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Hungarian writing
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excerpt from A LOVELY TALE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
by Péter Nádas
translated from the Hungarian by Imre Goldstein
SILENCE On the black-lacquered short column the flowers are displayed in a new bowl. They may be
the same kinds of flowers, though they are arranged differently.
And there is a voice.
"The rebellious soul afflicts itself with thirst, hunger, and silence, but the rational world can be neither punished
nor driven off its course. People shamelessly eat and drink, say the proper words, belch and fart — because they
are digesting — and under the cover of night they beget children; minute follows minute, the hours pass, filling
up with themselves, and who would brood over time that is out of joint?"
Kornélia is standing in the open door of the terrace; an anxious Henriette is behind her.
"Kornélia, my sweet, I beg you, hold on to your senses."
And there is also a voice.
"A daydreaming Kornélia was standing in the open door of the terrace, loyal Henriette behind her. Two lovely
human statues. One is rebellious silence itself, the other the guardian angel of bounden duty."
And then, on the steps leading to the terrace, appears the elderly lady, accompanied by the young man who had so much
reminded Kornélia of Károly.
"Please, let us go and welcome them."
While they proceed, the voice is heard.
"Of course we must immediately note that neither the girl nor the young man had desired this meeting; it was a
scheme — to break Kornélia's morbid silence — devised by Henriette and abetted by the wily Chief
Surgeon."
Henriette and the elderly lady exchange amiable smiles and, by way of greeting, as befits the situation, bow their heads.
The girl and the youth remain aloof; as their partners halt, so do they, to avoid a collision, yet they appear not to
see each other.
"We've been out for a whole hour, man ist aber nicht zu erfüllen, von diesem dahinschleichenden, wunderbaren
Wetter. How do you like this wonderful weather we're having?"
"In den Bergen gibt es ja immer das leichte Lüftchen, nicht mehr als einen leisen Hauch, just enough to cool off
this late heat wave. Kornélia is absolutely overjoyed."
"Mein Carl, on the other hand, regrets that the nights are so cool already. Isn't it so, Carl?"
"Our Kornélia keeps telling us that on some southern seas the weather wouldn't be nearly so pleasant."
"In truth, we could hardly afford to interrupt our walk, still we hastened over, since the young lady had sent for us.
Would it be too much of an intrusion to suggest that you share the rest of our walk with us?"
"On the contrary. Nothing would please us more. All the more so since the young lady is deeply indebted to Mister
Van der Woelde; and if she has taken the liberty of sending for him, she has done so for no other reason than to pay
her respects to her savior and to express her gratitude."
"The young lady should not even think in terms of debt and gratitude."
"Forgive me, madam, but why not? And why should she not talk of such things? After all, the young lady was told how the
young gentleman had saved her life."
"I grant you that it was he who found her on the steps of that abandoned house of terrible reputation. But that's
hardly worth mentioning. We hope that the young lady has recovered from her fright; judging by her radiant complexion I
cannot reach any other conclusion."
"The young body can overcome its passing weakness; the rest will be done by the curative effect of this marvelous
environment and, last but not least, by the hoped-for company of the two of you."
And there is the voice that, to all indications, follows us everywhere.
"The elderly lady at this moment with a single regal gesture put an end to the stream of mutual courtesy and
compliments. And although there was some gain, however unpleasant, to be had from this gesture, its necessity was not
readily fathomable."
"Well, let us tarry no longer. Please, let me have your arm, Henriette. We'll go ahead, the young ones will nicely
follow us."
Henriette offers her arm, the elderly lady takes it, but before they start out she calls back over her shoulder, as if
training an animal.
"Mein lieber. Weckt dich auf. Ihr sollt uns folgen."
The two women set off, but Kornélia and Carl van der Woelde remain in place.
They are looking at each other.
"I am not talking."
"Neither am I."
"The Chief Surgeon took away my papers and my pen. I record everything in my head."
"For you it's easy. From me he has taken every piece of equipment I need for my photography."
"Don't think you'll be able to make me talk."
Keeping their distance from each other, and filled with hostile emotions, they follow the two women.
"But he can eat, drink, piss, and shit — that he can."
And the voice.
"It was something like this that the young lady was thinking to herself while they were plodding along,
both filled with hostile emotions."
© Twisted Spoon Press
© Peter Nadas
Translation © Imre Goldstein
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ISBN 978 80 902171 6 4
124 pp.
145 x 205 mm
softcover, sewn with flaps
1 illustration
fiction / novel
€14.50
Price includes shipping
by airmail worldwide
Order in the US:
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Order in the UK:
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