Bukfenc

Krúdy, Gyula, 1878-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.8

Word count: 142K words
Chapters: 15

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Bukfenc by Gyula KrúdyAuthor: Krúdy, Gyula, 1878-1933,Language: Hungarian, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Dec 2, 2012

Editor's review

Gyula Krúdy is a highly distinctive writer in early twentieth-century Hungarian literature, known for nostalgic, dreamlike, fragmented narrative. Bukfenc is the Hungarian original, included in Project Gutenberg as a public-domain e-book. For Chinese readers, the first value of this book lies in the scarcity of the language and text itself: it offers direct access to the rhythms of Hungarian prose and Krúdy's syntax, rather than secondhand experience through translation. Second, as a work notable for linked short chapters and pervasive mood, it is suitable as a sample for observing Central European urban life and fin-de-siècle sentiment, rather than as a plot-driven read. Note that the available material provides no specific plot summary, so readers should not enter with expectations of a particular story. In terms of reading setting, it is better suited to quiet fragmented moments, read slowly with a dictionary or a parallel translation, rather than pursued for speed.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate and advanced language learners of Hungarian who wish to engage with original texts
Readers interested in Central European literature and early twentieth-century Hungarian prose
Literary enthusiasts who enjoy fragmented, atmospheric narrative rather than strong plot
Those who need public-domain electronic texts for language or textual research

Not a good fit for

Ordinary Chinese readers unfamiliar with Hungarian and without a parallel translation
Readers expecting a complete long-form plot and fast-paced reading
Beginner readers of foreign literature who need clear introductions and annotations

Reading tips

Read a chapter or two first to feel Krúdy's syntax and rhythm, then decide whether to read the whole book.
Prepare a Hungarian-Chinese dictionary or a parallel translation; mark long sentences first and revisit them.
Break the book into short reading sessions of one or two pieces to avoid fatigue.
After reading several pieces, revisit the opening to appreciate structural echoes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is there a Chinese translation of this book?

According to the given material, this book is a Hungarian-language e-book released by Project Gutenberg, with no mention of a Chinese translation. Chinese readers who wish to read it usually need a Hungarian-Chinese dictionary or to find a parallel translation themselves; they should not assume an existing Chinese edition.

What kind of writer is Gyula Krúdy?

The material only indicates that the author lived from 1878 to 1933 and that the work is in Hungarian. In general knowledge of public-domain literature, Krúdy is known for nostalgic, impressionistic prose that often weakens plot in favor of atmosphere. Judgments about the style of this specific book should still be based on actually reading the original.

What is the reading experience of the e-book edition like?

Released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain electronic text, it usually comes in plain text and other formats, convenient for copying, searching, and taking language notes. However, the electronic edition generally lacks translator's notes or an introduction, and the layout is plain, so readers need to supplement background material themselves.

Is it suitable as a beginner's reader for Hungarian?

Not very. Krúdy's sentences are long and rhetorically dense, demanding a large vocabulary and language intuition; complete beginners may become frustrated. A safer approach is to start with textbooks or graded readers, then use this book as original-text reading material at an advanced stage.

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About the author

Krúdy, Gyula, 1878-1933 Author · Hungarian · 1878–1933

Gyula Krúdy (1878–1933) was a Hungarian novelist. Born in 1878 and deceased in 1933, he devoted his life chiefly to fiction, drawing his material largely from the declining life of the old aristocracy and the social landscape of the capital, writing in a nostalgic and delicate vein. His representative work Szindbád evokes, through dreamlike narration, the emotions and atmosphere of a vanished era, while Bukfenc, included in the present collection, likewise continues this remembrance and portrayal of bygone life. Krúdy handled themes of time and memory with an unhurried rhythm and sensuous language, holding a distinctive place in Hungarian literature. Public information on the details of his life is limited, yet his fictional subjects and style already reveal his outstanding achievement in depicting the old urban and aristocratic world.