About this book
A bihari remete és egyéb történetek by Aurél Kárpáti sweeps listeners into a tapestry of vivid scenes and moral reckonings, pairing finely observed detail with the sweep of history. This collection of short stories—first published in 1920—moves between intimate human moments and larger historical backdrops, where beggars, freedmen, and solitary figures reveal social tensions, fate, and resilience.
Kárpáti’s prose, rooted in early 20th-century Hungarian literature, often evokes classical and rural settings alike: marble forums and sunlit terraces mingle with provincial solitude, creating richly atmospheric historical fiction. Themes of exile, survival, class friction, and the uncanny surface again and again, rendered in language that balances lyricism with unsparing realism. The stories reward attentive listening with their textured characterization and cinematic sense of place, from the creak of wooden carts to the measured cadence of a magistrate’s voice.
Ideal for fans of literary short stories and historical fiction, A bihari remete és egyéb történetek will also appeal to anyone interested in Hungarian classics or in translations that preserve the original’s tonal subtlety. Listen for the atmospheric narration and the moral complexity that make these compact tales linger long after the final line.
