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My Happy Days in Hell (1962) is Gyorgy Faludy's grimly beautiful autobiography of his battle to survive tyranny and oppression. Fleeing Hungary in 1938 as the German army approaches, acclaimed poet Faludy journeys to Paris, where he finds a lover but merely a cursory asylum. When the French capitulate to the Nazis, Faludy travels to North Africa, then on to America, where he volunteers for military service. Missing his homeland and determined to do the right thing, he returns – only to be imprisoned, tortured, and slowly starved, eventually becoming one of only twenty-one survivors of his camp.
First published January 1, 1962
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 9, 2017
When reading this autobiography, many times I felt that Faludy could have been a Lithuanian poet, or this could have happened to a Lithuanian person. The lives of people after the WW2 and under Soviet oppression echoed each other no matter where they lived. We are now left with shared experiences and shared history - Hungarians and Lithuanians have more in common than I thought.
I learnt a lot about the pre and post WW2 Hungarian intellectual tradition (which is older and bigger than the one in Lithaunia). I would say that this book is a Hungarian version of something in between Balys Sruoga Dievų miškas and Antanas Škėma Balta drobulė (two brilliant Lithuanian works).
I recommend this book for anyone interested to learn about our soviet oppression 'heritage' - something that unfortunately still affects the way people think and feel today.
(The English translation is rather good, there is a nice flow to it. Although at times the construction of phrases is odd, I am guessing owing to the beautifully weird Hungarian language...)
I learnt a lot about the pre and post WW2 Hungarian intellectual tradition (which is older and bigger than the one in Lithaunia). I would say that this book is a Hungarian version of something in between Balys Sruoga Dievų miškas and Antanas Škėma Balta drobulė (two brilliant Lithuanian works).
I recommend this book for anyone interested to learn about our soviet oppression 'heritage' - something that unfortunately still affects the way people think and feel today.
(The English translation is rather good, there is a nice flow to it. Although at times the construction of phrases is odd, I am guessing owing to the beautifully weird Hungarian language...)
October 24, 2010
This was a hard one to give a rating to -- Faludy deserves five stars for simply keeping sane during his three hungry, back-breaking years in a Communist-era labor camp. Reading the first part of the book was like a modern Hungarian history lesson combined with heavy doses of Western philosophy and intellectualism. This poet, translator, and writer makes any reader regret not paying attention in Philosophy 101. If Americans were at all exposed to philosophy and politics as much as Hungarians, and Europeans in general, for that matter, there would be a run on statue stores for busts of Socrates, Descartes and Plato. Oh, and if you're an intellectual like Faludy, add Greek, Latin, French, German and at least two other languages to your repertoire to keep up with his language skills.
Faludy believes in his country (and much to his dismay, he later finds out, his countrymen) so much that he returns to Hungary post WWII in the midst of the Communist takeover. It's not pretty. He can't express himself freely, even to his girlfriend. Friends betray him. He tries, but in the end, has to give up a bit of himself and his ideals to the hypocritical, power seeking apparatchik. He nearly starves to death. Friends help him. He survives. When released from the labor camp, he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, swearing he would never talk about the camp to anyone. He wrote this book about the camp.
Faludy believes in his country (and much to his dismay, he later finds out, his countrymen) so much that he returns to Hungary post WWII in the midst of the Communist takeover. It's not pretty. He can't express himself freely, even to his girlfriend. Friends betray him. He tries, but in the end, has to give up a bit of himself and his ideals to the hypocritical, power seeking apparatchik. He nearly starves to death. Friends help him. He survives. When released from the labor camp, he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, swearing he would never talk about the camp to anyone. He wrote this book about the camp.
October 12, 2019
It's a shame I don't like poetry much as the man I met in this book is someone I'd love to know even better. From the moment I read in the opening chapter that his grandfather advocated a united states of Europe I was hooked.
Apparently there's some fiction in amongst this true story, I wonder if anyone knows which bits aren't true or were in some way exaggerated? Because this is a story that demonstrates that life is truly stranger than fiction.
The first half covers his escape from the nazis, first to France and then Morocco and feels more like an adventure than an account of someone running for his life.
The second half covers his experiences in Recsk the infamous Hungarian gulag. The life he describes in the camp is horrifying. Certainly no holiday. But there's absolutely no pathos here, what you get is intelligence, erudition and courage in equal measure.
Faludi was a remarkable man, a man unto himself. His ideas were like dynamite, they sustained him, they sustained those who knew him and threatened all those who put ideology before humanity.
Today more than ever we need people like Faludy György.
Apparently there's some fiction in amongst this true story, I wonder if anyone knows which bits aren't true or were in some way exaggerated? Because this is a story that demonstrates that life is truly stranger than fiction.
The first half covers his escape from the nazis, first to France and then Morocco and feels more like an adventure than an account of someone running for his life.
The second half covers his experiences in Recsk the infamous Hungarian gulag. The life he describes in the camp is horrifying. Certainly no holiday. But there's absolutely no pathos here, what you get is intelligence, erudition and courage in equal measure.
Faludi was a remarkable man, a man unto himself. His ideas were like dynamite, they sustained him, they sustained those who knew him and threatened all those who put ideology before humanity.
Today more than ever we need people like Faludy György.
September 2, 2019
Zseniális, napok óta a hatása alatt vagyok. Az íróval kapcsolatos megítélésem vett egy 180 fokos fordulatot. Gyönyörű nyelvezet, egyetlen felesleges szó nem volt benne.
Végig az járt az eszemben, milyen szívesen leülnék Faludyval egy italra, ha még lehetne…
Végig az járt az eszemben, milyen szívesen leülnék Faludyval egy italra, ha még lehetne…
July 8, 2024
"Esta brisa no trae humo, ni aroma de flores, ni olor a mar, ni vapor, ni polvo. No sabe ni huele a nada, pero es constante. Constante y transcendente. No tiene fuerza. Es como una hormiga que intentase movernos con sus patitas, tranquila, infatigable y obstinada. Si no prestas atención, no llegarás a notarla. Pero una vez que la hayas sentido nunca la olvidarás.
January 9, 2014
I have to confess I had only bought as it was one of the ten books in Penguin's Central European Classics series and I have become a dreadful completeist and had been putting off reading on account of its small print, relative length and subject matter (the memoirs of a Hungarian poet of the mid 20th Century doesn't particulary grab me or many others I would have thought) but it's absolutely magnificent stuff, highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the regimes of communist post war Europe.
The book begins in with the author's flight from Hungary ahead of it falling under Nazi rule to France, North Africa and the USA before returning home to a country under communist control after the war and it is this period that the bulk of the book covers.
Some of the anecdotes regarding the detention and interrogation of alleged enemies of the state defy belief with their cruelty and stupidity. An example is a vet arrested and tortured over the course of three weeks. Then a Colonel in the secret police advised that unfortunately, there had been a case of mistaken identity and the real suspect was another man with the same name. But in his condition they were unable to simply release him. So he was sent to a forced labour camp.
Moments like the above stand out and over the course of several consecutive pages a dozen or so similar stories are reeled out but what I think will stay with me is the author's dignity and resilience and humour through these years.
The book begins in with the author's flight from Hungary ahead of it falling under Nazi rule to France, North Africa and the USA before returning home to a country under communist control after the war and it is this period that the bulk of the book covers.
Some of the anecdotes regarding the detention and interrogation of alleged enemies of the state defy belief with their cruelty and stupidity. An example is a vet arrested and tortured over the course of three weeks. Then a Colonel in the secret police advised that unfortunately, there had been a case of mistaken identity and the real suspect was another man with the same name. But in his condition they were unable to simply release him. So he was sent to a forced labour camp.
Moments like the above stand out and over the course of several consecutive pages a dozen or so similar stories are reeled out but what I think will stay with me is the author's dignity and resilience and humour through these years.
October 1, 2018
This book has been my Everest. I’ve never taken this long to read a book, nor have I felt the need to stick it out when a book was slow going with any other book. That is because this book is so much all at once; it’s an autobiography; it’s a history lesson; it’s a beautiful piece of writing; it’s a wake up call; it’s a love letter to praising intellectual ideals and how keeping our brains fed with knowledge can keep us alive, and it’s an prime example of a man who refused to sell out his personal ideals just to save his life. Simply put, Faludy is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever had the opportunity to meet in the pages of a book, and I’m happy to know that he remained that way for the rest of his very long life.
February 7, 2019
Es un libro de memorias de un poeta húngaro que vivió el auge de los totalitarismos en su país. El primer tercio del libro, que se centra en la vida en Hungría durante el ascenso del fascismo y la huida a Francia y Marruecos, me recuerda mucho a las autobiografías de Zweig o Márai. Luego, Faludy cuenta el regreso a Hungría tras la guerra y la vida bajo el sistema estalinista; para terminar con unas 200 páginas sobre la vida en un campo de concentración. La principal diferencia entre Faludy y otras referencias obvias de literatura de gulag es que su punto de vista tiende al optimismo, a una elegancia distante e incluso a la retranca. Excelente.
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April 14, 2016Can't quite find the words to do justice to this amazing work. Overwhelming in places, staggering in others, and never without genuine human drama, this is one for the ages. Reminiscent of Primo Levi's *If This is a Man*, it exceeds any anodyne attempt at classification. Ultimately, I can only resort to cliche: "a triumph of the human spirit."
March 23, 2015
Faludy es pura vida.
Recomiendo acompañar el retorno de Faludy a Hungría con el visionado de L'aveu de Costa-Gavras.
Recomiendo acompañar el retorno de Faludy a Hungría con el visionado de L'aveu de Costa-Gavras.
July 23, 2021
A trickster kalandjai a világháborúban és a diktatúrában
Nem attól lesz „jó” egy szöveg, hogy amiről szól, az megtörtént vagy sem. Az is fontos, főleg, ha ilyen erővel lép fel a hitelesség igényével, mint ez. De a hatás legnagyobb részét mindig a „hogyan”-nal éri el. Ráadásul ugyancsak a „hogyan” teszi általánosíthatóvá, más korokra, más háborúkra és diktatúrákra is érvényessé. Ennek a jegyében lesz a könyv főszereplőjéből (aki persze nagyon hasonlít Faludy Györgyre) mitológiai alak. Komikus fajta.
Részletes értékelés a blogon:
https://gyujtogeto-alkoto.blog.hu/202...
Nem attól lesz „jó” egy szöveg, hogy amiről szól, az megtörtént vagy sem. Az is fontos, főleg, ha ilyen erővel lép fel a hitelesség igényével, mint ez. De a hatás legnagyobb részét mindig a „hogyan”-nal éri el. Ráadásul ugyancsak a „hogyan” teszi általánosíthatóvá, más korokra, más háborúkra és diktatúrákra is érvényessé. Ennek a jegyében lesz a könyv főszereplőjéből (aki persze nagyon hasonlít Faludy Györgyre) mitológiai alak. Komikus fajta.
Részletes értékelés a blogon:
https://gyujtogeto-alkoto.blog.hu/202...
February 2, 2020
Conmocionada.
May 2, 2021
"A kistarcsai százhúsz távozása után a tábor lakói napról napra fogytak; vagy harmincan maradtunk, akik minden egyes csoport távozása után összenéztünk; miközülünk véletlenül nem szabadult soha senki. Ez a harminc, illetve huszonnyolc várt most borotválásra. A tábor valamennyi közéleti kiválósága, nemzetgyűlési képviselője és vezető intellektuelje itt ült; éppen azok, akik az átlagnál is kérlelhetetlenebbül álltak szemben a rendszerrel, ha nem is cselekedeteikben, de gondolataikban. A válogatásért valóban elismerés illette az ÁVÓ-t, mely az ilyen finom disztinkciókhoz nem értett. Negyven hónap tapasztalata és a sok száz spiclijelentés után végre ők is rájöttek, hogy nem azok a legnagyobb ellenségei, akik Rákosi arcképét leköpték, hanem azok, akik szabad idejükben kultúráról beszélgetnek."
January 14, 2024
Schitterende (niettemin nogal sterk gedramatiseerde, maar ja, zo is het Hongaarse volk) biografie, 4,5. Vandaag ook zijn graf gaan bezoeken, wat een man.
August 7, 2024
First half read a little slowly but the second half was super intense. The story itself deserves 5 stars but the writing was a little dense
November 10, 2025
"Pese a la puerta cerrada por fuera, acababa de recobrar mi libertad, porque de nuevo tenía el derecho a pensar".
Trágico, desternillante.
Trágico, desternillante.
June 6, 2018
A 20th century life: liberal, classically educated Faludy got out of Horthy's Hungary in 1938. He spent time amongst the exiles in Paris, was caught up in the chaotic exodus during the Fall of France and managed to make it to Casablanca. Then there was an interlude in the US, during which he joined the Army but wasn't sent to any battlefields. Finally he returned to the post-war ruins, ended up caught up in the purges and was sent to a forced labour camp. It ends with the prisoners getting released after the death of Stalin, the fall of Rakosi and the 1956 revolution aren't included.
Faludy doesn't pretend to be an angel or a hero, and the way he treats the women in his life is not appealing. But we get lots of close-ups of communists before and after they get consumed by their own system. The author is fully aware that he is living what are already topics in 20th century literature: "The Magic Mountain" is cited in the Paris years, and he has already read Koestler and Orwell by the time he is arrested. It turns out that anti-totalitarian novels don't prevent the rise of totalitarianism.
Faludy doesn't pretend to be an angel or a hero, and the way he treats the women in his life is not appealing. But we get lots of close-ups of communists before and after they get consumed by their own system. The author is fully aware that he is living what are already topics in 20th century literature: "The Magic Mountain" is cited in the Paris years, and he has already read Koestler and Orwell by the time he is arrested. It turns out that anti-totalitarian novels don't prevent the rise of totalitarianism.
January 17, 2016
Faludy visszaemlékezései 1939-es párizsi emigrációjával kezdődnek, ahová a második világháború elől menekül. Innen kalandos körülmények között keveredik előbb Afrikába majd Amerikába. A háború után hazatér Magyarországra ahol a Népszava munkatársa ám hamarosan politikai okokból letartóztatják és a kegyetlen recski munkatáborban találja magát.
Faludy elbeszélésmódja, műveltsége, kiterjedt külföldi kapcsolatai lenyűgözőek, a regény elején pedig pikareszk kalandjai kifejezetten szórakoztatóak. A könyv katartikus pontja azonban egyértelműen a recski tábor leírása, ahol a rabok a szellemi és fizikai tűréshatárukon egyensúlyozva próbálják egymást támogatni a túlélés érdekében. Esti beszélgetéseik, irodalmi és történelmi viták segítenek életben maradásukban, ez a minimális igényesség óvja meg őket a teljes elállatiodástól és megadástól.
Faludy kötete megrázó, de kihagyhatatlan - méltó emléket állít a recski halottaknak.
Faludy elbeszélésmódja, műveltsége, kiterjedt külföldi kapcsolatai lenyűgözőek, a regény elején pedig pikareszk kalandjai kifejezetten szórakoztatóak. A könyv katartikus pontja azonban egyértelműen a recski tábor leírása, ahol a rabok a szellemi és fizikai tűréshatárukon egyensúlyozva próbálják egymást támogatni a túlélés érdekében. Esti beszélgetéseik, irodalmi és történelmi viták segítenek életben maradásukban, ez a minimális igényesség óvja meg őket a teljes elállatiodástól és megadástól.
Faludy kötete megrázó, de kihagyhatatlan - méltó emléket állít a recski halottaknak.
August 26, 2013
Great book.
The flight of a poet from persecution from invading Nazis through France, Spain, and North Africa...to land in the U.S. where he joined the military...returned to Hungary to be thrown into a labor camp by the communists.
Faludy not only has a tale to tell, but the writing is top notch, and perhaps best of all, he's the type of non-fiction writer that appears to be interested in examining himself more than portraying himself.
Excellent.
Books like this are my best rationale for continuing to thrift books, though I have an unread mountain already.
The flight of a poet from persecution from invading Nazis through France, Spain, and North Africa...to land in the U.S. where he joined the military...returned to Hungary to be thrown into a labor camp by the communists.
Faludy not only has a tale to tell, but the writing is top notch, and perhaps best of all, he's the type of non-fiction writer that appears to be interested in examining himself more than portraying himself.
Excellent.
Books like this are my best rationale for continuing to thrift books, though I have an unread mountain already.
May 22, 2020
One of the best books I have ever read. If you want to understand more about the mindset the history of post world war II. in central Europe, this novel will be perfect to get an insight, especially because of the charisma of the writer.
Faludy is one of the few persons as strong and independent who can distance himself from any actualities of the current power (both communist or nationalist) to remain himself. He is ready to live or die under those circumstances, and celebrates life above everything: truly enviable.
Faludy is one of the few persons as strong and independent who can distance himself from any actualities of the current power (both communist or nationalist) to remain himself. He is ready to live or die under those circumstances, and celebrates life above everything: truly enviable.
May 2, 2024
Todavía me acuerdo de ese momento esclarecedor en que dejé de mirar este libro como una biografía. Espectacular.
April 21, 2024
Had Gyorgy Faludy been born in any era, you suspect his memoir would have been essential reading, such is his literary flair and sense of adventure. But spending the prime of his life in the most tumultuous period of European history elevates his life story to something you simply can't afford to miss.
Few people persecuted by both the Nazis and the Soviets lived to tell the tale, unless they abandoned their principles and kowtowed to the regime at some point. Yet Faludy somehow managed to emerge from a living nightmare to tell a story so fascinating you often forget it's a work of non-fiction.
His recollections of childhood in feudal Hungary kick off proceedings nicely, with the incredible characters he encounters always raising a smile, most notably a deranged administrator by the name of Simon Pan whose antics almost defy belief.
Faludy meets more colourful scoundrels and idealistic artists as he becomes a refugee, fleeing first to Paris then Africa as the Nazi terror spreads across Central Europe.
The section of the book that details his time with the Arabs of North Africa is particularly fascinating, with Faludy embracing a culture totally different to the one he has left behind. You can sense his disappointment as he is forced to move on once more, this time for America as he prepares to join the fight against Hitler.
Given the whole book is shaped by the events of World War 2 and its aftermath, it's somewhat surprising that Faludy pretty much skips his time serving with the American army, giving it only a passing mention before moving on to the terror of life behind the Iron Curtain.
That he turns down American citizenship to return to Hungary after the war betrays both his innocence and his patriotism, although it's a move he soon regrets as hopes of a free and democratic homeland quickly evaporate.
The second half of the book details his impending sense of dread as he waits to be punished by the Hungarian secret police for refusing to play by the rules of the Communist regime.
His imprisonment on trumped-up charges will be familiar to anyone who has read books that detail Stalin's Red Purge in Russia, most notably Kosstler's Darkness By Noon and the excellent The Case Of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge.
Yet Faludy details the brutality and madness of the Communist prison camps in much greater detail and you wonder how anyone could have survived in such barbaric conditions.
Thankfully, Faludy did and was able to tell us his story. His memory and attention to detail is remarkable, so much so that you suspect he has taken more than a fair bit of artistic liberty.
He is able to quote people making long, complicated speeches 20 years later so it's easy to understand why some critics think he is embellishing the truth in places. But remember that Faludy only had his memory for entertainment during those long days in prison and the thought of emerging one day to tell the tale would certainly have sharpened the mind.
What is without question is that this is the most fascinating, well-written memoir that I have ever read.
Few people persecuted by both the Nazis and the Soviets lived to tell the tale, unless they abandoned their principles and kowtowed to the regime at some point. Yet Faludy somehow managed to emerge from a living nightmare to tell a story so fascinating you often forget it's a work of non-fiction.
His recollections of childhood in feudal Hungary kick off proceedings nicely, with the incredible characters he encounters always raising a smile, most notably a deranged administrator by the name of Simon Pan whose antics almost defy belief.
Faludy meets more colourful scoundrels and idealistic artists as he becomes a refugee, fleeing first to Paris then Africa as the Nazi terror spreads across Central Europe.
The section of the book that details his time with the Arabs of North Africa is particularly fascinating, with Faludy embracing a culture totally different to the one he has left behind. You can sense his disappointment as he is forced to move on once more, this time for America as he prepares to join the fight against Hitler.
Given the whole book is shaped by the events of World War 2 and its aftermath, it's somewhat surprising that Faludy pretty much skips his time serving with the American army, giving it only a passing mention before moving on to the terror of life behind the Iron Curtain.
That he turns down American citizenship to return to Hungary after the war betrays both his innocence and his patriotism, although it's a move he soon regrets as hopes of a free and democratic homeland quickly evaporate.
The second half of the book details his impending sense of dread as he waits to be punished by the Hungarian secret police for refusing to play by the rules of the Communist regime.
His imprisonment on trumped-up charges will be familiar to anyone who has read books that detail Stalin's Red Purge in Russia, most notably Kosstler's Darkness By Noon and the excellent The Case Of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge.
Yet Faludy details the brutality and madness of the Communist prison camps in much greater detail and you wonder how anyone could have survived in such barbaric conditions.
Thankfully, Faludy did and was able to tell us his story. His memory and attention to detail is remarkable, so much so that you suspect he has taken more than a fair bit of artistic liberty.
He is able to quote people making long, complicated speeches 20 years later so it's easy to understand why some critics think he is embellishing the truth in places. But remember that Faludy only had his memory for entertainment during those long days in prison and the thought of emerging one day to tell the tale would certainly have sharpened the mind.
What is without question is that this is the most fascinating, well-written memoir that I have ever read.
December 29, 2020
It was a long read but worth it I thought (520 condensed pages). It is designated a biography although it read very much like a novel to me, which was great. I flew through the first two sections because of the wonderful imagery and descriptions of culture in Hungary, France, and Morocco at the respective time. I especially liked the Moroccan imagery and the way in which he describes the various customs (and unique aromas) there. Then Gyorgy travels to USA, although we hear little about it, which contrasts the way in which his experiences in the previous countries were described. However, we hear bits and pieces of his USA journey sprinkled throughout the rest of the book. The third section, with Gyorgy back in Hungary, tied some political topics in with philosophical anecdotes and took me longer to comprehend as I am not very well versed in some of the structure, philosophy, and political language of communism, free socialism, etc... although I know more about it now that I have read the book! Also, throughout the book there are many literary and historical references that I was unfamiliar with but I did take some time to research some in an attempt to get some appropriate understanding of the context (this obviously adding to the duration of time it took to read the book).
And then the last section in the prison camp which could be a novel of it's own and reminded me of Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search For Meaning" (which is actually why I purchased this book because the title was reminiscent of Frankl's amazing book). There were a lot of anecdotes which I found to be digestible throughout "My Happy Days in Hell". I found myself pausing and smirking, reflecting on the connection made.
And then the last section in the prison camp which could be a novel of it's own and reminded me of Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search For Meaning" (which is actually why I purchased this book because the title was reminiscent of Frankl's amazing book). There were a lot of anecdotes which I found to be digestible throughout "My Happy Days in Hell". I found myself pausing and smirking, reflecting on the connection made.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2024
Definitely one of the best books I have ever read. It's probably not what you'd expect. Is it an authentic history of the Hungarian communist gulags, for which it is most famous? Not really, that is only the last quarter of the book and it is very satirical and anecdotal. Is it a historical overview of the 30s and 40s in Hungary? A poet's biographical road movie about constant flight? It would be better to describe it as a constant flow of thoughts, an ambience through, set against a coherent slice of about 10 years of the author's life. The only price the reader has to pay is to endure Faludy's four-foot-tall ego - throughout the book he is the prize-winning, most popular, most loved poet, women fall into his arms at his request, men uniformly admire and help him, not even conspiracy and torture can break his enigma of a mind. Rarely does he come out to humiliate or ridicule himself. But that is a small price to pay for all the compelling stories, historical tidbits and interesting friends we will meet along the way. I recommend that you look out for the names sprinkled throughout as you read, whether they be political figures from ancient, medieval and modern times, or references to art and history, they are well worth the detours. Despite the fact that this is a journey of the mind, he makes a real effort to name all the people and places in a documentary style, either to create an epitaph for important friends or perpetrators of heinous crimes.
March 10, 2018
Quite difficult to write something.
There is the one hand, and there is the other.
Obviously, it deserves the five-star rating, and yet...
The fifth chapter, called 'The Forced-Labour Camp' is some of the most inspiring writing one might read about the basic, urgent human ability to face the most violent abuses, and transcend this scenario with a fundamental and desperate application of the strength of the intellect.
I have read nothing like it to know of the deprivations, the pain and suffering, to have been a human being, to survive through it all.
Yet, it may be difficult for anyone who does not have a strong affinity for Hungarian history to appreciate this novel.
It is the autobiography of a Hungarian poet who was interned in a work camp. There is a great degree of politics and history, all of it Hungarian.
As I read the novel, the names of the people, the villages, all of them were quite familiar to me, even the attitudes of the people were well known, but only because I had lived there.
For me it was a 5-star book, but it was because I was well familiar with Faludy György, and what had happened in Hungary after the second world war.
I think it might be quite a difficult read for anyone not of Hungarian background, but, it is a great book, and Faludy György has given us a wonderful gift at the cost of so much of his life.
There is the one hand, and there is the other.
Obviously, it deserves the five-star rating, and yet...
The fifth chapter, called 'The Forced-Labour Camp' is some of the most inspiring writing one might read about the basic, urgent human ability to face the most violent abuses, and transcend this scenario with a fundamental and desperate application of the strength of the intellect.
I have read nothing like it to know of the deprivations, the pain and suffering, to have been a human being, to survive through it all.
Yet, it may be difficult for anyone who does not have a strong affinity for Hungarian history to appreciate this novel.
It is the autobiography of a Hungarian poet who was interned in a work camp. There is a great degree of politics and history, all of it Hungarian.
As I read the novel, the names of the people, the villages, all of them were quite familiar to me, even the attitudes of the people were well known, but only because I had lived there.
For me it was a 5-star book, but it was because I was well familiar with Faludy György, and what had happened in Hungary after the second world war.
I think it might be quite a difficult read for anyone not of Hungarian background, but, it is a great book, and Faludy György has given us a wonderful gift at the cost of so much of his life.
February 14, 2020
So, I've read "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", the first volume of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's memoirs and now a Hungarian one too. Not as brief and "Poetic" as Ivan's and not completely drowned in despair like Alexanders', it strikes a good balance.
Taking a wider spread of his life enables him to describe youthful adventures before the Iron Curtain tightens and slowly crushes the life out of him.
I'm ashamed that I don't know Russian or Hungarian but the poetry of Faludys' text shines through; a joy to read as he traverses the world and his decline into slavery. What's amazing is that he manages to stay positive, quick witted, inventive and compassionate throughout his time in the camps. This is truly inspirational and makes a wonderful contrast to the first two books I mentioned.
A hefty tome but worth it.
Taking a wider spread of his life enables him to describe youthful adventures before the Iron Curtain tightens and slowly crushes the life out of him.
I'm ashamed that I don't know Russian or Hungarian but the poetry of Faludys' text shines through; a joy to read as he traverses the world and his decline into slavery. What's amazing is that he manages to stay positive, quick witted, inventive and compassionate throughout his time in the camps. This is truly inspirational and makes a wonderful contrast to the first two books I mentioned.
A hefty tome but worth it.
July 16, 2023
A difficult read. I got into it the more I read, and as depressing as the final chapter is, it was the most interesting and gripping.
A salutary story, grim in it's description of how deprived a state and people can become, but with a message of hope; that people can survive the worst of all situations, as long as their minds remain free.
A salutary story, grim in it's description of how deprived a state and people can become, but with a message of hope; that people can survive the worst of all situations, as long as their minds remain free.
February 23, 2018
Luego de muchos borradores y periplos intelectuales absurdos he preferido ser concreto: la autobiografía de György Faludy es la mera verga, así, con los índices levantados trazando una línea a lo largo de mis brazos extendidos.
May 15, 2018
I was really looking forward to the book especially the last part about 'Recsk'.
Terrifying to see how similar things are happening nowadays also.
Very powerful and ever Hungarian should read this book because it seems the old habits coming back.
Terrifying to see how similar things are happening nowadays also.
Very powerful and ever Hungarian should read this book because it seems the old habits coming back.
April 24, 2019
A stunning work of true-life art, Faludy's prose is as ornamentally beautiful as Siegfried Sassoons, whether he is telling of his adventures in Africa or America or recounting in nightmarish detail his torture under the Peoples Republic.
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