Egri csillagok (Eclipse of the Crescent Moon)

Author: Gárdonyi Géza
Genre: historical fiction
Publication info: Puedlo Kiadó (my Hungarian edition; originally published in 1899)
Pages: 392

There's a reason why I haven't posted anything for over a month. You might gather why by taking a look at the title. I spent my reading efforts for the past few weeks on a Hungarian novel. I don't know if you have had any exposure to Hungarian, but it's not an easy language. I had thought I had it pretty well figured out, but this book proved me wrong. That's why it took me so long.

I bought this book while I was serving as a missionary in Hungary. I spent two years learning the language of that beautiful country, and by the end of those two years, I felt more or less fluent. I probably should have read this book right when I got home, but for one reason or another I waited until now. It proved to be a real challenge, especially with the vocabulary. I didn't learn a lot of sixteenth-century military terms while I was in Hungary.

The novel is a dramatization of the 1520 Siege of Eger, in which the Hungarians stave off an Ottoman invasion even when all the odds are against them. It mainly traces the life of Bornemissza Gergely, who ends up being a commander at Eger in the last part of the book. He seems at home in command of a portion of the castle's defense, but the Turks have a little surprise for him that makes him more involved than he would like to be.

Since I didn't really understand a good fraction of what I read, I can't give a good review of it, but I found it very interesting. It gave me a taste of the Hungarian spirit, which is something only a native Hungarian could fully understand. They were determined to defend that castle at all costs. And they did it for their country. I was amazed at how they kept at it. Although I didn't understand a lot of the battle, I did get the impression that the Turkish force was overwhelming and by all means should have won. But the Hungarians held out. It is a point of pride in Hungarian history.

I'm also in no position to criticize the book, but I will say that I found the first part of the story a little repetitive. Some people get captured by the Turks, they escape, they get captured again, they escape again . . . It wasn't as exciting the third time around. But maybe that's just how it happened. This is a historical novel, after all.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in Hungary and its history. It's especially good if you know the language, but if not, an English translation is available under the title Eclipse of the Crescent Moon. I think a literal translation of the title would have been better (Stars of Eger), but there's not much I can do about it. Maybe I could use that title when I do my own translation of the book. Someday.