Antal Szerb

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Antal Szerb (May 1, 1901, Budapest - January 27, 1945, Balf) was a noted Hungarian scholar and writer. He is recognized as one of the major Hungarian literary personalities of the 20th century.

Contents

[edit] Life and work

Szerb was born to assimilated Jewish parents in Budapest, but baptized Catholic. He studied Hungarian, German and later English, obtaining a doctorate in 1924. From 1924 to 1929 he lived in France and Italy, also spending a year in London, England.

As a student he published essays on Georg Trakl and Stefan George. His first novel, The Pendragon Legend was published the following year (1934). His second and best-known work, Utas és holdvilág, known in English as Journey by Moonlight or The Traveler, came out in 1937. He was made a Professor of Literature at the University of Szeged the same year. He was twice awarded the Baumgarten Prize, in 1935 and 1937.

In 1941 he published a History of World Literature which continues to be authoritative today. On top of that, he published a volume on novel theory and a book about the history of Hungarian literature.

Szerb was deported to a concentration camp during World War II and was beaten to death there in January 1945, at 43.

[edit] Selected bibliography

  • Az angol irodalom kistükre, 1929 ("An Outline of English Literature")
  • Cynthia, 1932
  • A magyar irodalom története, 1934 ("History of Hungarian literature")
  • A Pendragon legenda, 1934
  • Szerelem a palackban, 1935 ("Love in the Bottle", short stories)
  • Budapesti útikalauz marslakók számára, 1935
    • tr.: A Martian's Guide to Budapest (see a detail)
  • Utas és holdvilág, 1937
  • A világirodalom története, 1941 ("History of World Literature")
  • VII. Olivér, 1943 ("Oliver the VIIth", published under the pseudonym A.H. Redcliff)
  • A királyné nyaklánca, 1943 ("The Queen's Necklace")
  • Száz vers, 1943/1944 ("100 poems")

[edit] Translations

English

Czech

  • Pendragonská prisera 1946
  • Pendragonská legenda 1985
  • Tyran 1998

Dutch

  • Reis bij maanlicht 2004

French

German

  • Die Pendragon-Legende 1966 ISBN B0000BTJOF
  • Die Pendragon-Legende 1978 ISBN 3-87680-773-5
  • Die Pendragon-Legende 2004 ISBN 3-423-24425-9
  • Der Wanderer und der Mond 1974
  • Reise im Mondlicht 2003 ISBN 3-423-24370-8
  • Das Halsband der Königin 2005 ISBN 3-423-13365-1
  • Marie Antoinette oder Die unbeglichene Schuld (older translation of "Das Halsband der Königin") 1966 ISBN B0000BTJOE
  • Oliver VII 1972 (published in East Germany)
  • Oliver VII 2006 ISBN 3-423-13474-7

Italian

  • La leggenda di Pendragon 1989
  • Il viaggiatore e il chiaro di luna 1999

Polish

  • Legenda Pendragonow 1971
  • A királyné nyaklánca 1991

Slovak

  • Prázdny hrob 1972

Slovenian

  • Legenda o Pendragon 1980

Spanish

  • El collar de la reina 1941
  • El Viajero Bajo El Resplandor De Laluna 2000
  • La leyenda de los Pendragon 2004

[edit] External links

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In other languages