The yearning for freedom
As far as I can see, from both history and 'current events', there's not much evidence to suggest that the...
Where dying isn’t enough
Suzanne, later the second wife of the Hungarian poet György Faludy, seems to have been a lovely person, with strong...
How to hide a poem (I)
The child in me has always been curious about secret ways to communicate or protect things. When we drive, I...
Oh, for dog’s sake!
Listening time: 5 minutes. A touching account of mutual support and succour between labour camp prisoners and some of the...
Like atoms of radium
A fine metaphor for dots of kindness shining through darkness; Grossman's hope for the future is largely vested in the...
Good versus kind
The 800 pages of Grossman's splendid Life and Fate is occasionally interlarded with heartfelt asides by the author, including pleas...
Are we there yet?
A one-liner which would be funny if it weren't for the fact it earned Uncle Torma a one-way ticket to...
Now, what shall I write?
The Hungarian poet György Faludy (1910-2006) decides what to write on the eve of his execution. In the event, he...
Normality and absurdity
Grossman is a master of capturing tiny details that show something touchingly ordinary in an extraordinary setting. Here, modelled on...
A bulwark against brain-washing
Listening time: under 9 minutes.  Sadly, some things in the state of the world are driving me to spend more...
As piercing as …
This piercing stare at a little girl is disturbing for its lack of empathy or even warmth towards a child.  ...
With curiosity and cheerfulness
How innocent this phrase, and yet, look at the context. Having left Hungary on the eve of the Second World...
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