The candle burns at both ends

Embers by the Hungarian writer Sándor Márai (1900-1989) is one of those classics that not many of us had heard of before. Though it was published in 1942 under the Hungarian title: “The Candle Burns at Both Ends”, the English translation only came out in 2001. The book is set in the turn of the last century in Hungary. It opens with the scene of the main character old General Henrik – referred to throughout the book as the General- preparing to welcome a guest in his castle.

The General- now in his 70s- had invited his childhood friend Konrad to a dinner party after 41 of not seeing each other. With the help of his old nanny Néné – now in her 90s – he sets up the place in the same way as it was when they had their last dinner together; not missing a detail on how the menu or the room decoration were 41 years back.

As the guest arrive- and for the next 200 plus pages- the reader travels back in time through the General’s memories catching a glimpse of his childhood with a French mother and a Hungarian father – who was a military man too-, how the two friends met in the military academy and became inseparable and the sudden appearance of Krisztina- the General’s beloved wife- who brought inevitable changes to their lives.

The narrative is almost a monologue from the General’s side – with the occasional interruption from Konrad when asked a question. The General contemplates on the lessons learned from his life and justifies decisions made at certain times. He even shares his experienced and wise view on many life issues such as: the real meaning of friendship, what is passion and how to deal with one’s own disappointments. But the real reason behind the dinner lies in a situation- that the General refers to as ‘the accident’- that linked the three of them together.

A day after, Konrad fled and the lives of the General and Krisztina changed forever. The real reason behind the dinner invitation is the General’s need for answers that only his guest is capable of providing. Although the book is short- only 207 pages- it’s really deep and intriguing. Márai’s writing style is known to be precise and realist.

However, at certain parts the General’s monologue felt interrogative and long, given the fact that the reader won’t get much justification from Henrik’s part. The book is historically interesting as Márai reflects nostalgia to the multicultural society that existed in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Also, Henrik’s account of his time in Malaysia is fascinating as it reveals the life of the Europeans there at that time.

Considering the history of the writer, Sándor Márai’s life was a struggle. He wrote 46 books in his native language which limited his international recognition till posthumously. According to an article published in the Guardian in 2006, Márai was unconcerned with politics but he disliked the communist and the Nazi regimes. He refused to publish his books in Hungary with the presence of the Soviet troops there. This forced him into exile in the US and caused his poverty and ambiguity. After the death of his wife in 1986 and his adopted son in 1987, Márai’s depression deepened and he ended his life with a gunshot to his head in 1989.

After his death, his poems, novels and diaries were re-discovered and translated into many languages starting with French in 1992. Sándor Márai is now considered one of the most important European writers of the twentieth century. This is a classic that you shouldn’t miss.

Rasha al Raisi is a certified skills trainer and the author of:

The World According to Bahja. rashabooks@yahoo.com