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31st out of 77 books
—
49 voters
Kornél Esti
by
Dezső Kosztolányi,
Bernard Adams (Goodreads Author)
Crazy, funny and gorgeously dark, Kornél Esti sets into rollicking action a series of adventures about a man and his wicked dopplegänger,
who breathes every forbidden idea of his childhood into his ear, and then reappears decades later.
Part Gogol, part Chekhov, and all brilliance, Kosztolányi in his final book
serves up his most magical, radical, and intoxicating work. Here...more
who breathes every forbidden idea of his childhood into his ear, and then reappears decades later.
Part Gogol, part Chekhov, and all brilliance, Kosztolányi in his final book
serves up his most magical, radical, and intoxicating work. Here...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
February 25th 2011
by New Directions
(first published 1933)
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Second read through Kosztolanyi's final novel and of what is translated into English - his best. Based on the premise that you can't be an interesting writer if you're not an interesting person - Kosztolanyi splits his identity to maximize his potential. There are many facets to this episodic adventure and it really lends itself to re-reading. The most obvious comparison is the Swift-like consideration of how varied environments provoke varied responses. A good writer should be able to draw from...more
At turns absurd, dark, and hilarious. This novel is told in excerpts from the life of the narrator's mischievous doppelganger. While some stories, like those about the town where all of the advertisements tell the terrible truth, or the one in which Esti tries at length to give away a sizable amount of money that he was left by a distant aunt, or the one in which all of the numerous overly-attentive staff of a ridiculously well-appointed hotel perfectly resemble famous historical figures, are ju...more
Unless you’re familiar with the work of famed Hungarian author Dezső Kosztolányi it’s next to impossible to decipher exactly who’s in charge by viewing the packaging of his final novel Kornél Esti. Both names are prominently displayed on the cover and the spine in the same size and font with a simple slash between them which leaves the prospective reader to wonder: is this a novel by someone named Kosztolányi about someone named Esti, a novel by Esti about Kosztolányi, or perhaps even an untitle...more
Patchy, at least in the middle where I felt it lulled a little, but this picaresque was definitely worthy of being resurrected in an English translation. Kornel Esti is a lovable rogue, teller of tall tales, and holder of strong opinions. It's little wonder that his creator Kosztolanyi (or perhaps Esti is the creator, Kosztolanyi the alter ego, who knows?) is considered one of the great Hungarian writers. The thread holding this "novel" together is Esti's singular charisma, capable of conversing...more
La conferma di un grande autore
Il libro contiene tredici racconti basati sulla figura di Kornél Esti, sorta di alter ego ribelle e politicamente scorretto dell'autore che, viene specificato all'inizio, è infatti nato nello stesso giorno ed alla stessa ora di Kornel.
Alcuni racconti sono veramente strepitosi, venati di una ironia e di un cinismo che portano il lettore ad un amaro sogghigno. Su tutti, a mio avviso, svetta il capitolo nono, satira feroce dell'animo tedesco ed elogio della tolleranza...more
Il libro contiene tredici racconti basati sulla figura di Kornél Esti, sorta di alter ego ribelle e politicamente scorretto dell'autore che, viene specificato all'inizio, è infatti nato nello stesso giorno ed alla stessa ora di Kornel.
Alcuni racconti sono veramente strepitosi, venati di una ironia e di un cinismo che portano il lettore ad un amaro sogghigno. Su tutti, a mio avviso, svetta il capitolo nono, satira feroce dell'animo tedesco ed elogio della tolleranza...more
Flabbergasted, I stared at these nightmare figures, who had certainly--either in my imagination or in real life--at one time lived and breathed, and were now black and dead and cold, like glowing embers after they've cooled, died down, and crumbled to ash. I didn't know them. They, however, knew me and recognized me. Some I told them to go and see Kornel. At that they smiled. Asked for a personal description of him. And at that they derisively pointed at me. They asked for his address. There I...more
I found this book hilarious. Each of the stories is at least a little funny, and some are uproarious. A few are darker or sad. It reminded me a bit of Catch 22. I think the translation was pretty good and I liked the footnotes, which explained certain untranslated words or phrases, and wished there were more.
What a delightful collection of stories! Magnificent style, great humor (why the reviewers hardly mention this is a mystery to me), original observations. And all of this in the setting of early 20th century Budapest, in the literary circles of the coffee houses. An absolute must read.
This is my second Dezso book and I've really enjoyed both of them. This is a lot looser and episodic than Skylark but is just as funny. The book is told through the perspective of Dezso's alter ego, Esti Kornel, and details literary cafe life in Hungary around the turn of the century, as well as some detours in pre-war France and German. It's a series of short stories, all of them whimsical and some of them quite funny. I definitely recommend this author. Hungarian literature is quickly becoming...more
For the rest of 2012, I'm just going to quote this book instead of having conversations.
At times insightful, at times poetic. Inconsistant on first read but very worthwhile. Will read again.
A delightful little book, about an eccentric bunch of poets/writers. It is really a group of short stories the main character being Kornel Esti.
Review at tkreviews.org.
A little bit Kafka, a lot of smart writing, a novel that's more like a collection of linked stories, set in Hungary and Austria 100 years ago.
A collection of short stories the comedy is gray not black, which is surprising considering what was going on in Hungary at the time. Favourite story was "In which he chats in Bulgarian...": reminiscent of my life in which I chat in Hungarian...
Delightful stories in a few different styles centred on or told by the author's alter ego Esti, a self-aggrandising, incorrigible liar.
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Dezső Kosztolányi was a famous Hungarian poet and prose-writer.
Kosztolányi was born in Szabadka (Subotica) in 1885, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but which now lies in northern Serbia. The city serves as a model for the fictional town of Sárszeg, in which he set his novella Skylark as well as The Golden Kite. Kosztolányi studied at the University of Budapest, where he met the poets Mih...more
More about Dezső Kosztolányi...
Kosztolányi was born in Szabadka (Subotica) in 1885, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but which now lies in northern Serbia. The city serves as a model for the fictional town of Sárszeg, in which he set his novella Skylark as well as The Golden Kite. Kosztolányi studied at the University of Budapest, where he met the poets Mih...more
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“Ő nem értette az életet. Fogalma sem volt, mért született erre a világra.Úgy gondolkozott, hogy akinek részévé jutott ez az ismeretlen célú kaland, melynek vége a megsemmisülés, az minden felelősség alól föl van mentve s jogában áll, hogy azt tegye, amit akar, például végigfeküdhet a kocsiúton és minden ok nélkül elkezdhet jajgatni, anélkül, hogy különösebb megrovást érdemelne. De éppen mert az életet a maga egészében értelmetlenségnek tartotta, a kis részeit külön-külön mind megértette, minden embert kivétel nélkül, minden magasztos és aljas szempontot, minden elméletet s ezeket azonnal magáévá is tette. Ha valaki öt percig beszél neki okosan, hogy térjen át a mohamedán-hitre, ő áttér rá, föltéve, hogy megkímélik a cselekvés nyűgétől, a szaván fogják és nem adnak neki időt, hogy később mégis visszatáncoljon.Így élni a nagy esztelenségben a kisebb esztelenségek közepette, véleménye szerint nem is oly ostobaság, sőt talán a leghelyesebb, a legstílusosabb életmód.”
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“Pajtás, én nem születtem arra, hogy megmentsem azt az emberiséget, amelyik, mikor nem sújtja tűzvész, árvíz és döghalál, háborúkat rendez és mesterségesen idézi elő a tűzvészt, az árvízt és a döghalált.”
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1 person liked it
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