Summary of Embers
“Embers” by Sándor Márai is a novel about an elderly general who lives in an isolated castle in the woods, and his visitor, a former best friend whom he hasn’t seen in over 40 years. Through their evening dinner conversations, it becomes clear that a deep, unresolved resentment lingers between the two men. The general suspects that his friend attempted to kill him years ago and is now seeking an answer to his questions. Meanwhile, the memory of the general’s late wife casts a shadow over their interactions.
Reasons to read Embers
“Embers” is widely celebrated as a classic of central-European literature, with its slow-paced rhythm and nostalgic atmosphere evoking the bygone days of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It is a beautiful novel about friendship, love and betrayal. Sándor Márai, who also wrote “Portraits of a Marriage” and “Casanova in Bolzano”, is regarded as one of the greatest Hungarian writers of the 20th century, but his works were long neglected. His novels bear resemblance to the writings of Joseph Roth, Leo Perutz, and Bruno Schulz.
Setting: Slovakia or Hungary
Book set in Slovakia or Hungary: The novel does not specify the exact location of the castle. The story is set in a region once part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Ore Mountains, a section of the Carpathians near Košice in Slovakia – Sandor Marai’s birthplace – are a plausible setting for the castle in “Embers”, but the narrative could also be situated within Hungary itself.
Original title: A gyertyák csonkig égnek
Year of publication: 1942
Nr of pages: 224
