Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 894.51132 EAN: 9789631339314 ISBN: 9631333728 Label: Budapest, Hungary: Corvina, 1991 Manufacturer: Budapest, Hungary: Corvina, 1991 Number Of Pages: 560 Publication Date: 1991-12 Publisher: Budapest, Hungary: Corvina, 1991 Studio: Budapest, Hungary: Corvina, 1991
Editorial Reviews:
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Great novel! Comment: This novel has it all - history, romance, deeds of daring, and dastardly villains. This is definitely one of my all-time favorites - this is the sort of book you'll want to re-read over and over again. It covers the period when the Turks were running rampant in Hungary, which is seldom described in English-language history books, so the setting itself is exotic for that very reason; an American reader will be biting his/her nails till the last page to see how it all turns out. I give it five stars without any hesitation. Customer Rating: Summary: Historical Fiction the way it should be. Comment: I picked up my copy while in Hungary.
The bookstore had a whole section in English, so I read it while I was there.
It is set in the 16th century, but written in at the turn of the last century. Be sure to read the Introduction.
It has something for everyone. Great for boys. I plan on reading it to my son who is 10. He could probably handle the language, but I think that we would have more fun reading it together.
The climax of the story is a real life seige of a small fort that held off the Turks for 25 days. Customer Rating: Summary: I fell in love with this book! It was nonfiction history blended with a beautiful fictional love story Comment: My husband is from Hungary and has read this book at least five times since he has been eight years old. He has always told me about this book, his favorite book, and wished that I could enjoy it too. When he finally found an English translation he ordered it immediately and made me read it. At first I looked at it like he was giving me a homework assignment. He jokingly threatened to quiz me daily to see if I was actually reading it. I am a history teacher so a small part of me was interested in the historical aspect of it. My husband, a military man was all about the fighting aspect, and being a pround Hungarian about the fact that the Hungarians although out numbered managed to kick butt. He promised me there was a love story involved so it wasn't at all a total "boy" book. I reluctantly picked it up and began to read. I could not put it down! He didn't have to quiz me; I ended up bugging him constantly on different aspects of the book. I wanted to know which characters were real and which were fiction. In the original Hungarian translation there is a list of real characters in the back, sadly something the English translation is missing. If I had one single complaint it would be that for someone who is not familiar with the Hungarian language or Hungarian history there are a few parts that could confuse the reader. There is a short glossary in the back of the book which list Hungarian and Turkish terms, but every now and then there was something that was left unexplained. It was by far one of the best books I have ever read, and I have read a lot of books. They should truly make an epic movie based on this book. It would fit in with the likes of Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, and all other epic ancient tales that rake in millions nowadays. My husband got a kick out of my mispronunciation of all the characters names, but he is used to my butchered attempts at Hungarian. For once my husband was right - This actually was a great book! Customer Rating: Summary: One of my favorite historical novels Comment: This classic Hungarian novel is about the life of an orphaned peasant boy who grows up to be one of the greatest heroes of the country. The author did a thorough research on the era he was writing about so the story is historically accurate and rich in details. The siege of the castle of Eger (1552) is the best part of the book, but I also loved the first part of the novel, because reading about the lives of the two main character from their childhood made me feel closer to them. The history of Hungary in the 16th century was a bloody one, yet there are not only battles in the book, but glimpses into the everyday life of Hungarian people and the occupying Turkish army, some insight into the political intrigues of the era and a beautiful love story of the peasant boy Gergely and Eva, his childhood sweetheart, whose parents want to force her to marry a nobleman. This is Gárdonyi's best novel in my opinion. I lived in Eger for 4 years, maybe that's why I love its history.
For the reviewer who said someone should make a movie based on this book: there IS a movie and it's quite good although not as good as the book and I guess it's not available in English. (Also considered to be the movie with the funniest bloopers in Hungarian film history; with the 16th century people wearing watches and training shoes, I was told that there is also a bus that can be seen somewhere in the background -- I haven't seen that one yet, though. :)
Customer Rating: Summary: A Hungarian Classic! Comment: I first came across the story when my drama group performed a rather shambolic adaptation of the book. After we toured Hungary with it I finally managed to find an English copy and fell in love with it. The actual dialogue is a bit ropey in places but I think that can be blamed on the translation. The reflection of the events is probably heavily romanticized but it dosn't matter for Gardonyi creates a really inspiring tale of bravery, heroism and sacrifice.
