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Love in a Bottle
This selection of stories, set in mythical times and in 1920s and 1930s London and Paris, reflects Antal Szerb’s love of life and irrepressible irony that has become his trademark: from Szerb’s earliest stories, driven by his intense political and religious idealism, to his later work, marked by the sympathy and humour of Journey by Moonlight and The Queen’s Necklace.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
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441 people want to read
About the author
Antal Szerb
39 books245 followersAntal Szerb was a noted Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the major Hungarian writers of the 20th century.
Szerb was born in 1901 to assimilated Jewish parents in Budapest, but baptized Catholic. He studied Hungarian, German and later English, obtaining a doctorate in 1924. From 1924 to 1929 he lived in France and Italy, also spending a year in London, England.
As a student he published essays on Georg Trakl and Stefan George, and quickly established a formidable reputation as a scholar, writing erudite studies of William Blake and Henrik Ibsen among other works. Elected President of the Hungarian Literary Academy in 1933 - aged just 32 -, he published his first novel, The Pendragon Legend (which draws upon his personal experience of living in Britain) the following year. His second and best-known work, Utas és holdvilág, known in English as Journey by Moonlight, came out in 1937. He was made a Professor of Literature at the University of Szeged the same year. He was twice awarded the Baumgarten Prize, in 1935 and 1937.
In 1941 he published a History of World Literature which continues to be authoritative today. He also published a volume on novel theory and a book about the history of Hungarian literature. Given numerous chances to escape antisemitic persecution (as late as 1944), he chose to remain in Hungary, where his last novel, a Pirandellian fantasy about a king staging a coup against himself, then having to impersonate himself, Oliver VII, was published in 1942. It was passed off as a translation from the English, as no 'Jewish' work could have been printed at the time.
Szerb was deported to a concentration camp late in 1944, and was beaten to death there in January 1945, at the age of 43. He was survived by his wife, Klára Bálint, who died in 1992.
Szerb was born in 1901 to assimilated Jewish parents in Budapest, but baptized Catholic. He studied Hungarian, German and later English, obtaining a doctorate in 1924. From 1924 to 1929 he lived in France and Italy, also spending a year in London, England.
As a student he published essays on Georg Trakl and Stefan George, and quickly established a formidable reputation as a scholar, writing erudite studies of William Blake and Henrik Ibsen among other works. Elected President of the Hungarian Literary Academy in 1933 - aged just 32 -, he published his first novel, The Pendragon Legend (which draws upon his personal experience of living in Britain) the following year. His second and best-known work, Utas és holdvilág, known in English as Journey by Moonlight, came out in 1937. He was made a Professor of Literature at the University of Szeged the same year. He was twice awarded the Baumgarten Prize, in 1935 and 1937.
In 1941 he published a History of World Literature which continues to be authoritative today. He also published a volume on novel theory and a book about the history of Hungarian literature. Given numerous chances to escape antisemitic persecution (as late as 1944), he chose to remain in Hungary, where his last novel, a Pirandellian fantasy about a king staging a coup against himself, then having to impersonate himself, Oliver VII, was published in 1942. It was passed off as a translation from the English, as no 'Jewish' work could have been printed at the time.
Szerb was deported to a concentration camp late in 1944, and was beaten to death there in January 1945, at the age of 43. He was survived by his wife, Klára Bálint, who died in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 10, 2017
This volume brings together the shorter fiction of Antal Szerb, who is best known as the writer of Journey by Moonlight, and also the comic novels The Pendragon Legend and Oliver VII.
The stories here showcase the full range of his talents. It is arranged chronologically, starting with a couple of folk tales, the first of which is the only one set in Szerb's native Hungary, but most of the rest are influenced by the time he spent in the great libraries of Paris and London, and mix esoteric learning, a broad range of interests, plenty of humour and romantic frustration - a common theme is the scholar who is too devoted to spend time with women. A very enjoyable collection.
The stories here showcase the full range of his talents. It is arranged chronologically, starting with a couple of folk tales, the first of which is the only one set in Szerb's native Hungary, but most of the rest are influenced by the time he spent in the great libraries of Paris and London, and mix esoteric learning, a broad range of interests, plenty of humour and romantic frustration - a common theme is the scholar who is too devoted to spend time with women. A very enjoyable collection.
March 14, 2014
Beautiful little stories written in a very poetic way. Szerb knows how to tell a story both dreamlike and painfully realistic and he has an especially tender and old-fashioned way when he talks about women. Not everyone will love this, but I once again fell in love with his unique writing style and there were many sentences that made me smile or laugh or that resonated with the hidden Romantic inside me. In my opinion this is an immensely beautiful book and it is now one of my favourites.
July 25, 2016
Born in Budapest in 1901, Antal Szerb was one of the leading figures in 20th-century Hungarian literature. Although his family was Jewish, he was baptised at a young age and remained a Catholic for life. A prolific essayist, reviewer and writer of fiction, Szerb is perhaps best known for his wonderful novel, Journey by Moonlight, published in 1937. (I read it pre-blog, but there are links here to recent reviews by Emma and Max.) During the 1940s, Szerb faced increasing hostility and persecution due to his Jewish descent, culminating in his incarceration and murder in a concentration camp in 1945. He was 43 years old when he died.
Alongside the essays and novels, Szerb also wrote a number of short stories and novellas. Love in a Bottle brings together a selection of these short pieces which span the breadth of this author’s career, from his student years in the early 1920s to the time shortly before his death in the mid-1940s.
The book is divided into two parts, the first of which contains three early stories written between 1922 and 1923. These pieces draw heavily on the traditions of myths and fairy tales. In Ajándok’s Betrothal, a young girl (Ajándok) longs for a suitor of her own, especially once her sister becomes engaged to a man from their village. When a mysterious wanderer named Máté arrives during the festivities on St John’s Night, young Ajándok is convinced he is destined to be her future husband. Like the other pieces in this section, this story is shot through with a noticeable sense of loneliness and isolation; its heroine is young, beautiful and ‘as solitary as a river by night.’
Next we have The White Magus, a tragic story set in the time of Byzantine Empire. All across Byzantium, children are dying from a strange, unfathomable illness. The only ray of hope comes from the beautiful Princess Zoë whose kindness, compassion and magical touch provide a brief respite from the suffering. As a consequence, she spends her time visiting the sick children of the land, comforting them and helping out wherever possible.
Zoë was indefatigable, loyally accompanying every grieving mother on these last journeys. But not one of those distraught parents knew the depth of pain that she did. With every child that went to the grave, part of her own life was being buried. It was not just the mothers’ tears that burnt into her heart. It was also the nameless, mysterious grief that had claimed the children, and her earnest desire to understand the fatal secret in their eyes, as they slowly faded into death. (pg. 51)
When Zoë succumbs to the same illness, the elders of the land set off for the Carpathian Mountains to consult the great oracle, the White Magus. Rumour has it that the Magus knows all the deepest secrets of life itself, so it is hoped that he will be able to cure the princess. Without wishing to give too much away, the Magus can see a possible course of action, but it is one that will come at a price.
The third of the early stories, The Tyrant, features the powerful Duke Galeazzo of Milan, a ruler who confines himself to his tower of solitude, never setting foot in the city he presides over with such shrewdness. Despite taking an interest in his protégé — a young boy named Lytto — the Duke has tried to banish all feelings of love from his heart. This is a story which explores the theme of isolation and the struggle to control one’s inner feelings when that state is disrupted.
To read the rest of my review, please click here:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2016...
Alongside the essays and novels, Szerb also wrote a number of short stories and novellas. Love in a Bottle brings together a selection of these short pieces which span the breadth of this author’s career, from his student years in the early 1920s to the time shortly before his death in the mid-1940s.
The book is divided into two parts, the first of which contains three early stories written between 1922 and 1923. These pieces draw heavily on the traditions of myths and fairy tales. In Ajándok’s Betrothal, a young girl (Ajándok) longs for a suitor of her own, especially once her sister becomes engaged to a man from their village. When a mysterious wanderer named Máté arrives during the festivities on St John’s Night, young Ajándok is convinced he is destined to be her future husband. Like the other pieces in this section, this story is shot through with a noticeable sense of loneliness and isolation; its heroine is young, beautiful and ‘as solitary as a river by night.’
Next we have The White Magus, a tragic story set in the time of Byzantine Empire. All across Byzantium, children are dying from a strange, unfathomable illness. The only ray of hope comes from the beautiful Princess Zoë whose kindness, compassion and magical touch provide a brief respite from the suffering. As a consequence, she spends her time visiting the sick children of the land, comforting them and helping out wherever possible.
Zoë was indefatigable, loyally accompanying every grieving mother on these last journeys. But not one of those distraught parents knew the depth of pain that she did. With every child that went to the grave, part of her own life was being buried. It was not just the mothers’ tears that burnt into her heart. It was also the nameless, mysterious grief that had claimed the children, and her earnest desire to understand the fatal secret in their eyes, as they slowly faded into death. (pg. 51)
When Zoë succumbs to the same illness, the elders of the land set off for the Carpathian Mountains to consult the great oracle, the White Magus. Rumour has it that the Magus knows all the deepest secrets of life itself, so it is hoped that he will be able to cure the princess. Without wishing to give too much away, the Magus can see a possible course of action, but it is one that will come at a price.
The third of the early stories, The Tyrant, features the powerful Duke Galeazzo of Milan, a ruler who confines himself to his tower of solitude, never setting foot in the city he presides over with such shrewdness. Despite taking an interest in his protégé — a young boy named Lytto — the Duke has tried to banish all feelings of love from his heart. This is a story which explores the theme of isolation and the struggle to control one’s inner feelings when that state is disrupted.
To read the rest of my review, please click here:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2016...
September 18, 2012
Like all collections of short-stories, Love in a bottle is a mixed bag of themes with the quality ranging from good to superb.
The Duke and The tyrant represent the more darker and intricate sides to Szerb's work while stories like the eponymous 'love in a bottle' and 'a dog called Madelon' are laugh out loud funny.
The White Magus, is a very Szerbian blend of mythology with a modern humanist touch.('The White Magus', incidentally, contains possibly the most lyrically beautiful line ever committed to paper, when you read it, you will know what i mean)
All in all, Love in a bottle is a fine snap-shot of the life, work and personality of Antal Szerb.
The Duke and The tyrant represent the more darker and intricate sides to Szerb's work while stories like the eponymous 'love in a bottle' and 'a dog called Madelon' are laugh out loud funny.
The White Magus, is a very Szerbian blend of mythology with a modern humanist touch.('The White Magus', incidentally, contains possibly the most lyrically beautiful line ever committed to paper, when you read it, you will know what i mean)
All in all, Love in a bottle is a fine snap-shot of the life, work and personality of Antal Szerb.
February 12, 2014
Mostly, Antal Szerb, will have his writing compared to Journey by Moonlight, that being, his most complete, modern styled, novel. This set of short stories, is, in many ways, even better. Out of 9 of them, I only found 2 to be a bit of a jumble, which, the remainder, well, they highlight Antals very humorous and ironic style beautifully. Reading Szerb is like having a chat with a really warm uncle, wise in love and adventure, always with a funny tale, but with the end of the rainbow always eluding him.
March 6, 2017
Love in a Bottle collects a number of shorter stories that Antal Szerb wrote in the course of his short life. The voice of the author, his charm and whimsy, and love of literature and culture is evident throughout, even if the final impression understandably is less than that of his three great novels. Oliver VII, Pendragon Legend and Journey by Moonlight are wonderful works of literature by any standard, while the small volume at hand offers the reader smitten by Szerb's pen a nice way to spend a few more hours roaming within the world of the author.
September 15, 2014
This collection of writings demonstrates perfectly the development of metafictional 'techniques' (the author didn't seem to believe it could be extracted and studied as such, ie. metafiction could only be properly dealt with fictionally ) meddling in confusion with myth, history and power structures. They present the first thresholds passed through one peculiar impish consciousness until its own premeditated double-crossing, favouring, in the end, rest on thought's decantation.
August 10, 2018
review coming
March 11, 2021
Me? Happy? I drag my anguish about with me wherever I go. Sometimes I just lie on the ground and howl. I spend two thirds of my days in active misery, and the other third wondering how I can ever bear it.
January 27, 2026
It has taken me many months to finish Love in a Bottle and I am only sorry that I do not have more of Szerb’s works at hand. He writes as a poet singing aloud, often having me forget that the medium here is written word at all.
I’m afraid that some of the intent of the collection has been lost on me, as my eye is drawn to the exploration of isolation in each story. I have now understood that love both brings and breaks isolation, and without it we could never have let Lionel be dead.
I’m afraid that some of the intent of the collection has been lost on me, as my eye is drawn to the exploration of isolation in each story. I have now understood that love both brings and breaks isolation, and without it we could never have let Lionel be dead.
February 25, 2017
A well written set of interesting short stories, with inbuilt themes that leave the reader with a sense of satisfaction long after the story is finished - characters are well developed, plots are excellently orchestrated, and the morals are clear. This is masterful short story work, and much easier to read than most "classics". I really liked it :)
March 18, 2025
Für den humorvollen, irgendwie geistreichen und in jedem Fall sprachlich wunderbaren ersten Teil der Erzählungen fünf Sterne. Beim historisch-sagennacherzählenden zweiten Teil der Erzählungen war ich irgendwie raus, trotz generellem Interesse an den Themen. Der deutlich andere Erzählstil hat mich nicht abgeholt.
January 31, 2019
Like history, fairy tales, and the occult? You'll like Szerb. Szerb has an unusual style of humour and a strong love of British culture and history which really shows within his works. He's an author who I wished would receive far more recognition than he currently does.
Want to read
March 28, 2021#8
“See, Ajándok, see! They're turning! The sails of the windmill are turning, driven by the wind! Let it drive me away, too, for I am a wandering scholar possessed by the devil, the son of a witch, raised by dragons, and this is my home, under stormy skies.”
“See, Ajándok, see! They're turning! The sails of the windmill are turning, driven by the wind! Let it drive me away, too, for I am a wandering scholar possessed by the devil, the son of a witch, raised by dragons, and this is my home, under stormy skies.”
March 31, 2025
Lancelot and Guinevere currently have unrequited love. Lancelot would rather have the pain of having unattainable love for Guinevere than not being in love with her. Even when he is set free he wants to revert back to being besotted with Guinevere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2016
In dieser Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten des ungarischen Autors Antal Szerp geht es nur bedingt um Bibliotheken oder Literatur, es geht um vieles und scheinbar um manches was ich nicht verstanden habe. Es geht um Liebe in vielen Facetten, aber wann tut es das in der Literatur nicht?
Am Ende des Buches fiel mir aber besonders ins Auge, wie sehr der Klappentext zwar fast poetisch klingt, aber im Grunde nichts über das Buch sagt. Rein gar nichts außer Worthülsen.
Der Band umfasst 14 Geschichten, welche in ihrer Form sehr unterschiedlich sind. So gibt es neben den realistischen Geschichten, mythologische Erzählungen und märchenhaftes. Das Spektrum ist weit und somit für mich kaum in ein paar Worte zu fassen worum es in diesem Buch geht. Das einfachste ist es, wie ich finde, es bei dem was es außen darstellt zu belassen. Es ist eine Sammlung von Geschichten, von denen ein paar miteinander in Verbindung stehen, andere nicht. Es ist thematisch nicht festgelegt, zeigt aber ein breites Spektrum des Autors.
Antal Szerp ist bekannt für seine historischen Romane und den Roman „Reisen im Mondlicht“ den man erst in den letzten Jahren wieder entdeckte. Er hatte Hungarologie, Anglistik und Germanistik studiert, war ein angesehener Literaturprofessor und Schriftsteller der Vorkriegszeit, bis er, weil er Jude war von den Nazis interniert und im KZ Balf von einem Aufseher erschlagen wurde.
Nach dem ich nun „Reise im Mondlicht“ und „In der Bibliothek“ gelesen habe, erscheint es mir, als wäre Szerp ein fast schon typischer ungarischer Schriftsteller seiner Zeit gewesen, da ist etwas unglaublich schwermütiges in seinen Erzählungen, Romantik findet man, aber sie ist immer bitter. Keine der Geschichten endet, wie man es sich vielleicht erhoffen möchte. Nichts ist wirklich schön, auch wenn man es mit schönen Worten und Bildern beschreiben kann. Da ist ein Verfall in allem was ich in diesem Buch gefunden habe, das mich unweigerlich an „Gloomy Sunday“ und die Sinnlosigkeit des Lebens ansich denken lässt. Harte Kost in einem netten Einband...
In den letzten Jahren habe ich immer wieder zu Anthologien und Kurzgeschichtensammlungen einzelner Autoren gegriffen, etwas, dem ich mich noch ein paar Jahre zuvor fast gänzlich verweigerte. Mein jüngeres Ich mochte keine Kurzgeschichten, weil sie nicht lang genug sind um mit dem Charakteren ein Verhältnis aufzubauen. Seit ich etwas älter bin und sich mein Spektrum in der Literatur erweitert hat, mag ich manchmal auch die kürzere Form.
Doch „In der Bibliothek“ ist ein gutes Beispiel von meiner immer noch bestehenden Schwierigkeit mit dieser Form der Prosa.
Da wäre das Problem, das um so kurzer die Geschichte ist, sie nicht unbedingt zu begreifen sind. Das sie manchmal wie Bruchstücke wirken. Dazu fand ich in diesem Band so einiges, und da sich dies alles am Anfang versammelte war ich kurz davor das Buch abzubrechen.
Doch zum Glück besserte es sich mit der Zeit, so das ich mich durchringen konnte am Ball zu bleiben. Szerps Erzählweise nahm auch mal Formen an, die mich begeisterten, da sei vor allem die Geschichte „In der Bibliothek“ genannt und obwohl ich die Erzählform des Märchens nicht wirklich leiden kann, war die Geschichte „Ajándoks Brautstand“ zwar sehr düster, aber sie gefiel mir dennoch sehr gut.
Anderes wiederum weniger, und da kommen wir zum zweiten Problem, das Kurzgeschichten für mich aufwerfen, wie soll ich etwas bewerten das von allem etwas enthält? Zwischen Himmelhochjauchzend und Zutodebetrübt, gelangweilt und ernsthaft genervt enthält dieser Band für mich alles.
Fazit:
Da bleibt nur das Positive gegen das Negative in eine Waagschale zu werfen und am Ende kommt dabei leider immer eine etwas unbefriedigende, relative neutrale Haltung und Wertung heraus.
Am Ende des Buches fiel mir aber besonders ins Auge, wie sehr der Klappentext zwar fast poetisch klingt, aber im Grunde nichts über das Buch sagt. Rein gar nichts außer Worthülsen.
Klappentext:
Mit betont leiser Ironie und hintersinnigem Humor kreisen Antal Szerbs Erzählungen um persönliche Geschichten und historische Figuren, um den siegreichen Alltag und das verbannte Wunder.
Der Band umfasst 14 Geschichten, welche in ihrer Form sehr unterschiedlich sind. So gibt es neben den realistischen Geschichten, mythologische Erzählungen und märchenhaftes. Das Spektrum ist weit und somit für mich kaum in ein paar Worte zu fassen worum es in diesem Buch geht. Das einfachste ist es, wie ich finde, es bei dem was es außen darstellt zu belassen. Es ist eine Sammlung von Geschichten, von denen ein paar miteinander in Verbindung stehen, andere nicht. Es ist thematisch nicht festgelegt, zeigt aber ein breites Spektrum des Autors.
Antal Szerp ist bekannt für seine historischen Romane und den Roman „Reisen im Mondlicht“ den man erst in den letzten Jahren wieder entdeckte. Er hatte Hungarologie, Anglistik und Germanistik studiert, war ein angesehener Literaturprofessor und Schriftsteller der Vorkriegszeit, bis er, weil er Jude war von den Nazis interniert und im KZ Balf von einem Aufseher erschlagen wurde.
Nach dem ich nun „Reise im Mondlicht“ und „In der Bibliothek“ gelesen habe, erscheint es mir, als wäre Szerp ein fast schon typischer ungarischer Schriftsteller seiner Zeit gewesen, da ist etwas unglaublich schwermütiges in seinen Erzählungen, Romantik findet man, aber sie ist immer bitter. Keine der Geschichten endet, wie man es sich vielleicht erhoffen möchte. Nichts ist wirklich schön, auch wenn man es mit schönen Worten und Bildern beschreiben kann. Da ist ein Verfall in allem was ich in diesem Buch gefunden habe, das mich unweigerlich an „Gloomy Sunday“ und die Sinnlosigkeit des Lebens ansich denken lässt. Harte Kost in einem netten Einband...
In den letzten Jahren habe ich immer wieder zu Anthologien und Kurzgeschichtensammlungen einzelner Autoren gegriffen, etwas, dem ich mich noch ein paar Jahre zuvor fast gänzlich verweigerte. Mein jüngeres Ich mochte keine Kurzgeschichten, weil sie nicht lang genug sind um mit dem Charakteren ein Verhältnis aufzubauen. Seit ich etwas älter bin und sich mein Spektrum in der Literatur erweitert hat, mag ich manchmal auch die kürzere Form.
Doch „In der Bibliothek“ ist ein gutes Beispiel von meiner immer noch bestehenden Schwierigkeit mit dieser Form der Prosa.
Da wäre das Problem, das um so kurzer die Geschichte ist, sie nicht unbedingt zu begreifen sind. Das sie manchmal wie Bruchstücke wirken. Dazu fand ich in diesem Band so einiges, und da sich dies alles am Anfang versammelte war ich kurz davor das Buch abzubrechen.
Doch zum Glück besserte es sich mit der Zeit, so das ich mich durchringen konnte am Ball zu bleiben. Szerps Erzählweise nahm auch mal Formen an, die mich begeisterten, da sei vor allem die Geschichte „In der Bibliothek“ genannt und obwohl ich die Erzählform des Märchens nicht wirklich leiden kann, war die Geschichte „Ajándoks Brautstand“ zwar sehr düster, aber sie gefiel mir dennoch sehr gut.
Anderes wiederum weniger, und da kommen wir zum zweiten Problem, das Kurzgeschichten für mich aufwerfen, wie soll ich etwas bewerten das von allem etwas enthält? Zwischen Himmelhochjauchzend und Zutodebetrübt, gelangweilt und ernsthaft genervt enthält dieser Band für mich alles.
Fazit:
Da bleibt nur das Positive gegen das Negative in eine Waagschale zu werfen und am Ende kommt dabei leider immer eine etwas unbefriedigende, relative neutrale Haltung und Wertung heraus.
June 28, 2013
If, after reading a few of his novels, you have become enthralled by Antal Szerb's ability to blend and play with various literary modes- fantasy, irony, adventure, humor, gothic melancholy- then you will likely enjoy tracing his writerly development in this story collection. It begins with Szerb's earliest work, written when he a student. These three stories are unembarrassed romantic tales of princesses and dukes, unearthly betrothals and terrible (and inevitable) betrayals. These earnest fairy-tales, in which one can easily imagined the impassioned and serious youth who wrote them, are followed by funny stories about bookish Hungarians living abroad and flirting with women, a theme more familiar to readers of his novels. The final story, The Duke, written in 1943 (shortly before Szerb was hauled off to a concentration camp), is historical fiction written in semi-academic style.
I would not particularly recommend this collection to readers looking for an introduction to Antal Szerb.
I would not particularly recommend this collection to readers looking for an introduction to Antal Szerb.
August 23, 2015
I prefer the novels and 'The Queen's Necklace' but there is beauty and wisdom in this collection too.
May 25, 2025
very enjoyable read.
November 2, 2014
This book contains short stories.
September 25, 2011
Hmmm. Disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews