The Melancholy of Resistance

克拉斯诺霍尔卡伊·拉斯洛 / 余泽民Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaAug 2023

Rating 4.6
Word count
246K words
Chapters
5
ISBN
9787533971953

Tags

Foreign Literature Suspense ThrillerSmall Town LivesComplex HumanityMelancholic ToneSocial CritiqueAbsurd AtmosphereCircus ImageryScreen AdaptationFragmented NarrativeHungarian Literature

Summary

Struggle and Melancholy is a 1989 novel by the Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai and the source book for Béla Tarr's film Werckmeister Harmonies.

Centered on Mrs. Eszter, Mrs. Flamm, the young man Valuska, and several other characters, the novel unfolds through a series of fragmented episodes that present, from many angles, the disturbances in a small Hungarian town: a giant whale is brought into town by a circus, and the onlookers each harbor different motives and intentions. Before long, rumors spread through the town; word has it that the circus people are quietly hatching an evil plan, and the alarmed citizens seize on any available manifestation of order—music, cosmology, fascism, and so on—to denounce.

Editor's review

Struggle and Melancholy is a representative work by the Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai and a cornerstone of his singular literary universe. With its signature endless sentences and labyrinthine narrative structure, the novel constructs an allegory of rumor, fear, and collective hysteria. The story begins with a whale being hauled into a small town; this seemingly absurd event is like a stone dropped into stagnant water, setting off ripples that ultimately escalate into a citywide carnival of "resistance" aimed at nothingness. Krasznahorkai's prose is extraordinarily dense: he abandons plot-driven convention and instead uses language itself to create a pervasive, almost tangible atmosphere of melancholy and anxiety, precisely capturing the rootless, powerless, and unventable collective mood of a post-totalitarian society. Reading this book is no easy experience; it challenges the reader's patience and concentration, and therein lies its literary value—it offers an aesthetic possibility wholly unlike smooth narrative, a path to profound philosophical and historical reflection through a sluggish, circular, almost suffocating flow of words. For readers eager to explore the frontiers of literature, this book is a linguistic mountain that demands a full climb, and the view from the summit is immensely broad. The Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House edition makes a respectable attempt to handle the original's difficult, long sentences, opening a window for Chinese readers onto the intellectual world of this contemporary literary master.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Adjust your reading expectations and treat it as a stroll through a "linguistic landscape" rather than a plot-driven adventure; enjoy the rhythm and tension of the sentences themselves
  2. Mark paragraphs or take notes to help trace your way through the dense long sentences and follow the evolution of the central images
  3. Read alongside the historical background of twentieth-century Hungary for reference, but do not insist on one-to-one correspondences; feeling the overall allegorical atmosphere is more important

About the publisher

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House is a Chinese publisher specializing in literary publishing. Judging from the 808 titles in the database, its publishing areas cover world classics, foreign literature, social novels, folk literature and classic works, as well as modern and contemporary literature and prose. Representative titles include foreign literary translations such as Anna Karenina, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, In Praise of Shadows and The Complete Tragedies and Comedies of Shakespeare, alongside classic works by Lao She and Lu Xun such as Camel Xiangzi, Teahouse and Wandering. Its authors and translators include Leo Tolstoy, Cao Ying, Lao She, Yukio Mishima, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Zhu Shenghao. The press emphasizes the translation and introduction of classic texts and the compilation of native literary works, giving equal weight to Chinese and foreign literature. Owing to limited public information, its specific series and editorial policies are not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 毁灭也会更新换代
  3. 紧急情况 开场
  4. 韦克麦斯特 和声 谈判
  5. 推导/结论/结局/尾声

FAQ

What is the relationship between this book and the film Werckmeister Harmonies? The film Werckmeister Harmonies is adapted from this book and directed by the renowned Hungarian director Béla Tarr. The film visualizes to the utmost the novel's gloomy, slow, prophetic tone, but the literary original offers richer layers in psychological depth and linguistic complexity.
Is it normal to find the book extremely difficult and opaque? Absolutely normal. This is the author's deliberate style: his long sentences and circular narrative are designed to create a particular reading experience and emotional effect. Slow down, do not insist on "understanding" every detail, and instead feel the oppressive, absurd, and melancholy atmosphere the text creates as a whole.
What is the author László Krasznahorkai's standing in the literary world? He is one of the most important contemporary Hungarian writers and a literary master recognized by the international literary world, known for his distinctive and demanding style. In 2015, he won the Man Booker International Prize for works including Satantango, and the judges praised his work for displaying "the amazing vitality and innovation of Hungarian literature."

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About the author

克拉斯诺霍尔卡伊·拉斯洛 Author

László Krasznahorkai is a distinctive stylist in contemporary Eastern European literature, though the spelling of his name still needs verification and public information about him is limited. Two of his works are currently held in the collection, The Melancholy of Resistance and The Relationship of Mercy, both categorized as foreign literature. These two books reveal a preference for somber, dense narration that explores how individuals are caught between history and power. His themes often involve moral dilemmas, social disorder, and the fragility of human relationships. His prose is marked by long sentences, a slow and heavy rhythm, and an oppressive, reflective atmosphere; he does not rely on plot but builds tension through verbal density and recurring imagery. This approach places him in the tradition of serious Central European literature, demanding patience and concentration from readers, and has earned him a small but steady following among Chinese readers.

余泽民 Author

Yu Zemin is a translator and writer of foreign literature relatively familiar to Chinese readers, though publicly available information about him remains limited and his biography is incomplete. Judging from the five works held in the database, his work centers on translating and introducing foreign literature. His representative translations include Shipwreck Diary by Imre Kertész, winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Literature, along with The Melancholy of Resistance and A Relationship of Mercy; the list also includes The End of the Story and By Morning We Will Grow Old. These works are generally classified as foreign literature and literature, dealing with individual fate, historical memory, and spiritual predicament. His translations are steady and restrained, preserving the intellectual density and narrative rhythm of the originals. His translations offer Chinese readers a reliable path to understanding Central and Eastern European literature and have exerted a certain influence in literary reading and criticism.