Description

“An absolute treat… Szerb is a master novelist, a comedian whose powers transcend time and language” Nicholas Lezard, Guardian

At an end-of-season London soiree a young Hungarian scholar, Dr Janos Batky, is introduced to the Earl of Gwynedd, a reclusive eccentric who is the subject of strange rumours. Invited to the family seat, Pendragon Castle in North Wales, Batky receives a mysterious phone call warning him not to go. Once there, nothing is quite as it seems…

Antal Szerb’s first novel is a gently satirical blend of gothic and romantic genres, crossed with a murder mystery to produce a fast-moving and often hilarious romp. But beneath the surface, Szerb’s steely intelligence poses disturbingly modern questions about the nature of self and reality.

Publisher Review

“Szerb was fluent in German and English and greatly interested in unusual religious beliefs. His knowledge of Rosicrucianism and the occult informs this often very funny book, which takes many affectionate potshots at the period’s popular fiction. Szerb, who produced a history of English literature, knew his Shakespeare, Blake and Milton, but also the frothier writings of John Buchan, Edgar Wallace and P G Wodehouse.” – Paul Bailey, Independent

“The novel shoots back and forth between London and Wales; and, quite astonishingly, there is not a false note in it… Szerb is a master novelist, a comedian whose powers transcend time and language (again, thanks to Rix for his tender approach to the source material), and a playful, sophisticated intellect… There is so much in this book that it is impossible to summarise, except to say that it is a romp, but one which romps within itself; it has fun with the conventions, and has fun with having fun with them, too. It is an absolute treat, deliciously ludic, to be read with a big smile on your face throughout.” – Nicholas Lezard, Guardian

“May Szerb’s entry into our literary pantheon be definitive.” – Alberto Manguel, Financial Times