Ferenc Molnar and the Austro-Hungarian 'Fin De Siecle'

Istvan Varkonyi's intriguing study of Molnar helps the reader to understand the 'other side' of the Austro-Hungarian 'fin de siecle': the rich artistic and literary life of Budapest. Of particular interest is 'Varkonyi's' clear examination of Molnar's position as an assimilated Jew and its impact on his literary career. (Frank Trommler, University of Pennsylvania)What makes (this book) especially important beyond the interest in a worthy and prolific writer is Varkonyi's recreation of the Austrian Hungarian milieu out of which the dramatist-novelist grew and from which he derived topics, atmosphere and character. Budapest and the emergence of a new Hungarian literature comes into sharp view. The incorporation of hitherto unused Hungarian sources, difficult to access for linguistic and other reasons, imparts freshness and originality to Varkonyi's highly recommendable book. (Egon Schwarz, Washington University)Professor Varkonyi's work does not merely fill a long overdue gap in the history of modern literature; it is also a monograph of high quality. Ferenc Molnar's life and literary career are protolypic illustrations of a very important period in Central European civilization and culture. Professor Varkonyi's awareness of these conditions elevates his work above the proper and expectable standards of a monograph in the history of European literature. (John Lukaas, Temple University)

The Author: Istvan Varkonyi, a Fullbright Fellow at the University of Vienna in 1985, received his Ph.D. in German Language and Literature from Washington University, St. Louis. He is currently an assistant professor of German in the Department of German and Slavic Languages and Literatures at Temple University, Philadelphia.

Contents: Three recurring themes in Molnar's work is devoted to individual chapters in the book: the urban environment, inter-sexual relationships, national-identity/nationalism.