A vivid simile to describe the bother that mighty Austria was for Prussia. This is from a trilogy of novels by the Hungarian writer Lajos Zilahy (1891-1974), tracing the decline of a Hungarian aristocratic family in the 19th century Austro-Hungarian empire and into the early 20th century.

It’s an engaging read and gives a strong sense of the historical context and ambiance of the period.  It should be mentioned alongside a similarly splendid large scale trilogy by another Hungarian writer, himself an aristocrat, Miklos Banffy (1873-1950). A double review to follow – I’m ploughing through both trilogies.

‘Austria was like a bone stuck in Prussia’s throat.’

Source: Lajos Zilahy, Century in Scarlet (London: Prion, 2001), p. 348

Photo credit: Gellinger at pixabay