This is the first book I started and finished in 2011. As I have mentioned before, it's the second book by Polcz that I read. The first one was Asszony a fronton, and I was so impressed by it, that I decided to dig deeper in Polcz's works, and read more of her books. You know what? I am glad I did. As a matter of fact, I am going to dig even deeper, especially since I have already loaned another novel by her, Leányregény.
Kit szerettem? Mit szerettem? wasn't a novel though, but a collection of short stories. I learned whom and what were the most important people and things in Polcz's life: she writes about puliszka, relationships, friendships, her marriage, her travels, places that meant her the most, etc. The thing that makes this book special is that she writes about her private life in a very cosy and intimate way: not just giving away those facts and details, and making them public, but weaving and turning them into beautiful stories.
To me, the most fascinating thing was how she wrote about Weöres Sándor - she called him Sanyika all her life and all the way through in the book, I found that pretty funny -, Károlyi Amy (she was Weöres' wife, and Nemes Nagy Ágnes. These people are "The Great Hungarian Poets" to me, they are almost like the gods of Hungarian literature, whom I know from the pages of textbooks and the shelves of the library. But from Polcz's book I learned about an other side of them: they weren't only contemporaries but really good friends, too. It was so interesting to read about how they hung out together (that's probably not the phrase I should use in such a context), how Weöres had drinking problems, what his marriage was like with Károlyi Amy (who by the way is the Hungarian Emily Dickinson, another poet-genius), how Weöres had been in a platonic love with Polcz all his life, and how he kissed her at a party when he was rather drunk. I don't think you get to read about such things anywhere else, these stories are most certainly not told anywhere else in such flawless style, from such an inner perspective, without wanting to produce any sensation. These are simply the people whom mattered the most to Polcz Alaine, and it was natural to tell these details that textbooks will not inform you about when she wrote about her relationships and loves of her life. Although Kit szerettem? Mit szerettem? wasn't as capturing and such a page-turner as Asszony a fronton was, I am really glad I read it, because those tiny, everyday details, the private lives of great minds, those not-taught-by-textbooks things I am most interested in.
To me, the most fascinating thing was how she wrote about Weöres Sándor - she called him Sanyika all her life and all the way through in the book, I found that pretty funny -, Károlyi Amy (she was Weöres' wife, and Nemes Nagy Ágnes. These people are "The Great Hungarian Poets" to me, they are almost like the gods of Hungarian literature, whom I know from the pages of textbooks and the shelves of the library. But from Polcz's book I learned about an other side of them: they weren't only contemporaries but really good friends, too. It was so interesting to read about how they hung out together (that's probably not the phrase I should use in such a context), how Weöres had drinking problems, what his marriage was like with Károlyi Amy (who by the way is the Hungarian Emily Dickinson, another poet-genius), how Weöres had been in a platonic love with Polcz all his life, and how he kissed her at a party when he was rather drunk. I don't think you get to read about such things anywhere else, these stories are most certainly not told anywhere else in such flawless style, from such an inner perspective, without wanting to produce any sensation. These are simply the people whom mattered the most to Polcz Alaine, and it was natural to tell these details that textbooks will not inform you about when she wrote about her relationships and loves of her life. Although Kit szerettem? Mit szerettem? wasn't as capturing and such a page-turner as Asszony a fronton was, I am really glad I read it, because those tiny, everyday details, the private lives of great minds, those not-taught-by-textbooks things I am most interested in.
And one other thing: I have never been to Transylvania/Erdély, but Polcz wrote so much about it and with such great love, it awoke a desire in me to go visit and roam around in the area. Until I get to travel, I figured, Iam going to read novels that take place in Transylvania, I will probably re-read the Ábel series by Tamási Áron. Do you have any other suggestions? What abut Wass Albert books? I am yet to read any of them.
