Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

Time to discuss! SPOILERS ABOUND IN THIS THREAD. If you have not finished the book, proceed with that knowledge.

First time commenting, so please bear with me. I read Embers in a couple days, and found it to be one of those "hard to put down books" the thing that kept the expectancy building was the "what happened between these two guys who where so close for one of them to be actually thinking of taking a gun to their last encounter". I have to admit that at first I thought maybe I was reading about a concealed romantic relation between the main guys. Afterwards it wasn't that... but still kept me wanting to know.

Just finished this book last night. I actually started reading it yesterday and just couldn't put it down. I thought it was absolutely marvelously written and the way the plot unfolded made me want to keep on reading to find out the truth.

I was also expecting some sort of a forbidden M-M romance, but the love triangle was a nice twist. I loved the narration style - mostly a monologue that made me feel emotionally connected to the General.

Finally, after finishing the book, I kept thinking about the unanswered question: did she know? What do you think? While I think it was technically left ambiguous, I think she did because a) the way she reacted when Henrick cam back from the hunt; b) that infamous "coward" line; and c) Konrad refusing to answer the question...

It is one of the great things about this book, that lasting uncertainty because Konrad, who is the only one with the truth, wouldn't tell. But I think she did, the "coward" line is the one that made me certain.

This is definitely going on my most enjoyable reads on this list. I rarely give a book 5 stars but this one definitely got 5 stars from me.

I had some reservations about things getting lost in translation, but it’s hard to miss anything from Henrik’s immensely moving and profound insight on friendship, marriage, duty, honor, obsession, and grief. It’s not often you find a plot that can weave it’s way around human nature and dealing with grief in a mature manner.

Totes loved this book 🥰

I’m so conflicted about this book because I can see the ideas behind it being interesting and I liked the unfolding narrative but I wonder if I had a bad translation? I just felt like the never ending monologue of the General were very tedious. I just can’t get over the fact that no one talks like that and if they do they are very obnoxious. Anyway, this just to say that I struggled with it even though I appreciated some parts of it. I think I’m definitely in the minority here.

I'm very glad to see people's reaction to this book. As I was reading it and enjoying it so much, I was worried that others were not getting the same experience I was getting.

That "hard to put down" feeling for sure. The delayed revelations of what happened between these two was masterfully done. I never got the M-M feeling. Interesting... But at the first mention of Krisztina I immediately thought, "uh oh"... But wasn't sure. But then the next time I picked up the book off the coffee table I had a sudden epiphany glancing at the cover - my cover - - Of course she's involved... duh!...


The masterful strokes in this book were not limited to the story telling and the delayed revelations. I also loved the descriptive language. When he described the storm, when he described the woods during the hunt. Everything was so elegant and beautifully done.

I do understand what Corina is saying about the monologues. Do people really talk like that? (we could ask Marlowe of Lord Jim) But during those long monologues I imagined Konrad slumped in his chair, chin on his chest, thinking about all these events. See, The General has been in this house for the last 41 years. Konrad has been travelling, London, Southeast Asia. Konrad has kept himself busy to avoid thinking about things. He probably has less to say. The General however has been thinking and thinking and has thought a very long time about what to say. Even after he's said it, and says he has questions, he answers all his questions himself. Even when Konrad refuses to answer, The General just says, "Good". He already knows the answers. He's had enough time to decide what they are himself.

Did Krisztina know that Konrad planned to shoot The General? I'm not so sure. When she said, "Coward," she could have just been referring to the cowardly way that Konrad ran away. Not necessarily that he was too cowardly to shoot. But I agree that it was left ambiguous on purpose. I think the point is that we can't always know everything that goes on inside a person's heart.

I think another question is why didn't he shoot? The General asks it, but doesn't pursue it. Perhaps he knows and wants us to figure it out. Is it the friendship was too strong? Did they both think so? Did Konrad flee because he couldn't face what he'd done with Krisztina and what he almost did to The General?

I really loved this book. And it's a perfect example of a book that I had never heard of until I began this list.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so beautiful and sparse and I love that it's set in one place over one night as a (barely) conversation between two people and Nini and servants lurk on the fringes and there is this dead woman that haunts the entire thing. Pure beauty.

Also, this "coward" business. I think she was saying it about herself and it applies to every one of them, The General, Konrad, and Krisztina. I want to read Marai's other works. This was breathtaking.

So glad to see more love for this book! I read it last year, and still think of it time to time.

I also loved this and found it hard to put down! I felt Konrad was left as a very enigmatic character. He came, Henrik assumed, to confess something, but except for a few words about his life in Malaysia and since, Henrik did all of the talking and seemed already to know almost everything about what happened in 1899. Then when a question was asked, Konrad wouldn't answer it (although I agree that not answering is also an answer). So Henrik learned very little.

In fact it was Konrad who was learning new things here. Henrik already knew almost everything about that day, but Konrad couldn't have known that Henrik knew about the gun or that Henrik had met Krisztina in the apartment with what that implied. He also didn't know that Krisztina wouldn't be there tonight, until he arrived and saw the empty chair.

So I was left wondering how Konrad felt at the end of the night. Relieved that he barely had to speak? Disappointed that his revelations were unnecessary? Was it even Henrik he had come to see?

Rosemary wrote: "So I was left wondering how Konrad felt at the end of the night. Relieved that he barely had to speak? Disappointed that his revelations were unnecessary? Was it even Henrik he had come to see?..."

Wonderful points and questions. Definitely some things to think about.

I found this book impossible to put down and the writing was lovely. However, I found myself thinking that this could have been better as a short story? I am okay with us never actually hearing the truth from Konrad but the chapters of soliloquies where I was anticipating a reveal never seemed to happen. I did enjoy it but maybe it dragged out a little too much for me.

I enjoyed reading this book and rated it at four stars - almost five. The monologues got a bit lengthy, but maybe the reader is supposed to find them tedious as The General rehashes everything.
I started this book and thought I'd give it a couple of days to read. I couldn't put it down, and subsequently stayed up so I could finish it. The writing was just so captivating and beautifully done.

Jennifer wrote: "I absolutely loved this book. It was so beautiful and sparse and I love that it's set in one place over one night as a (barely) conversation between two people and Nini and servants lurk on the fri..."

I agree! Why isn't this a book taught in literature classes? It's very under-rated.

I loved this book-- the writing is beautiful, and it touched on some of the things I find myself starting to reflect on, like aging and loss.

I just read this and found it quite compelling, as in hard to put down. The writing is beautiful and evocative but…it was one of the most man-splaining books I’ve read. The General never listened to anyone through his entire life and three quarters of the book is a monologue! I’m not sure how I felt about it in the end.
I wanted to hear from Konrad, about his life and his thoughts and I cannot believe that a man who,d shut himself away from a life and a wife he adored based on supposition (seems likely he was right but does that matter?). Memorable.