Dezső Kosztolányi (29 March, 1885 – 3 November, 1946) was a Hungarian poet, writer, and translator. He is considered to be one of the outstanding poets of Hungarian literature.
Fun Facts about Dezső Kosztolányi:
- Dezső Kosztolányi was born in Szabadka, Austria-Hungary, today known as Subotica, Serbia. His father, Árpád Kosztolányi, was the headmaster of a school, as well as a chemistry and physics professor. His mother, Eulália Brenner, had roots in France.
- After finishing high school as a private student he moved to Budapest and studied at the University there. The reason he was a “private student” is because he got expelled from school after a conflict with his teachers.
- Kosztolányi spent time in Vienna before turning to journalism, a profession he proudly worked in for the rest of his life.
- In 1910 Dezső Kosztolányi published his first book of poetry, The Complaints of a Poor Little Child (A szegény kisgyermek panaszai), which enjoyed commercial and critical acclaim. From that point on, he published a book almost every year.
- He married Ilona Harmos, an actress, in 1913 after three years of courtship. The couple had one son who passed away in 1936 from cancer.
- In 1920 he started to write novels to critical acclaim. German novelist and Nobel laureate Thomas Mann even wrote a preface to his novel The Bloody Poet.
- Throughout his writing career, Mr. Kosztolányi translated many authors into Hungarian including William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, Thornton Wilder, Oscar Wilde, and Rudyard Kipling.
- The poet’s work was known to observe the human condition and fragility from a sympathetic point of view, with humor and an affinity for the macabre.
- Dezső Kosztolányi was the first president of the Hungarian PEN club.
- One of his best-known novels, Édes Anna (Wonder Maid/Anna Edes), was published in 1926 and revolves around a country maid who comes to live in Budapest during the fall of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, and Hungary’s accession to the League of Nations. The book was made into a 1958 drama that competed in the 1959 Cannes Film Festival.
Zohar — Man of la Book
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
Sources:
Collection: Dezső Kosztolányi | New York Review Books
--- Please like and follow ManOfLaBook.com ---
Summary
Article Name
Fun Facts Friday: Dezső Kosztolányi
Description
Dezső Kosztolányi / Desider Kostolanyi (29 March, 1885 – 3 November, 1946) was a Hungarian poet, writer, and translator. He is considered to be one of the outstanding poets of Hungarian literature.
Author
Man of la Book
Publisher Name
Man of la Book - A Bookish Blog
Publisher Logo
No Comments