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A review by sereintty
Iza's Ballad by Magda Szabó
5.0
It is the first time I've ever read a book from Hungarian literature and It was a pleasing read for me. Generational differences, dealing with loss and trying to adapt into a new life were presented in such soul-touching way from different perspectives.
The tone felt sincere and I appreciated the authencity of all characters but eventually, Ettie gets the crown. Her alienation to her surroundings after moving in with her daughter in Budapest, her efforts to make herself useful and functional but her being denied no matter how hard she tried... Her trying to connect with her past and not being able to make a peace with the fact that things do change. Iza's lack of emotional expression, her being so uptight as for her own feelings. It broke my heart to read how much Iza loved her parents and did everything in power to give them comfort but her emotional disenchantment somehow prevented her from relating to them and fully bonding with them. My heart had been shattered into a thousand pieces by the time i finished reading the book. I strongly recommend this if you are in for a very real, relatable and heartbreaking family story.
The tone felt sincere and I appreciated the authencity of all characters but eventually, Ettie gets the crown. Her alienation to her surroundings after moving in with her daughter in Budapest, her efforts to make herself useful and functional but her being denied no matter how hard she tried... Her trying to connect with her past and not being able to make a peace with the fact that things do change. Iza's lack of emotional expression, her being so uptight as for her own feelings. It broke my heart to read how much Iza loved her parents and did everything in power to give them comfort but her emotional disenchantment somehow prevented her from relating to them and fully bonding with them. My heart had been shattered into a thousand pieces by the time i finished reading the book. I strongly recommend this if you are in for a very real, relatable and heartbreaking family story.