Summary of Century in Scarlet
The historical novel “Century in Scarlet” is the first part of a trilogy about the Dukay family, also known as the “Ararat trilogy”. It chronicles the lives of two Hungarian brothers and their relatives in the ballrooms of the Habsburg Empire at the time of the European liberal revolutions of 1848. The novel features many historical events and figures, including Prince Metternich and the Hungarian freedom fighter Lajos Kossuth.
Reasons to read Century in Scarlet
“Century in Scarlet” is a highly underrated historical family saga set mainly in Hungary throughout the 19th century. Lajos Zilahy, a Hungarian novelist, playwright and film director, is considered one of the most important Hungarian writers of the 20th century. A long-overlooked classic of Hungarian literature, awaiting rediscovery by an international audience.
Setting: Budapest (Hungary)
Novel set in Hungary: Budapest (but also in other parts of the Habsburg Empire).
Original title: BĂbor Ă©vszázad
Year of publication: 1965
Nr of pages: 432
