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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
A delightfully well crafted read. i especially enjoyed how the artful wordplay enhanced the narrative instead of distracting. I giggled out loud.
An enjoyable book. An elderly's couple's adult daughter goes away for the week and the couple adjust to life without her. When she returns, they adjust back. A short book, fun, a little melancholy. I found the return to the old life at the end very true, but a little sad at the same time.
Fine. I honestly liked more Anna la dulce from the same author.
What sadness. What melancholy. What judgement. What desire to be something other than what one is. This is a surprising novel - it was nothing that I was expecting it to be. The description on the back made it sound so provincial in its scope; this it is, shamelessly. But I felt deeply connected to this story as it developed - as the tension of its conclusion approached and all this temporary elation was to collapse under the weight of an ugly reality. It is, after all, the story of a vacation which is, so often, the story of a family discovering itself as the bonds of the everyday are broken and replaced by new possibilities. And that is what happens here. And the deep sadness that glues this family together is revealed in the process (how we wouldn't suspect it when it begins, either!). And it is wrapped in beautiful writing - of the sort which is rare in its affect and its imagery. I could see this happening in Hungary near the turn of the twentieth century; I could see it clearly. But I could also see it now, where trains are replaced with planes and telegraphers replaced with arrival/departure LCD screens, the Panthers with a sports team made of high school friends who've never been able to outgrow each other.
This work is masterful.
This work is masterful.
Kosztolányi's Skylark opens in the provincial town of Sárszegwith the Vajkays accompanying their daughter Skylark to the train station as she departs for a weeklong visit with relatives. Having never been separated from their daughter the reclusive Vajkays are initially despondent & at a loss with Skylark's absence. A dinner at a local restaurant initiates what seems to be an epicurean narrative of an elderly couple's rediscovery of identity due to empty nest syndrome. Skylark slowly morphs into a more complicated story, especially in the final section which contains a few gut wrenching moments of high drama, vitriol & genuine existential terror. Sensitive to familial obligations & how these can sometimes hamper & damage ourselves & our loved ones I found Skylark to be a memorable novel.
I'm torn. Skylark is a well written, interesting, and entertaining book, and probably deserved another star, but I think I over-hyped it to myself. Reading the short summary of the story, I thought there was really going to be some drama. I plowed straight through it just knowing at any minute it was going to get deep. Instead, I plowed straight to the end of the train tracks, where all hope of anything exciting, fizzled. Really? Over? And does the entire story rest on the last line (that I don't understand)? I waited so long to get around to this book, and paid more for it than most other books. Skylark, you broke my heart.
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Úgy szeretem a zamatos szavait olvasni a magyar irodalomnak. Benne ülsz a könyvben. Jóleső példák erre:
"Épp akkor lépett be két fehérsipkás cukrászfiú is, hosszú deszkán rengeteg krémeslepényt hozva, melynek dús, tojásos tölteléke csudásan aránylott a cukorral vastagon szórt, barnapirosra sült, omlatagnak látszó vajastészta kérge alatt."
"Még sütött a nap. Kinyitották az ablakokat, a lakást átjárta a lanyha légáram, melyen arany por-oszlopok libegtek. Szemben velük Veres úr rongyos, szutykos porontya, Gyurka ácsorgott. Száraz kenyeret majszolt, melyen a vastag, cukros napfény végigcsorrant, mintha mézet pergettek volna rá, s a fiú nyalogatta. "
Emellett a könyv megállít egy pillanatra, hogy belegondolj, vajon te is olyan körkörösen élsz-e, mint a szánnivaló karakterek a történetben.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
I liked parts of this book, and the writing style was simple but pleasing. However, some of it is sad, and I expected more to happen at the end.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Charming and lighthearted prose contrasts with some heavy family dynamic psychology underneath. Easy and enjoyable to read, there is plenty to keep you thinking about these characters and this book.