The Dukays: A Novel (review)

Of the relatively little that had been translated from Hungarian literature before the recent surge in interest, one fact is clear: it has been haphazard. More recently, translations from contemporary writers have shown more thought, with Péter Nádas, Péter Esterházy, and Imre Kertész, as well as several contemporary poets, being translated by a new cadre of competent translators. The recent re-discovery of Sándor Márai by Knopf Publishers could change the dialogue on Hungarian novelists of the twentieth century. In contrast, 1500 Books has chosen to reissue a 1949 translation of part of a trilogy by Lajos Zilahy (1891–1947). The work is a cynical narrative of the decline of Hungary’s aristocracy, but is so overdone as to be a caricature. This middle volume spans 1914–1939, but the period remains nothing more than a vehicle for the author’s prejudices. Its main weakness is disdain for every strata of Hungarian society and all aspects of life in the tragic and eventful decades of the interwar period. While his earlier work had been characterized as “playfully cynical,”¹ this work is purely invective. Not only are the characters one-sided, but the story also strains at the limits of credibility. Zilahy’s combination of “stylistic bravura and sloppiness” along with a distorted history falsifies the Hungarian experience.

Translations introduce cultures to each other. Exposure to a little-known literature, a remote culture, a different perspective, or shared experiences broaden our understanding of shared values. Unfortunately, this book does nothing of the kind. It emphasizes stereotypes and hopes to gain audiences through its sensationalism. In recognizing the value of translation to bring different literatures closer together and to allow us to study common themes and problems across cultures, the translator and publisher must also be aware that merely the fact of translation is not enough: the translation itself should be good, and the work chosen must be worthy of the requisite time and effort. It is a shame that this was not a guideline for the publisher.

The novel follows the fortunes of two of the Dukay women: Krinsztina, who carries an unrequited torch for King Charles IV, and Zia the youngest and most sympathetic one in the family. History, social upheavals, myth, fantasy, international intrigue, backstage romance, and political fanaticism are all filtered through these characters. This is far too much.

What mars the novel most is the tone of disdain and sense of superiority on the author’s part. Instead of social criticism, he presents caricature. No character is presented as a flesh and blood figure. At times Zilahy’s simplification defeats his own purpose: Krisztina remains one-dimensional and a pawn in politics when she could have become a sympathetic character foiled by the expectations of her class. Only Zia and her lover Mihaly are characters of realistic depth, but they move against a background that is largely mythical.

“Krinsztina and the King” is mainly told through the diaries of the spoiled, indulged, and yet neglected eldest girl. Zilahy presents the events of 1919–1920 with a sarcasm that makes his heroine seem foolish. He has no sympathy for the hapless Charles IV, but also ridicules the Regent, Horthy, and the Entente Powers who exiled the king to Madeira. The love story of Terézia (Zia) Dukay and Mihály Ursi forms the bulk of the work, but the prejudiced judgments concerning nations, ethnic groups, social classes continue. It is amazing that Mihaly, the son of a miner from a peasant background, can gain an education, learn several languages, and pass in the highest social circles without problems in a society as snobbish and static as presented by Zilahy. He dismisses the aristocracy as stupid and idle, the middleclass as venial, corrupt, lazy, and opportunistic, and the lower classes as stupid, untrustworthy, cunning, and violent. Yet, in all this welter of failed humanity, Mihaly and Zia emerge as paragons of virtue: noble, intelligent, and resourceful.

An annoying thread...