Sarbacan, the first novel written by the young author Graţian Székely, is built around the theme of
subjective time. First,
the
subjective time symbolizes the unique personality of the hero, but soon we see him engaged in a real temporal adventure. Darius and his
evil double start an initiating journey, in the same time fighting for their place in a certain territory and in the lives of certain people. During his real or imaginary travels, Darius meets another self, some beings matching his soul, common men and women and, finally, his dark double. The hero’s references to parallel worlds can be understood in two ways: the existence reflected in the mirror, where the young man, endowed with rare qualities is replaced by a mean and trivial guy, but also the world of fiction. The protagonist creates plausible stories while he is watching strangers in the street. Their usual, uninteresting lives hide archetypes full of brand value. There is a struggle between good and evil, but there is also another between outstanding and commonplace. Slidind from one place to another and one world to another makes room for subtle psychological analysis. The novelist masters the art of sliding from humour to lyrical, from irony to parody. The meaningful encounter with the church where Darius has been baptized and the primordial couple motif complete the web of symbols. Sarbacan by Graţian Székely can be read as a fantastic novel or as a meditation about what really matters in life. This novel is a pleading for love, friendship, spiritual beauty, written by a person who truly believes in the power of the good.