[biography] - [quotes] - [publications]
1907 Négy fal között (et. Within four Walls) His first book of poems
- it displays Kosztolányi's exquisite talent for both language and form.
1910 A szegény kisgyermek panaszai (et. Laments of a Poor Little Child)
A sentimental yet intensive account of his childhood experiences in
small-town Hungary. The poems show the influence of impressionism and
symbolism. The problem of death as a final secret is in the centre of
the book, and will be a recurring motive in Kosztolányi's oeuvre.
1922 Néró, a véres költő (et. 1990 Darker Muses: The Poet Nero) Novel;
a psychological presentation of Roman characters. The story actually
deals with the problems of the writer's own time and the questions of
ideal behaviour. "I have been greatly moved by your "Nero",
a novel which fulfills, indeed surpasses the expectation aroused by
the strong and sensitive talent displayed in your previous book... And
yet I am inclined to term it astonishing; and let me add that I apply
this word to a work of art only as the highest praise. By it I mean
that the work is something more than the product of a particular national
or even European culture." (Thomas Mann)
1924 A bús férfi panaszai (et. Laments of a Sad Man) His poems written
between 1922-1924; a sequel to A szegény kisgyermek panaszai, it is
a verse cycle about maturity.
1924 Pacsirta (et. 1993 Skylark) Novel about an elderly couple and their
daughter, a spinster. An objective yet moving account of the unredeemable
situation they live in.
1925 Aranysárkány (et. Golden Kite) Novel. It tells about Antal Novák,
a teacher working in a country school, who is propelled to commit suicide
- the book, with the precision of a detective story, shows his way to
this final decision. "He tried to form life which is endless and
absurd... He is now punished by the Gods." (Dezső Kosztolányi)
1926 Édes Anna (et. 1991 Anna Édes) His last novel is about a servant
girl driven to kill her employers that humiliate and exploit her both
morally and physically.
1928 Meztelenül (et. Naked) The master of rhyme unexpectedly came up
with this volume of free verse - a strikingly modern attempt in Hungary
at the time.
1933 Esti Kornél (et. Kornél Esti) A collection of short stories presenting
his favorite hero, Kornél Esti. "Who is Kornél Esti? As the reader
knows, he is different in each and every story: a cosmopolitan, travelling
by train or by plane; a little boy, lonely, shy and haughty; a true
native of the region Bácska, drinking and telling tragic stories about
his own kindred; a writer, rich, successful and famous; or a famished
unkempt young poet. He is the same in each story: Kosztolányi's alter-ego.
A rebellious outsider." (Judit Márványi)
1935 Számadás (et. Final Account) His last book of poetry - the main
themes are illness, death, mystical experiences and a strong sympathy
towards all sufferers.
1936 Tengerszem (et. Mountain Lake) His last book, a collection of short
stories, is a culmination of his art as a writer of short stories: tragedy
and happiness, the central problems of his works (he once wrote that
happiness is only the absence of tragedy) are here suggested in simple
and flawless sentences. "Kosztolányi simplified the Hungarian sentence,
making it shorter and purer." (Péter Esterházy)
1936-40 Collected Works
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS
Édes Anna
Anna Édes. Translated, with an Introduction, by George Szirtes. London:
Quartet,
Budapest: Corvina, 1991.
Sofija: Narodna kultura, 1973
Milan: Baldini-Castoldi, 1973.
Prague: Práce, 1974.
Riga: Liesne, 1976.
Vilnius: Vaga, 1979.
Novi Sad: Erastvo-Jedinstvo, 1980.
Amsterdam: Loeb, 1982.
Olso: Gyldendal, 1987.
Paris: Sorlot, 1994.
Néró, a véres költő
The Bloody Poet. Tr. by Clifton P. Fadiman. New York: Marius, 1927.
Darker Muses: The poet Nero. A revised
translation based on the 1927. edition
(C. P. Fadiman), by George Szirtes,
Budapest: Corvina, 1990.
Poznan: Rzepecki, 1928.
Baden-Baden: Merlin, 1929.
Milan: Genio, 1933.
Paris: Sorloe, 1944.
Prague: Europsky literarny klub, 1942; Svoboda, 1989.
Moscow: Hudoz. Lit., 1977.
Berlin-Budapest: Ver. der Nation-Corvina, 1979.
Bratislava: Slov. spisovatel, 1983.
Berlin: Verl der Nation, 1990.
Bucharest: Universal Dalsi, 1993.
A pacsirta
Skylark. Translated by Richard Aczél, Introduction by Péter Esterházy,
London: Chatto & Windus, 1993,
and Budapest: Corvina, 1996.
Heilderberg: Merlin, 1928.
Sarajevo: Dzepera knjiga, 1958.
Prague: Mladá fronta, 1961.
Warsaw: PIW, 1962.
Leipzig: Reclam, 1970.
Bratislava. Obzor, 1969.
Sofija: Narodna kultura, 1979.
Moscow: Hud. Lit., 1986
Paris: Hamy, 1991.
Az aranysárkány
Prague: Odeon, 1974.
Bucharest: Albatros, 1982.
Paris: Hamy, 1993.
Esti Kornél
Budapest: Corvina, 1967. (in French)
Warsaw: PIW., 1981.
Aix-en-Provence: Alinea, 1985.
Moscow: Hud. Lit., 1986.
Bucharest: Univers, 1987.
Roma: e/o. 1990.
Short stories
Schachmatt. Basel: Gute Schriften, 1961; new translations, Budapest:
Corvina, 1985.
Der Kuss. Berlin-Weimar: Aufbau-Verl., 1981.
L'oeil-de-mer. Paris: Publ. Orientalistes de France, 1986.
also in Japanese (1985)
Poetry:
Őszi reggeli
Autumn Breakfast. Translated by Clive Wilmer, George Gömöri. Oxford:
Issue five, 1986.
The Lost Rider. A bilingual anthology.
The Corvina Book of Hungarian Verse, Budapest: Corvina Books Ltd., 1997.
The Quest of the Miracle Stag. The Poetry
of Hungary. Ed. by Adam Makkai. Urbana, Chicago and London, University
of Illinois Press, and Budapest: Corvina, 1996.
Selected poetry in other languages:
Cluj: Dacia, 1983.
Bucharest: Albatros, 1970.
Parma: Guarda, 1970.
Subotica: Életjel-Suboticka nov., 1986.
Poeti ungheresi del novecento. Roma: Lucarini, 1990.
Ot serdca k serdcu. Four Hungarian poets. Moscow: Hudoz. Lit., 1991.
[biography] - [quotes] - [publications]
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