Embers

Beautifully written, elegiac, haunting.... A 'quiet' book definitely not written by one of the many who go on creative writing courses and much the better for it. Gorgeous piece of literature that will stay with you forever.

This is a strange book. It is about a meeting between two men who were great friends in their youth but who have not seen or been in contact with each other for 41 years. It takes the form of a conversation between them over one night when all the reasons, anamosities and feelings which have been pent up for all those 41 years are aired. It is a rather cold book; there is nothing likeable about either character but it does capture the imagination. Well if somewhat strangely written, though that may be due to the fact that it is translated from the original Hungarian. On balance, I'm glad I read it and would recommend it as a curiosity. It stays with you when you have finished it.

Two elderly men look back on their lives in a way that will keep you spellbound throughout. The writing is of the highest quality. The passage about happiness ( if you have been lucky enough to ever experience it) with stop you in your tracks! The writer tells us the gods will note it in the ledger of living and - "demand repayment at the end of life, with crippling interest".

This book seems to have propelled itself into my top five favourite books of all time. It's just extraordinary. What makes it different, to me, is that it's a kind of retrospective of a most intense experience of betrayal and loss, written by someone who is by this stage in his life, over it, almost. But not quite. His two questions for his almost silent conversational partner are just so poignant, as are the responses.It's not a novel with a perfect storyline or perfect characterisations, as some reviewers seem to seek. It's better than that. It's a beautifully written philosophical soliloquy on friendship, loss and betrayal, and incredibly powerful for such a small book.

Book seems to have been bent, probably water damaged. Print is quite large. Paper is excellent.

This was a present and because I enjoyed it so much have been giving it to fiends and relations that I think would appreciate it. I read it last summer and re read it immediately so as to enjoy the language slowly. An extraordinary book about friendship and old age. So sad that the author was never recognised as a great writer in his life time. I highly recommend it

Although this book was written a long time ago, the writing remains fresh despite the time setting of the story (in the early 1900s). It is a picture of a totally different world where people had time to let thoughts of revenge linger and fester. The human emotions and insightful character studies prevent the book being too introspective and gloomy - it is a fascinating read. It is not a long book and, surprisingly, holds the attention throughout. The nugget at the centre of the tale is perhaps no great surprise but the analysis of the central character's reactions are intriguing. A very different and interesting book. Originally written in Hungarian this is a translation from the German and it's possible that some of the style of the original writing is not completely represented but it doesn't affect the integrity of the story.

The type of book where the world melts away around you as you sit, read and dream.You not so much as read this book as watch the words unfold, creating a cinematic masterpiece of emotion and eloquence.The book is the age old tale of three people, 2 men and a woman, who are, tragically, bound together by friendship, love and passion. It is also a muse upon life, death and true friendship.Few modern writers can match the sheer love of language and story telling which this book exudes and, although it has been translated from the German - which in turn was translated from the Hungarian - I feel it loses nothing of its power and intensity.If you love literature then you should love this book

A must read because of its insight into the universal dynamics of friendship, betrayal, and the shadow side of human instinct.

A masterpiece; a really worthy read.

If the confessional baroque is not yet a literary category, Embers surely instantiates it. The writing (at least in the English translation) is not tight or lean, but it is rich and delightful. I started reading one afternoon and couldn't sleep until I'd reached the story's end. As a foray into Hungarian literature, but also simply a good book, I would highly recommend Embers.

magnificent

A splendid book, beautifully translated (I also did read the original), with a masterful intrigue, keeping the reader interested and anxious to the very last line...Marai successfully re-creates the post World War I Hungary's (or former Austrian-Hungarian Empire's middle-European successor states) atmosphere, while his characters live a gripping, deeply human, emotional, multi-layered (personal and societal) drama. Marai's untimely death (suicide) robbed the world literature of one of its biggest 20th century talents, a most meritory Nobel Prize candidate!