Danse macabre. Ádám Bodor: The Birds of Verhovina

The quality of Ádám Bodor's humour is akin to the hardly perceptible smile of a Buddhist—as it appears on the smeary face of Eastern Europe. And it can turn into the grimace of horror in any given moment.

Comparative Hungarian Cultural Studies (Totosy-Vasvári eds.)

Twenty-six essays on Hungarian literature, art, history, gender and cultural studies, written by Hungarian and American scholars on topics ranging from Márai's Embers to Vámbéry and Dracula; from Michael Curtiz to Art Nouveau. - A review.

Historical fusion fiction. Noémi Szécsi: The Restless

The story of The Restless begins in 1853, and follows the destiny through half of Europe of a Hungarian family who had escaped from their homeland after the failure of the revolution and struggle for independence against the Habsburgs in 1848-49.

The epidemic called dictatorship. Sándor Tar: Gray pigeon

Sándor Tar, one of the most highly respected prose writers of the last third of the century, turned from writing sociography and short stories to a unique “novel of crime”. This was back in 1996, and critics have been trying to find the key to the book ever since.

With head held high. Gyula Krúdy: Life is a Dream

Of the five senses, Krúdy’s short stories tickle that of taste. They revolve around ceremonies related to preparing, consuming and digesting food.

Vilmos Kondor: Budapest Noir

It may well be that (some) Hungarian critics regard Budapest Noir the first truly “noir” Hungarian thriller, but I wouldn’t go quite that far. It is not a James Ellroy, more something in the older mould: Maigret, say, or Perry Mason, at most a Philip Marlowe, say, but none the worse for that.

Twilight years. István Kemény: Dear Unknown

Looking back from 2011 one sometimes has the feeling that the whole Hungary of the late Kádár era consisted of nothing but hidden nooks and crannies. From the perspective of these hideouts people had the impression that really important things always happened elsewhere and at other times—perhaps in 1956, perhaps in Moscow.

A continent locked in paper. Ilma Rakusa: More Sea (Mehr Meer)

Mehr Meer is a sort of mental map of Europe in the middle of the twentieth century, as seen by one person: Ilma Rakusa, the child of an Eastern European family wandering from country to country. And as such, it is highly subjective.

Identity and tolerance. Krisztián Grecsó: Room For You Beside Me

Can novel-writing be therapeutical? Is identity crisis a curable disease? What is the interest in reconstructing family history from mosaic pieces?

An everyday tram ride. Dezső Kosztolányi: Kornél Esti

After Skylark and Anna Édes, republished recently to great critical acclaim, Kornél Esti is now available to English readers for the first time.