Literatura

A pók dolga

Dávid Szolláth — 2026-06-25

Vak erő vagy oldó világosság?

Gergely Angyalosi — 2026-06-25

The characters in Krasznahorkai’s writings often feel as if a “blind force” is pushing them forward and setting them on a course of action, or rather, drift.They cannot be aware of what kind of force it is, nor of what that “dissolving light” might consist of.The main motif in each case is the compulsion of unknown purpose and origin, the interdependence, whether it is the murderer and his victim, or the criminal and the executioner. The intention of this essay is to follow the variations of this question from the beginning of the writer’s career to the Stockholm lecture. Krasznahorkai’s metaphysics is based on the assumption that Evil cannot be opposed to Good, but only to the complete absence of Evil (for example, Bach's music, which is not the same as Good in the moral sense).But this absence cannot hinder Evil, since they do not move on the same plane of existence. The allegorical story of the clochard in the Stockholm speech is that “the Good will never be caught by the flailing Evil, because there is no hope, none whatsoever, between Good and Evil”. However, this means rather that Krasznahorkai is constantly searching for a place of hope in a world approaching apocalyptic darkness.

Negatív esztétika

Gábor Szabó — 2026-06-25

This study explores the shared aesthetic and philosophical horizon of Krasznahorkai’s Satantango and Kertész’s Fatelessness through the lens of Adorno’s notion of “negative aesthetics.” Both novels construct an autonomous poetics that resists fixed interpretive frameworks of reality, articulating the experiences of fatelessness, failure, and homelessness in dissonant and reflexive linguistic forms. Their ironic and provocatively estranging tonalities not only unsettle established cultural structures of meaning, but also make the limits of representation newly perceptible. The study demonstrates how, in both authors’ works, this negative poetics becomes a means of radically rethinking the possibilities of perceiving and articulating the world.

Elvéteni

Judit Görözdi — 2026-06-26

In László Krasznahorkai’s fiction, the prophetic rhetoric, the use of emptied mythological and biblical motifs, topoi and narrative frameworks, as well as the fractal-like structure, all point toward—and simultaneously suggest the absence of—a hidden sense of “wholeness”. This study examines a recurring plot pattern across several works in which the author’s philosophical concern with existence is articulated by the notion of error. In Krasznahorkai’s narratives, error functions as an individual attitude that frames the protagonists’ existential failure (for example, in Chasing Homer and A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East), or as a collective attitude characterizing a community’s inability to recognize the right choice, the essential (as in The Melancholy of Resistance and Satantango). Furthermore, the attitude under examination can also be read within a philosophy-of-history framework: the apocalyptic, metahistorical novel War and War projects the pattern of error onto the process of human history itself.

„Nem is zene, hanem maga a mennyország”

Beatrix Visy — 2026-06-25

In the counterpoint-driven, polyphonic textual world of Herscht 07769, the persona and music of Johann Sebastian Bach constitute an integral part of the novel’s polyphony, more precisely, one of its continuously transforming voices. Within the world of the work, set in a small German town, Bach is an essential element of the satirical-caricatured depiction, and a component of absurd and grotesque connections. However, the meaning and function of Bach and his music are constantly changing, undergoing modulations in this contemporary apocalypse. In this study, I undertake the description and interpretation of these changes and rearrangements of meaning. By analyzing this specific component, I intend to demonstrate the novel’s subversive, grotesque, and absurd characteristics, making it clear how—within this distorted world—the questions raised, the potential resolutions, the motivations of the characters, the functioning of the metaphysical as such, and the relationship between Good and Evil are ultimately incompatible.

M./N., a halál angyala

Gábor Gelencsér — 2026-06-25

László Krasznahorkai’s novel War and War is framed by the author himself in a rich context, blending reality and fiction in the manner of postmodernism. This study seeks to enrich this context, also moving between the lines of reality and fiction. The name of the novel’s protagonist is the same as that of the protagonist of János Herskó’s 1970 film N. N., the Angel of Death: both are called György Korin. Is this just a coincidence? Whether or not there is any connection between the two works or the two characters, can any be uncovered?

Bálnavadászat, művészet és megszállottság

Edit Zsadányi — 2026-06-25

Tanulmányomban Krasznahorkai László Manhattan-terv című művében azt vizsgálom, hogy miképpen kérdőjelezi meg az irodalmi műalkotáshoz kapcsolódó bevett koncepciókat. Bemutatom, hogy a mű új megvilágításba helyezi a szerző személyét, az irodalomtörténetírás hagyományaival szembe fordulva az író személyes sorsára irányul a figyelem. Illusztrálom, hogy az alkotói intencióval szemben a véletlenek szerepét hangsúlyozza, úgy tüntetik fel magát, mintha véletlen események elbeszélése lenne. Az intertextualitást szintén radikálisan átértelmezik a mű, a saját és a másik szöveg határai elmosódnak, ami az olvasót több mű együttes olvasására sarkallja.

„tüzes igazság csakis élőbeszédben közölhető”

Zsófia Júlia Szilágyi — 2026-06-25

This article examines the role of performance art in László Krasznahorkai’s oeuvre. Its point of departure is the Theseus performances, understood as experiences of the irreducible distance between performer and audience. The analysis situates Krasznahorkai’s performative practice within the context of 1970s Hungarian neo-avant-garde art, particularly the traditions of the Vajda Lajos Studio in Szentendre, highlighting the significance of Matei Călinescu’s book on Zacharias Lichter. Special attention is given to Krasznahorkai’s exhibition-opening speeches and book presentations as liminal situations. The article argues that these performative events are not peripheral but constitute an integral part of Krasznahorkai’s oeuvre, functioning as intermediate spaces in which author and text appear in mutual dependence.

K és C

Imre József Balázs — 2026-06-25

A cikk Krasznahorkai László életművét a posztmodern utáni irodalmi paradigmák felől vizsgálja, kiemelve, hogy művei kezdettől kívül állnak a jelentésrelativizáló posztmodern felfogáson. Emmanuel Bouju epimodernséggel kapcsolatos elmélete, amely a modernitás örökségének újragondolását javasolja, olyan keretet biztosít, amely felől kiindulva Krasznahorkai a modernség továbbélésének egyik kiemelt alakjaként kezelhető. Bouju játékos „K–C” irodalmi sorozatai (Kafka, Kundera, Kertész vs. Camus, Calvino, Carver) között a szerző a C-paradigmához kapcsolja Matei Călinescu művét, a Zacharias Lichter élete és nézetei-t, amely korai hatást gyakorolt Krasznahorkaira. A cikk bemutatja, hogy e regény abszurd és spirituális motívumai miként rezonálnak Krasznahorkai prózájában a Sátántangótól a Háború és háborúig. A szerző végül hangsúlyozza: Krasznahorkai művei a közép-európai tapasztalatot globális kontextusban teszik érvényessé, miközben következetesen ellenállnak a mainstream egyszerűsítő logikáinak, alternatív, szellemi ellenállást képviselő világokat teremtve.

„Ne a Teremtést olvasd, te szerencsétlen!”

Csaba Horváth — 2026-06-25

The Nobel Prize jury has characterised László Krasznahorkai as a “master of apocalypse”. However, this apocalypse does not represent a pivotal moment in the transition between history and salvation; rather, it is the everyday experience of being left out of existence. Krasznahorkai is the author of “afterness”, of the post-state, and yet his Satantango, written in the postmodern era, cannot be considered merely a postmodern text. The study discusses the novel in terms of authentic sociographic and historical readings, the relationship between space and the self, and the subordinate’s language. Ultimately, the essay explores the potential of “small languages” in world literature from the perspective of apocalyptic depictions. It is submitted that Krasznahorkai’s literary oeuvre, characterised by a Central European image of the end of the world, has the potential to contribute to the transformation of conventional strategies in world literature.

Menne is, maradna is

Dávid Szolláth — 2026-06-25

László Krasznahorkai is said to be “slow”, “hard to read”, “depressing”. But his novels are actually exciting, often impossible to put down. We know that the excitement of the plot is not the factor by which we evaluate serious, canonical works of fiction. Plot-twists, tension-building, cliffhangers – all the narrative tricks used to captivate the audience—mostly belong to the toolkit of pulp fiction and TV series. It is all the more surprising that the above-mentioned devices can also be found in the works of the most prestigious contemporary Hungarian writers. By using the tools of narratology, the paper examines why it is worth paying attention to these undervalued narrative techniques in Krasznahorkai’s novels. Examples will be taken from Satantango, The Melancholy of Resistance and War and War. How do Krasznahorkai’s works keep the reader turning the pages tirelessly, despite the slowness, the long sentences, and the repetitions, as they eagerly await the next chapter? How does he keep the reader interested in his detailed descriptions? Krasznahorkai entices with delay and retains with detail. The reader feels like they want to go and stay at the same time. They are simultaneously interested in the details of the scene they are reading, and would stay and look around, but they are also very curious about the slowly unfolding story. What do these tell us about the joy of reading and the international success of his works?

A messianizmus kritikája

Anita Káli — 2026-06-25

A tanulmány Krasznahorkai László Sátántangójának narrációjában megjelenő messianizmuskritika sajátosságait vizsgálja. Amellett érvel, hogy a regény a messianizmus beszédmódját nem pusztán tematizálja, hanem retorikai és narratív szerkezetében is leleplezi: Irimiás imposztorikus beszéde és Estike hiábavaló áldozata egyaránt azt mutatja, hogyan termelődik újra a nyomor és a kilátástalanság. Irimiás imposztorbeszéde a retorika és etika kifordításaként, míg Estike története a megváltás hiábavalóságának ellenpontjaként értelmezhető. A bibliai párhuzamok és Dosztojevszkij nagy inkvizítorának bevonása a képviseleti beszéd válságára világít rá.

Krasznahorkai László alkotásainak fogadtatása Oroszországban

Oksana Iakimenko — 2026-06-25

The article examines the reception of László Krasznahorkai’s work in Russia from the late 2000s to the mid-2020s, focusing on the asymmetry between cinematic and literary modes of reception. For a long time, Russian engagement with Krasznahorkai was mediated primarily through Béla Tarr’s film adaptations, especially Sátántangó, which shaped a perception of the author as a visual and atmospheric phenomenon rather than a stylistically complex prose writer. The situation began to change with the appearance of systematic Russian translations of his works and the emergence of critical responses attentive to syntax, narrative structure, and philosophical ambition. The article analyzes reviews, essays, and critical debates in Russian literary journals, cultural media, and online platforms, demonstrating how Krasznahorkai’s prose was increasingly interpreted as an autonomous literary project rooted in European modernism and post-Kafkaesque metaphysics. Special attention is paid to the politicization of his reception after international recognition, including ideologically charged reactions in mass media and blogs, where literary analysis is often replaced by accusatory rhetoric. The study argues that Russian reception of Krasznahorkai reveals broader tensions between aesthetic evaluation and ideological discourse in contemporary literary criticism, highlighting the fragility of autonomous literary judgment under conditions of political polarization.

Egyetemes mintázatok

Flóra Szilák — 2026-06-25

László Krasznahorkai’s prose exhibits significant transformations following his travels to Eastern Asia after the opening of the Hungarian border. These are inseparable both from the historical traditions of travel literature and from the cultural, political and economic reconfigurations of post-socialist Hungary. A central aspect of this shift is a growing preoccupation with the nature of art. He elaborates an universal conception of art, grounded in a notion of transcendence (also understood as universal): an artwork functions as a place where the transcendent becomes accessible to human experience. Closely related to this development is the prominent incorporation of universal scientific knowledge into his prose. Through a comparative analysis of the short stories “A Mountain to the North…”, and “Distant Mandate” from „Seiobo There Below”, this essay demonstrates how these two tendencies are interconnected in Krasznahorkai’s writing, and how they can be traced back to the specifically local transformations affecting Hungary after the fall of communism.

Állati jelenlét Krasznahorkai László prózájában

Zsuzsa Selyem — 2026-06-25

Krasznahorkai László prózájában gyakran szerepelnek állatok, kezdve a Sátántangó Micurjától bálnán, farkasokon, különféle madarakon át a csüngő araszolóig. Dolgozatomban azt vizsgálom, mi az állatok szerepe a Krasznahorkai-fikcióban, hogyan és miért bontják meg az antropocentrikus világképet, sajátos érzékelési formájuk artikulálásával milyen narrációs technikák válnak lehetővé. Jan Alber az állat-narrátorral operáló kortárs műveket úgy jellemzi, mint ahol az állat-ember viszony nem dichotómikus, hiszen a filogenézis szempontjából egy folyamat részei, nincsen éles határ közöttük. Krasznahorkai prózavilágában egy folyamatosan újragondolt valóság és fikció viszonyával találkozunk, ahol az állatok idegen nézőpontjából reflektálhatunk az emberi tudás, s még inkább bölcsesség határaira, háborúkra, környezetpusztulásra, sebezhető emberi és nem-emberi állatok kihalására.