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'56
A romantic saga about reluctant heroes amid the chaos of the Hungarian Revolution. This is history with a heart, a compassionate story about the human toll of the Cold War. The events are illustrated with stills from newsreel footage shot on the streets of Budapest.
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- GenresHistorical Fiction
ebook
First published January 1, 2013
2 people want to read
About the author
Gabriella Horvath
1 book2 followersGabriella Horvath was born into a family who fled Hungary during the revolution of 1956. She works as an Administrator for Comparative Media Studies at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she's also a co-curator of the European Short Film Festival. '56 is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 10, 2013
Lest we forget that there were casualties in the Cold War, Gabriella Horvath pays tribute to the victims of Soviet aggression during the ill-fated Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Once a proud center of culture and civilization, Hungary finds itself by the 1950s reduced to a Russian feifdom. Mismanagement and corruption have gutted its economy, and the people have to either suffer long lines for necessities or deal with treacherous black marketeers. When mixed messages about regime change come from Moscow, revolutionary fervor spreads through Hungary like wildfire. Soon the streets of Budapest are filled with people who had almost forgotten how to hope for a better future.
This humane story describes all these people. There's old Feri, whose café was nothing more than a front for his black market commerce until it started to teem with hopeful patriots. His friend Sanyi in the secret police turns a blind eye to Feri's dealings, but with the political situation heating up, he may not be able to stay neutral for long. The heart of the story is Gizi, a strong young woman who's torn between her country's freedom and her family's safety. She inspires Feri to believe in the kind of lost cause he had long sworn off; and she represents to Sanyi a future beyond his cynicism and cowardice.
Reading this thrilling book, you feel you're in the streets with idealistic students, fighting alongside the amateur revolutionaries. You feel their optimism even in the makeshift hospital wards in bombed-out buildings. You hear them singing their songs in the cafés and alleys, and hear the sirens and explosions as the people face their fate.
Once a proud center of culture and civilization, Hungary finds itself by the 1950s reduced to a Russian feifdom. Mismanagement and corruption have gutted its economy, and the people have to either suffer long lines for necessities or deal with treacherous black marketeers. When mixed messages about regime change come from Moscow, revolutionary fervor spreads through Hungary like wildfire. Soon the streets of Budapest are filled with people who had almost forgotten how to hope for a better future.
This humane story describes all these people. There's old Feri, whose café was nothing more than a front for his black market commerce until it started to teem with hopeful patriots. His friend Sanyi in the secret police turns a blind eye to Feri's dealings, but with the political situation heating up, he may not be able to stay neutral for long. The heart of the story is Gizi, a strong young woman who's torn between her country's freedom and her family's safety. She inspires Feri to believe in the kind of lost cause he had long sworn off; and she represents to Sanyi a future beyond his cynicism and cowardice.
Reading this thrilling book, you feel you're in the streets with idealistic students, fighting alongside the amateur revolutionaries. You feel their optimism even in the makeshift hospital wards in bombed-out buildings. You hear them singing their songs in the cafés and alleys, and hear the sirens and explosions as the people face their fate.
August 26, 2014
Book Blurb: '56 is a gripping tale of love and treachery amid the Hungarian revolution. In 1956, the once-proud nation is a Soviet pawn, and a decade of Communist oppression has made everything scarce except suspicion and cynicism. Rumors of change begin an avalanche of militant optimism among a people deprived of hope. Then Soviet tanks head to Budapest, the West looks the other way, and the citizens must accept that their hopes of freedom are doomed: can true love survive when defeat is inevitable? Escape is an option, but is that a lost cause too? The events are illustrated with stills from newsreel footage shot on the streets of Budapest during the height of the uprising.
Review: My parents were born in Hungary, and even though they were children when the Hungarian Revolution was going on, they have very vivid memories of their lives and what my grandparents were going through. My mom remembers the Russian tanks going through the city. It is mostly why my grandparents decided to move to America not much later. It was a difficult and scary time to say the least.
The very real historical aspect of the storyline and descriptions were despairing, yet captivating. I enjoyed the love story too. I especially enjoyed the bits of Hungarian that were included in the dialogue. Great job! I hope she writes more novels!
Review: My parents were born in Hungary, and even though they were children when the Hungarian Revolution was going on, they have very vivid memories of their lives and what my grandparents were going through. My mom remembers the Russian tanks going through the city. It is mostly why my grandparents decided to move to America not much later. It was a difficult and scary time to say the least.
The very real historical aspect of the storyline and descriptions were despairing, yet captivating. I enjoyed the love story too. I especially enjoyed the bits of Hungarian that were included in the dialogue. Great job! I hope she writes more novels!
July 10, 2013
This is an amazing first novel! A fascinating time in history, and a compelling story.
August 16, 2013
This book is, I think, one of the most powerful I have ever read - a mixture of fictional characters in a frighteningly real situation, I found it gripping and emotional.
I remember watching the film "Schindler's List" and, at the end, when the house lights went up and people would normally be scrambling for the exits, nobody moved; we were all too stunned by what we had seen. "'56" affected me like that. After I had read the last word, I just stared at the page, assimilating the heart-wrenching stories that I had experienced.
Gabriella Horvath has created something rare and special. I strongly recommend this excellent book.
I remember watching the film "Schindler's List" and, at the end, when the house lights went up and people would normally be scrambling for the exits, nobody moved; we were all too stunned by what we had seen. "'56" affected me like that. After I had read the last word, I just stared at the page, assimilating the heart-wrenching stories that I had experienced.
Gabriella Horvath has created something rare and special. I strongly recommend this excellent book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews