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Overview
Of all Danilo Kis's books, Hourglass, the account of the final months in one man's life before he is sent to a concentration camp, is generally considered his masterpiece.Synopsis
Of all Danilo Kis's books, Hourglass, the account of the final months in one man's life before he is sent to a concentration camp, is generally considered his masterpiece.
Publishers Weekly
Particularly fascinating in this difficult and demanding novel, regarded by many as the late author's finest, is Kis's agile re-creation of the multi-ethnic culture of the border territory between Hungary and Yugoslavia. Set in 1942, the novel describes in rich, Kafka-esque terms the external and internal worlds of a railway clerk called E.S. whose quotidian concerns include antagonism toward his well-to-do sister Netty, quarrels with her son George about a piece of jointly owned property, and futile, indignant inquiries to the authorities about why his pension has been reduced. But Kis uses this "life'' of a victim as a counterpoint to his second story line, which matter of factly reveals an exploding, horrific world in which Jews are murdered in countless mundane or outlandish ways, commit suicide, or simply disappear while the general population goes mad. The novel is fleshed out by a series of questions and answers elicited by an ominous, unseen person who interrogates E.S. A final "letter'' reveals that the preceding text is a manuscript, written by E.S., meant to be "a bourgeois horror story,'' a telling summation of this ultimately rewarding novel.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Particularly fascinating in this difficult and demanding novel, regarded by many as the late author's finest, is Kis's agile re-creation of the multi-ethnic culture of the border territory between Hungary and Yugoslavia. Set in 1942, the novel describes in rich, Kafka-esque terms the external and internal worlds of a railway clerk called E.S. whose quotidian concerns include antagonism toward his well-to-do sister Netty, quarrels with her son George about a piece of jointly owned property, and futile, indignant inquiries to the authorities about why his pension has been reduced. But Kis uses this "life'' of a victim as a counterpoint to his second story line, which matter of factly reveals an exploding, horrific world in which Jews are murdered in countless mundane or outlandish ways, commit suicide, or simply disappear while the general population goes mad. The novel is fleshed out by a series of questions and answers elicited by an ominous, unseen person who interrogates E.S. A final "letter'' reveals that the preceding text is a manuscript, written by E.S., meant to be "a bourgeois horror story,'' a telling summation of this ultimately rewarding novel.Library Journal
Volume after tantalizing volume, the works of the Serbo-Croation Kis are slowly making their way into English. This wonderfully translated work is the fourth to reach us, following by a year The Encyclopedia of the Dead (Farrar), an important collection of disturbing short stories that extends the genre's boundaries. Equally disturbing and innovative, this book echoes Kafka. The "hero,'' known only as E.S., is an insignificant railroad worker whose pension is mysteriously reduced. We watch in horror as he struggles to learn his fate. We shudder as we discover he represents European Jews destined for extermination. A brilliant stylist, Kis takes us deep into history's darkness. A major achievement.— Vincent D. Balitas, Allentown College, Center Valley, PA