Revised Edition

Revised Edition is a sequel and companion work to Péter Esterházy's Harmonia Caelestis, written after the author discovered his father had been an informant for Hungary's communist secret police. The book incorporates and responds to actual surveillance files and reports that documented his father's activities. The narrative moves between excerpts from official documents, personal reflections, and reexaminations of passages from the earlier book. This structure creates a dialogue between past and present, between official records and family memory. The text deals with themes of historical truth, personal identity, and the complex bonds between fathers and sons. Through its examination of Hungary's communist period and one family's place within it, the book explores how political systems affect intimate relationships and how we reconstruct our understanding of the past when new information emerges.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Péter Esterházy's overall work: Readers praise Esterházy's wit and linguistic playfulness, with many highlighting his ability to weave Hungarian history with personal narrative. Online reviews mention his unique approach to storytelling through fragmented passages and layered meanings. Liked: - Clever wordplay and humor that translates well - Deep exploration of family dynamics - Integration of historical events with personal stories - Original narrative structures that challenge conventional reading Disliked: - Complex, non-linear writing style can be difficult to follow - Some translations lose linguistic nuances - Dense references require background knowledge of Hungarian history - Length and pacing in longer works like "Harmonia Caelestis" Ratings: Goodreads averages: - Harmonia Caelestis: 4.1/5 (500+ ratings) - Not Art: 3.8/5 (200+ ratings) - The Book of Hrabal: 3.9/5 (150+ ratings) Amazon ratings show similar patterns, though with fewer reviews. Most readers rate his works 4+ stars while noting they require concentrated reading effort.

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🔖 "Revised Edition" was written after Esterházy discovered his father had been an informant for Hungary's communist secret police, leading him to reexamine his earlier work "Harmonia Caelestis" 📚 The book represents a unique literary form where Esterházy literally comments on and revises his previous text, using red ink to mark his new understanding of family history 🏰 The author comes from one of Hungary's most prestigious noble families, which adds layers of complexity to his father's collaboration with the communist regime ✍️ Esterházy wrote this book by reading through 600 pages of secret police files about his father while simultaneously confronting his own previous writings about him 🎭 The work explores themes of betrayal on multiple levels: personal, familial, and national, while examining how historical truth affects memory and narrative