Rakossy

by Cecelia Holland

A Hungarian nobleman stands against the invading Turks in 1526.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Hungary, 16th Century, Historical, Military Fiction, Medieval

243 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Pen name used by Elizabeth Eliot Carter.

Cecelia Holland is one of the world's most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists, ranked by many alongside other giants in that field such as Mary Renault and Larry McMurtry. Over the span of her thirty year career, she's written almost thirty historical novels, including The Firedrake, Rakessy, Two Ravens, Ghost on the Steppe, Death of Attila, Hammer For Princes, The King's Road, Pillar of the Sky, The Lords of Vaumartin, Pacific Street, Sea Beggars, The Earl, The King in Winter, The Belt of Gold, The Serpent Dreamer, The High City, Kings of the North, and a series of fantasy novels, including The Soul Thief, The Witches Kitchen, The Serpent Dreamer, and Varanger. She also wrote the well-known science fiction novel Floating Worlds, which was nominated for a Locus Award in 1975. Her most recent book is a new fantasy novel, Dragon Heart.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about a time when Hungary was treated like a moat for western Europe when confronted by the Turks. Not that much difference from how the area was treated post WWII. A story of a man with certain virtues like courage and wisdom (prudence) and without other virtues like temperance and charity. it is what the time demanded.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Holland's books, and if I had read this one before picking up her later work Great Maria, I probably would have given Rakossy the fifth star. The story centers around Janos Rakossy, a Magyar border lord, his bookish brother, and his Austrian-Spanish bride. Rakossy is a clever and ambitious military mind at a time when the rest of Europe has decided to "let the Turks feed on Hungary." Left alone, he is forced to use his wits to deal with treacherous neighbors and overwhelming numbers of invading Turks.

The author wrote the book at age 21, which is a remarkable feat considering its originality, the strong sense of time and place she is able to create, and the clever dialogue. She can also make a male character who would otherwise be hard to like into someone you can root for and bleed with. The other characters in the story are not as well drawn and the action felt rushed. Great Maria, which has similar themes (though set in an earlier time period, the Norman conquest of southern Italy), is a much more realized book. Still, those with an interest in the time period will find a rich story here, albeit a rather bleak one. The book is hard to find in print, but there is a Kindle version that sells for a song. Definitely worth picking up for anyone who appreciates good medieval fiction.

[Caroline]

Swashbuckling romance, in both senses.

[Helmut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ersticke an Ungarn

Cecelia Holland ist für mich eine der besten Autorinnen historischer Romane. Begeistert war ich bereits von ihrem Until the Sun Falls; nun legt sie mit "Rakóssy" ein Werk über den ungarischen Kampf gegen die türkischen Invasoren vor, das sich ähnlich mitreißend liest.

Im 16. Jh. spielt die Geschichte, deren Personen großteils erfunden sind, die doch so geschickt und glaubwürdig charakterisiert sind, dass man völlig in die geschilderte Welt eintauchen kann. Wie auch schon "Until the Sun Falls" sind die Hauptpersonen keineswegs strahlende Helden oder liebenswerte Menschen, ganz im Gegenteil - sie sind sehr fehlerhaft und eher unangenehme Zeitgenossen, Kinder ihrer Zeit, und ihre Zeit ist keine einfache, denn das scheinbar unaufhaltsame türkische Heer steht vor ihren Burgmauern und droht, ganz Europa zu verschlucken.

Dialoglastig und mit einer meiner Meinung nach zu stark im Vordergrund stehenden Liebesgeschichte versehen liest sich der Text trotzdem sehr flüssig und man kann das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen: Historisch exakt recherchiert, voller Details über das Leben der Magyaren im 16.Jh., fiebert der Leser mit dem Schicksal der Brüder Rakóssy und ihrer Untergebenen mit.

Ein toller Roman für alle Freunde des historischen Abenteuers.

[Richard Stueber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rakóssy is the account of a fictional member of the Magyar aristocracy Baron Janos Rakóssy. The action takes place in 1525 in Hungary on the borders of Turkish territory. The only real people mentioned are Archduke Ferdinand, later Ferdinand I Holy Roman Emperor (1503-1564). his wife Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1503-1547), and the Sultan of Turkey Sulieiman I (1494-1566).
Rakóssy defends Hart Castle against the invading Turks. A good fictional tale, though ultimately sad. The Turks were threatening Austria for a long time after this fictional account.

[DoctorM · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brutal book, set in Hungary in the 1520s, just as the Ottoman armies sweep through. Powerful and tragic.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread, since I just got to the point in the Historical Atlas of Central Europe when the Ottoman army was pushing through Europe and individual barons and other nobles with castles were often left to their own devices to defend their lands. Holland is easily my favorite historical fiction writer; there's no period she can't do. This was one of her early ones. Her main character, Janos, is about as different from his more cultured brother Denis as he can be. "He's a stupid lout of a boy," says his father. "A dull brat without obedience or kindness or gentleness." Like some other noblemen he can't read. But he's a good strategist and has the heart of a fighter. There are few descriptions in Holland's stories. Conversation and action carry the tale. Her accounts of battles are vivid and researched. By the end you weep for some of the characters; they are alive.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book decades ago and became a big fan of Cecilia Holland's. Her writing style and attention to history makes it difficult for me to put her books down. I still remember how wonderful the Rakossy character was written.