagy is a fascinating madman who believes he is the devil. Obsessed with Maria Callas, he also is sure that he managed to inhabit the body of Callas's black poodle, Toy. Being a modern Satan, he takes his problems to a psychiatrist, Cora Dulz. Dulz, 37, is bored with her profession and with pretending to be a happy, satisfied wife to her tax accountant husband, who has a heart condition and a hobby: he collects news stories about unusual deaths. Excerpts from these clippings counterpoint the story of Cora's increasing fascination with her patient, Nagy. When Nagy involves Cora in stealing a music box, she begins to have erotic fantasies about this devil incarnate. In fact, she falls in love with him, but Nagy enjoys tantalizing his shrink while repeatedly rejecting her, being more interested in pouring out the fantastical story of his relationship to Callas. Meanwhile, Cora is keen to learn whatever she can about Nagy's private life: she discovers his favorite bar and, to her chagrin, learns that he seduced her secretary. When Nagy dismisses Cora, she stalks him at his new place of employment, the Alhambra, where he is performing as a magician called "The Great Bagarozy"--the name of one of Callas's agents. Krausser twists the story deftly when Cora refuses to take Nagy's final "no" for an answer. The cat and mouse chase between a bored psychiatrist and her charismatic, very disturbed patient is a rich premise, and Krausser takes an original, unexpected route to uncovering all the comic, dramatic, and magical possibilities of the complex central relationship. Smoothly translated, this book playfully invites elements of fantasy and the paranormal into the story while keeping the characters pulsingly human. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
A deliciously disturbed story of obsession and madness, The Great Bagarozy begins when psychiatrist Cora Dulz accepts a new patient, Stanislaus Nagy. Dissatisfied with her career and bored with her marriage, Cora is immediately intrigued by this strange man, who claims to have visions of the late, great diva Maria Callas. Breaking with routine, Cora agrees to meet Nagy outside therapy--a mistake, as she recognizes as soon as she has made it. Cora's intrigue quickly turns to infatuation and then to obsession as Nagy's behavior becomes more erratic. When Nagy suddenly stops keeping his appointments, Cora abandons husband and practice to follow Nagy in an attempt to discover his mysterious secret. Who is he? Why is he obsessed with Callas? And what does he really want from Cora? Krausser spins a tale of supernatural strangeness, moving from the mundane to the mystical as Nagy's life story unfolds. The Great Bagarozy is gripping, a philosophical inquiry disguised as a bizarre work of fiction that combines the mythical and the theological with ease. Bonnie Johnston
