"When I came to Berlin, I no

 longer

wanted to live. Why isn't

   there a way, I thought, if 

  someone doesn't  want to live

 any more, simply to 

         disappear."

In "Berlin-Hamlet" by Szilárd Borbély, Ottilie Mulzet (Translator)

"I do not believe in poetry"

In "Berlin-Hamlet" by Szilárd Borbély, Ottilie Mulzet (Translator)

"I can no longer bear the aggressiveness of poetry,

and I do not wish my deeds to be investigated."

In "Berlin-Hamlet" by Szilárd Borbély, Ottilie Mulzet (Translator)

 

"My need is for those who will know/how/all of this will end."

In "Berlin-Hamlet" by Szilárd Borbély, Ottilie Mulzet (Translator)

I can't give any more quotes...The book is a long quote.

After having finished reading this heart-wrenching poetry book, my thoughts come back to Hamlet, as always. It's always about indecision... 

Borbély is masterfully able to give us this indecision in a modern version.

If you're into gut-wrenching poetry full of Angst don't read my review, read the book... 

On Austrian stages including the famous Burgtheater in Vienna, Liliom by celebrated Hungarian playwright Molnár Ferenc (1878-1952; better known here as Franz Molnár) keeps being one of the most regularly performed plays from the early years of the twentieth century. First put on the stage of the Vígszínház in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (today: Hungary), in December 1909, it left the audience puzzled… and failed. Three years later its German translation by the dramatist’s writer friend Alfred Polgar (1873-1955) paved the way for the lasting and global success that it achieved in the years following the Great War of 1914-18. Already in the 1930s the play was adapted for the screen by Fritz Lang and in the mid-1940s Richard Rogers and Oskar Hammerstein made its English translation from 1921 into the successful musical Carousel, the best of the twentieth century according to TIME magazine.

The story of Liliom is simple. The protagonist from the title is a charming rogue working as a barker for the owner of a merry-go-round in an amusement park on the outskirts of Budapest. As the author makes clear in the first scene, he is a handsome young man who loves to flirt with the servant girls spending their leisure time and their money there. One of them is Julie who is determined not to let herself be bound in the chains of marriage, but she takes fun in flirting with Liliom. His boss, Mrs. Muskat, disapproves of Liliom’s behaviour towards the servant girls and Julie in particular. It doesn’t become quite clear if this is only because his taking liberties with the female clients can get her into trouble with the authorities for being immoral or also because she too has a secret crush on Liliom. Since Liliom is stubborn and refuses to send away Julie, Mrs. Muskat dismisses him from his job. He doesn’t care. He’s a happy-go-lucky and leaves with Julie who knows that she will lose her job too for not returning home in time. In the following scene Liliom and Julie are a married couple living in a shabby hut in the backyard of Julie’s relatives running a photographic studio close to the amusement park. Liliom still is without job and, what is worse, he drinks, he gambles with petty criminals and he beats Julie who turns out to be pregnant. What follows is predictable: one of his criminal friends convinces him to join him in an armed robbery and Julie can do nothing to prevent it. The robbery fails and Liliom is killed, but this is not the end. Liliom is taken to a court room in Heaven and years later back to Earth to meet his daughter…

Adding to the otherwise entirely realistic plot two post-mortem scenes in a Heaven as the protagonist expected it all along, seems to have been quite daring when Liliom was first put on stage. On the other hand, I feel that in a way Franz Molnár just continued and adapted for his purposes a technique used by Austrian authors like Ferdinand Raimund and Johann Nepomuk Nestroy in nineteenth-century popular farce. Also in other respects it’s a puzzling and thought-provoking play. It leaves much room for interpretation from very different angles. In other words, it’s just what I like – and it has lost none of its lively topicality.

Liliom a Legend in Seven Scenes and a Prologue - Ferenc Molnár 

Genre:  Folktale / Manners / Hungary / Trickery / Animals

Year Published: 1976

Year Read:  2015

Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Company

I have read many folktales from around the world, but I rarely read folktales that came from Hungary! “Two Greedy Bears” by Mirra Ginsburg along with illustrations by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey seems like a familiar story that I had heard of many times before, but I have never actually read the actual tale of this lesson. Well, now this is the first time I had read the original tale and I loved it!

The book starts off with two young bear cubs running outside to see the world until they stumbled upon a brook. Both of the bear cubs wanted to drink out of the brook, but when one of them replies that he is thirsty, the other one replied that he is thirstier and this leads to the two bear cubs trying to outdo each other by seeing who could drink the most water from the brook. The bear cubs drank so much water from the brook that they ended up having huge stomachaches and they had to sleep it off until the next morning. When the bear cubs felt better the next morning, they continued to explore the world until they found a large round of cheese lying on the ground. The bear cubs wanted to divide the cheese among themselves, they could not figure out a way to divide the cheese equally. So, they started to fight each other until a fox came by and wanted to help the bear cubs divide the cheese.

Will the fox help the bear cubs divide the cheese?

Read this book to find out!

I was seriously amazed at how Mirra Ginsburg made the story as simplistic as possible, while still delivering the message about how becoming greedy can come with its own consequences. Now even though I had read many folktales that dealt with the consequences of greed, this book was quite unique as it showed more about what happens if you let greed get to you, rather than outright telling the reader that greed is never a good thing. I also thought that it was quite hilarious and creative at what happens at the end of this book (I will not spoil it for anyone who has not read this book yet) as I found myself laughing at how the fox solved this dilemma between the bear cubs! Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey’s artwork were truly cute to look at as the two bear cubs had different shades of color as one was brown and the other was yellow as it helps the reader tell them apart. I also loved the fact that the bear cubs were round and fluffy as it shows how innocent they are and yet, they do not understand about greed and therefore they get themselves into trouble whenever their greed gets the best of them.

Overall, “Two Greedy Bears” is a truly fantastic book for children who wants to learn about the consequences of greed and wants to read a folktale that comes from Hungary! I would recommend this book to children ages three and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.

Review is also on Rabbit Ears Book Blog

4 ½ of 5 Stars

While Hungarian Count Matthias Duma is in London, he meets the intriguing Katherine Archibald. He courts her despite his “condition” of being a werewolf.

Both of my parents were born in Hungary, and I love shape shifter/werewolf novels. Naturally wanting to read this book was a no-brainer for me. I’m really glad that I picked it up it is an amazing novel that was well worth the read.

It is apparent that Stephanie Burkhart lived in Hungary for a while. She did a wonderful job describing the features of the country. The historical aspects of the novel are noteworthy. She mentions facets that are very relevant in both English and Hungarian culture and history making the novel believable.

Katherine Archibald is a strong heroine. She is independent despite the time period. She loves books and wants to open her own book store using her inheritance. She is brave and loving; a wonderful role model and mother figure for Matthias’ daughter.

Matthias is a caring and resilient hero. He strives to be good and despite being a werewolf. He is a remarkable father doing much more than most men of his time period. He has incredible control and is business sense. He goes a bit overboard in his rivalry with fellow werewolf Count Anton Varga, but his reasons are understandable.

Burkhart’s character development is exceptional. We witness both main and secondary characters grow throughout the novel. The plot was exciting and original. A lot happens throughout the 276 page novel that kept me entranced.

The Hungarian is an entrancing historical novel with believable paranormal aspects. I would definitely continue reading the Budapest Moon Series.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

(kicsi spoiler, nem vészes, nem tudsz meg semmi olyat ami elrontaná az olvasás élményét)

Azt hiszem itt az ideje, hogy elkezdjem végre lejegyezni a benyomásaimat a könyvekről, amiket elolvastam. Kezdem is a legutóbbival. Neil Gaiman-től ez az első könyv, amit elolvastam (na jó nem, most jöttem rá, hogy a novelláiból is olvastam azért vagy 5-öt talán). Nagyon megfogott a stílusa, az, hogy van a műveiben egy kis mágia, egy kis varázslat, no meg persze megtudtam, hogy Terry Pratchettel is dolgozott együtt, akitől még szintén csak egy könyvet olvastam el, de az nagyon jó volt. 

A könyv az amerikai istenekről szól, akiket a bevándorló népek vittek magukkal (a fejükben, a történeteikben és a szokásaikban). ezeknek az isteneknek, már régen nem hódolnak, és kezdenek kifakulni, eltűnni. Ja, mivel hogy ezek nem csak olyan istenek, hogy láthatatlanok, meg szellemek (bizonyos szinten igen), de fizikai szinten is léteznek, és találkozhat velük az ember Amerikában. Van aki kisstílű bankrabló, mások prostik vagy taxisofőrök. A bonyodalom az új istenek és a régiek között lép fel, van egy Árnyék nevű fickó akiről szól ez az egész sztori, illetve vele kezdődik na. Árnyék épp a börtönből szabadul, de komplikációk vannak, és nem úgy mennek a dolgok, ahogy ő azt eltervezte. Szerda egy különleges emberke, aki a munkáltatója lesz. Többet nem is mondok, kiderül persze közben, hogy ki kicsoda. 

A könyv az én e-book olvasómban 448 oldalas, valójában valószinűleg rövidebb, a feléig kábé csak felvezeti a sztorit, több szálon fut a történet, néha csak bemutat egy-egy rövid fejezet erejéig egy istent. Érdekes, de homályos belátást kapunk így a dolgokba, Szerda nagyon titokzatos, így hát 200 oldalon keresztül húzzák a mézesmadzagot... és aztán Wááááááá! Megtörténik a csoda, pörögnek az események, beindul a harc a háttértörténet, kiderül mindenkiről, hogy kicsoda is ő valójában. 

Igazán megragadó történet. Azt hiszem, van is néhány jegyzet amit elmentettem az olvasómba. Ha megtalááá á megvan!

"Téli köd nyaldosta a dolgos peremét."

"Egy mese lényegét azzal lehet a legjobban elmondani, ha elmeséljük. Értik? Ha egy történetről akarunk beszélni, akkor éppen elmeséljük azt. Ez kötéltánc és álom is egyben. Minél részletesebb a térkép, annál jobban emlékeztet magára a tájra. A létező legrészletesebb térkép mag a táj, ezért térképnek tökéletesen pontos és teljességgel haszontalan lenne.

A mese ez a térkép, ami a táj.

Ezt ne feledjék.   -Ibis úr jegyzetfüzetéből"