UPCOMING SHOWS:

UPCOMING SHOWS:

Sat. April 30
KONONO N°1 FEAT. BATUDA
(Le Grand Mix, Tourcoing)

Sun. May 1
HELL
(The Pit's, Kortrijk)

Thu. May 5
Awesome Tapes From Africa dj set
(Treehou5e Open Air, Ghent)

Fri. May 6
Invisible Hands / Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex / DSR Lines
(Vooruit, Ghent)

Sat. May 7
CRITES
(De Ruimte, Ghent)

Tue. May 10
SEX CRIME + THE ARROGANTS
(De Pit's, Kortrijk)

Thu. May 12
QUANTIC
(DOK, Ghent)

Fri. May 13
ARCHIE & THE BUNKERS
(Het Bos, Antwerp)

Sun. May 15
THRONEFEST (Taake, Inquisition, Mgla, Batushka, Inferno, Dysangellium, Wiegedood & The Commitee)
(Kubox, Kuurne)

Thu. May 26
PAUL COLLINS BEAT
(Den Trap, Kortrijk)

Fri. May 27
BEAK>
(Trix, Antwerp)

Wed. June 1
TY SEGALL & THE MUGGERS
(Botanique, Brussels)

Wed. June 8
UNCANNY VALLEY: THE LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY AND THEIR LEGACY (WOLF EYES, etc.)
(Vooruit, Ghent)

Wed. June 22
FÖLLAKZOID
(Het Bos, Antwerp)






Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Journey by Moonlight - ANTAL SZERB



After having read almost every translated novel by Hungarian writer Sándor Márai (1900-1989), I wanted to check out some other Hungarian novelists from the last century so I bought a recently translated novel written in 1937 by Antal Szerb called "Journey by Moonlight". It is an unforgettable book and one of the best I have read in ages!

Pursued by nostalgia for his bohemian youth, Mihály seeks escape in marriage to Erzsi, not realizing that she has chosen him as a means to her own rebellion. On their honeymoon in Italy, Mihály "loses" his bride at a provincial station and embarks on a chaotic and bizarre journey that leads him finally to Rome. There all the death-haunted and erotic elements of his past converge, and he, like Erzsi, has finally to choose.

The novel had a very fascinating, strange effect on me. I was intrigued by Mihály's wandering mind and spell bounded by Szerb's magnificent prose and brilliant storytelling. Wikipedia tells me that Szerb was deported to a concentration camp during World War II and beaten to death there in January 1945, he was 43. "Journey by Moonlight" was his second and best-known work.

I am eager now to read more Hungarian novels from the last century and my next choice is Kornél Esti by Dezso Kosztolanyi (1885-1936) who Péter Esterházy calls the big master of Márai and the most elegant of all Hungarian writers.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Will check that one.
Did you read GEZA CSATH's diary?
It's the best hungarian book ever!
http://atlasbooks.com/marktplc/01176.htm
Jackthpr

Mokus said...

I just blogged about Szerb as well, have a look...mokus-pokus.blogspot.com

Vati said...

If you are so interested in hungarian literature I recommend you also the books of Peter Nadas (I don't know which ones were already translated in english). These are an amazing modern literature which recalls me Proust or Thomas Mann. Peter Nadas seemed to be in a short list for the next Nobel prize and he deserves it!
And for Marai, if you read french, let go and see my blog dedicated to this great man of worls litterature : sandor-marai.blogspot.fr