#AMREADING MAGDA SZABO’S KATALIN STREET.
Image from 3bp.blogspot |
The novel follows the lives
of three families in Budapest through WWII and its political aftermath into the
post-communist era. It is a tragic tale, in which the survivors are filled with
guilt and regret and the dead continue to wander the streets full of longing.
Irén reflects on the nature
of time.
The past is inescapable. It is not only facts that are irreversible;
our past reactions and feelings are too. One can neither relive them nor alter
them.
We do not appreciate the
present. You always realize too late the
importance of drawing out the moment while you can, while it is still possible.
I was always in too much of a hurry, I just wanted the time to pass.
And when old age arrives, she
realizes:
The most frightening thing about the loss of youth is
not what is taken away but what is granted in exchange. Not wisdom. Not
serenity. Not sound judgment or tranquility. Only the awareness of universal
disintegration.
Wise insights. Keep on, Erika
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. I'm still translating Schuschnigg. Will post another sample soon.
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