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Szabad
'She screams one Szabad! Free. Szabad!'
It is the 1950s. The Soviets and the Secret Police have a choking grip on Hungary and the lives of its citizens. Attila Szabo is one of them, just a teenager, but he's been forced to grow up quickly, with his father in prison. In the top-floor flat, a new couple has just moved in, clearly different in class, so why have they been sent here and can they be trusted? But it's the beautiful wife who is of interest to Attila. His coming fight for his country's freedom is also to become one of passion.
Content contains coarse language and descriptions of sexual abuse.
It is the 1950s. The Soviets and the Secret Police have a choking grip on Hungary and the lives of its citizens. Attila Szabo is one of them, just a teenager, but he's been forced to grow up quickly, with his father in prison. In the top-floor flat, a new couple has just moved in, clearly different in class, so why have they been sent here and can they be trusted? But it's the beautiful wife who is of interest to Attila. His coming fight for his country's freedom is also to become one of passion.
Content contains coarse language and descriptions of sexual abuse.
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First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Alan Duff
44 books57 followersAlan Duff (born October 26, 1950, Rotorua, New Zealand) is a New Zealand novelist and newspaper columnist, most well known as the author of Once Were Warriors. He began to write full-time in 1985.
He tried writing a thriller as his first novel, but it was rejected. He burned the manuscript and started writing Once Were Warriors, which had an immediate and great impact. The novel is written in juxtaposed interior monologues, making its style stand out from other works. It was winner of the PEN Best First Book Award, was runner-up in the Goodman Fielder Wattie Award, and was made into the award-winning film of the same name in 1994.
Another of his novels, One Night Out Stealing, appeared in 1991 and shortlisted in the 1992 Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards.
He was also awarded the Frank Sargeson Fellowship in 1991, and began writing a weekly -- later bi-weekly — column for the Evening Post (Wellington newspaper), syndicated to eight other newspapers. In this, and in his 1993 analysis, Māori: The Crisis and the Challenge, he has developed his ideas on the failures of Māoridom, castigating both the traditional leadership and the radical movement for dwelling on the injustices of the past and expecting others to resolve them, instead of encouraging Māori to get on and help themselves. The blame for Māori underperformance he puts squarely back on Māori, for not making the most of the opportunities given them. This somewhat simplistic message has proved highly controversial.
State Ward started as a series of episodes on radio in 1993 and was published as a novella in 1994.
The Books in Homes scheme, co-founded in 1995 by Duff and Christine Fernyhough, with commercial sponsorship and government support, aims to alleviate poverty and illiteracy by providing low-cost books to underprivileged children, thus encouraging them to read. In its first year alone it put about 180,000 new books in the hands of about 38,000 children. By 2008, the scheme delivered 5 million books to schools around New Zealand.
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1996), the sequel to Once Were Warriors, was the winner of the fiction section of the 1997 Montana Book Awards and was also made in to a film in 1999. Two Sides of the Moon was published in 1998. Duff wrote his own memoir, Out of the Mist and the Steam, in 1999. His first novel to be set outside of New Zealand is Szabad (2001). Inspired by the stories of people Duff met during his several trips to Hungary, the story takes place in Budapest during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Jake's Long Shadow (2002) is the third volume in Duff's Once Were Warriors trilogy. In 2003 Once Were Warriors was brought to the stage across New Zealand as a musical drama.
He tried writing a thriller as his first novel, but it was rejected. He burned the manuscript and started writing Once Were Warriors, which had an immediate and great impact. The novel is written in juxtaposed interior monologues, making its style stand out from other works. It was winner of the PEN Best First Book Award, was runner-up in the Goodman Fielder Wattie Award, and was made into the award-winning film of the same name in 1994.
Another of his novels, One Night Out Stealing, appeared in 1991 and shortlisted in the 1992 Goodman Fielder Wattie Book Awards.
He was also awarded the Frank Sargeson Fellowship in 1991, and began writing a weekly -- later bi-weekly — column for the Evening Post (Wellington newspaper), syndicated to eight other newspapers. In this, and in his 1993 analysis, Māori: The Crisis and the Challenge, he has developed his ideas on the failures of Māoridom, castigating both the traditional leadership and the radical movement for dwelling on the injustices of the past and expecting others to resolve them, instead of encouraging Māori to get on and help themselves. The blame for Māori underperformance he puts squarely back on Māori, for not making the most of the opportunities given them. This somewhat simplistic message has proved highly controversial.
State Ward started as a series of episodes on radio in 1993 and was published as a novella in 1994.
The Books in Homes scheme, co-founded in 1995 by Duff and Christine Fernyhough, with commercial sponsorship and government support, aims to alleviate poverty and illiteracy by providing low-cost books to underprivileged children, thus encouraging them to read. In its first year alone it put about 180,000 new books in the hands of about 38,000 children. By 2008, the scheme delivered 5 million books to schools around New Zealand.
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1996), the sequel to Once Were Warriors, was the winner of the fiction section of the 1997 Montana Book Awards and was also made in to a film in 1999. Two Sides of the Moon was published in 1998. Duff wrote his own memoir, Out of the Mist and the Steam, in 1999. His first novel to be set outside of New Zealand is Szabad (2001). Inspired by the stories of people Duff met during his several trips to Hungary, the story takes place in Budapest during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Jake's Long Shadow (2002) is the third volume in Duff's Once Were Warriors trilogy. In 2003 Once Were Warriors was brought to the stage across New Zealand as a musical drama.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 9, 2019
I thought this was a fantastic, dark story that told of life for many in conquered Hungary with despotic Russian overlords made even more sinister because this all took place not that long ago.
The story starts with the return of Attila's father from a stint in prison relating to 'political' comments. Attila's father is not the man he was - broken by a brutal sytem. Attila is devastated by changes to his once proud and strong father. He is also disappointed by the behaviour of his elder brother who not only doesn't seemed as upset about their father as Attila is, but also doesn't support him in a street fight. The difference between the two starts widening from a split to a chasm.
I really enjoyed following Attila's story and reading how he grows frustrated with the confines placed on him by the Russian regime. I enjoyed following his meeting with xxxx and the cautious manner their friendship grows in parallel with the deterioration of his relationship with his brother. Around this time his adolescence development shifts up notch when he meets xxxx. His sexual experiences are developed well and in a manner that again was credible. The entry of the sophisticated couple upstairs was the start of an adolescent infatuation. The timing of this infatuation with a series of other events leads nicely towards the climax of the story.
The final section of the book looking at the uprising of the Hungarians against the Russians was written in a believable style. I enjoy placing myself in the shoes of the character and this was the most enjoyable section of the book for me - the opportunity to protest. Unfortunately the story was always doomed to end badly as Hungary didnt shrug the shackles of communism until 30 years after this story ends.
My misgivings about the book may be misplaced but I wondered as I was reading how close this story was to the truth. It certainly told a story I wanted to hear and I hope was closely based on actual events.
There were strong parallels with 'Animal Farm' and '1984' throughout the story for obvious reasons. I'm sure this book is banned in China and Tibet. I'm always saddened when reading this type of story by the inequity of life in many countries during many eras.
I would recommend the book.
The story starts with the return of Attila's father from a stint in prison relating to 'political' comments. Attila's father is not the man he was - broken by a brutal sytem. Attila is devastated by changes to his once proud and strong father. He is also disappointed by the behaviour of his elder brother who not only doesn't seemed as upset about their father as Attila is, but also doesn't support him in a street fight. The difference between the two starts widening from a split to a chasm.
I really enjoyed following Attila's story and reading how he grows frustrated with the confines placed on him by the Russian regime. I enjoyed following his meeting with xxxx and the cautious manner their friendship grows in parallel with the deterioration of his relationship with his brother. Around this time his adolescence development shifts up notch when he meets xxxx. His sexual experiences are developed well and in a manner that again was credible. The entry of the sophisticated couple upstairs was the start of an adolescent infatuation. The timing of this infatuation with a series of other events leads nicely towards the climax of the story.
The final section of the book looking at the uprising of the Hungarians against the Russians was written in a believable style. I enjoy placing myself in the shoes of the character and this was the most enjoyable section of the book for me - the opportunity to protest. Unfortunately the story was always doomed to end badly as Hungary didnt shrug the shackles of communism until 30 years after this story ends.
My misgivings about the book may be misplaced but I wondered as I was reading how close this story was to the truth. It certainly told a story I wanted to hear and I hope was closely based on actual events.
There were strong parallels with 'Animal Farm' and '1984' throughout the story for obvious reasons. I'm sure this book is banned in China and Tibet. I'm always saddened when reading this type of story by the inequity of life in many countries during many eras.
I would recommend the book.
October 9, 2016
This was my first attempt to read a Duff book. My rating probably reflects my general lack of enthusiasm for literary rather than popular fiction. The book is beautifully written but so dark as to be too depressing for me to finish reading to the end (I got through to Chapter 7). That is of course a very personal reaction & not intended as any criticism of the worth of the story. It does however illustrate the issue raised in my recent blog post about the general perception in NZ of novels by local writers are depressing.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews