Péter Esterházy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Péter Esterházy
|
|
|---|---|
Esterházy in 2010
|
|
| Born | 14 April 1950 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died | 14 July 2016 (aged 66) Budapest, Hungary |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | Hungarian |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
| Alma mater | Eötvös Loránd University |
| Notable works | Celestial Harmonies (Harmonia Caelestis, 2000) |
| Notable awards | Kossuth Prize |
| Spouse | Margit Reén |
| Children | Dóra Marcell Zsófia Miklós |
Péter Esterházy (born April 14, 1950 – died July 14, 2016) was a very important writer from Hungary. He was known as one of the most famous writers in Hungary and Central Europe during his time. People called him a "leading figure" in 20th-century Hungarian literature. His books are seen as big contributions to writing after World War II.
Contents
Péter Esterházy: A Famous Hungarian Writer
His Life Story
Early Life and Family
Péter Esterházy was born in Budapest, Hungary, on April 14, 1950. He was the oldest son of Mátyás Esterházy and Magdolna Mányoki. His family, the House of Esterházy, was very old and important in Hungary. His grandfather, Móric Esterházy, was even a Prime Minister of Hungary for a short time. Péter also had three younger brothers, and one of them, Márton Esterházy, became a famous football player.
Education and Writing Career
Péter Esterházy first studied to be a mathematician. But in the 1970s, he started writing books. He became well-known for his unique style.
Two of his most famous books are Celestial Harmonies (published in 2000) and Revised Edition (published in 2002).
- Celestial Harmonies tells the story of his family. It shows how they became powerful during the Austro-Hungarian empire. It also describes how they lost everything when communism came to Hungary.
- Revised Edition is a follow-up book. In it, Péter shares his discovery that his own father had secretly given information to the government's secret police during the communist era. This was a difficult truth for him to learn.
After the communist government ended in 1989, Péter Esterházy chose not to take back any land or valuable items that the communists had taken from his family.
His Writing Style
Many of Péter Esterházy's other books also talk about what it was like to live under a communist government. They also explore life in a country that was changing after communism. He wrote in a style called postmodernism. This means his writing often played with different ideas and ways of telling a story.
His writing was described as "jumpy, allusive, and slangy." It had "vividness, an electric crackle." His sentences were active and full of details. He often used a "stop-and-go rhythm." His stories focused on twists and surprises, not just a straight plot. He combined his own experiences with jokes, sarcasm, and even parts of other authors' texts.
Later Life and Death
Péter Esterházy was married to Margit Reén, and they had four children together. He was also very open about his concerns regarding the government of Viktor Orbán. He felt that Hungary's democracy was not truly free and that the press had limited freedom.
In October 2015, it was announced that he was sick with pancreatic cancer. He passed away on July 14, 2016.
Awards and Recognition
Péter Esterházy's books have been translated into more than 20 languages. He received many important literary awards in Hungary, including the famous Kossuth Prize in 1996. He also won awards for his writing in other countries like France, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, and Poland.
His Works in English
Here are some of Péter Esterházy's books that have been published in English. The first date is when the book was originally published in Hungarian.
- Helping Verbs of the Heart (A szív segédigéi, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1996)
- The Transporters (Fuharosok, 1983, 1991, 1994)
- The Book of Hrabal (Hrabal könyve, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996)
- The Glance of Countess Hahn-Hahn (Down the Danube) (Hahn-Hahn grófnő pillantása, 1991, 1994, 1998, 1999)
- She loves me (Egy nő, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998)
- Celestial Harmonies : A Novel (Harmonia Caelestis, 2000, 2004)
- Not Art (Semmi művészet, 2008, 2010)
International Awards
- Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France
- Order For Merit, Romania
- Austrian State Prize for European Literature, Austria
- Herder Prize, Austria and Germany
- Vilenica Prize, Slovenia
- Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, Germany
- Angelus Award, Poland
- Premio Mondello, Italy
- International Masi Grosso d'Oro Veneziano Prize, Italy
Memberships
Péter Esterházy was a member of several important academies and groups:
- Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung (Darmstadt)
- Akademie der Künste (Berlin)
See also
In Spanish: Péter Esterházy para niños
