Journeys and portraits.

Hungarian literature has shown a distinctly European orientation since the first coherent linguistic and literary monuments of the late 12th century. It was born entirely in accordance with fundamental European spiritual impulses: antiquity, Jewish, Christian - Catholic and Protestant - and Enlightenment culture. True, as a result of the linguistic isolation and certain exclusivity of Hungarian (along with Finnish and Estonian, of course) in the "Indo-European sea", Hungarian culture in a broader sense probably clung more loudly and persistently to its traditions in real or perceived fear of "saving the nation", or at least more often declared its adherence to them: She wanted to be a link, a bridge between East and West. However, at its best, even this orientation has produced (not only) literary works that meet the most demanding reading criteria and are worth reading and studying. Modern Hungarian literature has also earned a worthy place in the Czech cultural context, mainly thanks to the systematic efforts of translators in the post-war era of the 20th century, who made the most valuable works available to readers in Czech. This book is the first volume of a three-volume work that aims to sketch a picture of modern Hungarian literature from the end of the Second World War practically up to the present day. In the form of studies, excerpts and a selected bibliography, it offers the reader a lot of interesting information and introduces modern Hungarian authors who should definitely not be missed.