About the Author

Dezso Kosztolanyi (1885-1936) made his name as a poet. His first novel, Nero, The Bloody Poet, won him the admiration of Thomas Mann. Peter Esterhazy is one of the most widely known contemporary Hungarian writers. His award-winning works have been published in more than twenty languages. Richard Aczel is the author of National Character and European Identity in Hungarian Literature, 1772-1848.

Reviews

Kosztolanyi tells his story with its theme of ambivilance with a jaunty, lightness of touch that succeeds in conveying the sadness of small lives and the huge sorrows that determine them. Irish Times