Arthur Koestler: The Story of a Friendship

Arthur Koestler: The Story of a Friendship is a personal account by George Mikes chronicling his three-decade relationship with the renowned writer and intellectual Arthur Koestler. The book spans from their first meeting in 1952 until Koestler's death in 1983. Mikes presents a collection of memories and conversations that reveal Koestler's character through daily interactions, social gatherings, and private moments. The narrative focuses on their experiences in Britain's literary circles and their shared Hungarian heritage. This memoir stands apart from traditional biographies by offering intimate glimpses of Koestler's personality, habits, and relationships rather than a comprehensive life story. Mikes records both significant events and small details of their friendship without attempting to analyze or judge. The work serves as a unique document of twentieth-century intellectual life while exploring themes of exile, cultural identity, and the complex nature of friendship between writers.

This appears to be a relatively obscure book with very limited reader reviews available online. There are no ratings or reviews on Goodreads or Amazon, making it difficult to provide a comprehensive summary of reader reactions. The few mentions found in academic papers and memoir discussions note that it offers a personal perspective on Koestler through Mikes' friendship with him. One reader on a literary forum described it as "candid but respectful" in depicting Koestler's personality and habits. What readers liked: - First-hand accounts of Koestler's daily life - Details about his work habits and conversations - The humor in Mikes' writing style What readers disliked: - Limited scope focused mainly on later years - Some felt it was too protective of its subject With so few public reviews available, this assessment is necessarily limited and may not represent the full range of reader responses to the book.

The Lives of Others by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck This memoir chronicles a complex friendship between artists during Cold War Europe, exploring themes of loyalty and political pressure that mirror Koestler's experiences.

The Invisible Writing by Arthur Koestler Koestler's autobiographical account provides deeper context to the events and relationships described in Mikes' friendship narrative.

Stefan Zweig: A Biography by Elizabeth Allday The biography examines the life and relationships of another Central European intellectual who, like Koestler, navigated exile and political upheaval.

Meeting my Arguments by Stephen Spender This personal memoir details friendships among the London literary circle that intersected with Koestler's own social sphere.

My Friend Judas by Andrew Sinclair The book explores the complexities of intellectual friendship and betrayal within mid-century literary circles, paralleling themes in Mikes' account of Koestler.

🔸 Arthur Koestler's masterwork "Darkness at Noon" was written in German while he was living in Paris, but the original manuscript was lost during the Nazi invasion - the version we know today is translated from a Hungarian translation of the lost German original. 🔸 George Mikes originally fled to Britain from Hungary in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution, intending to stay for two weeks - he remained for the rest of his life and became a celebrated English-language author. 🔸 During their friendship, Koestler and Mikes bonded over their shared Hungarian heritage and similar journey as Jewish intellectuals who became prominent English-language writers despite not being native speakers. 🔸 The book reveals that Koestler had a lifelong fascination with parapsychology and ESP, conducting unofficial experiments at dinner parties by trying to transmit thoughts to his guests. 🔸 Before their deaths in 1983, Koestler and his wife Cynthia formed a suicide pact - they took their lives together in their London home, with Koestler leaving his estate to establish a chair of parapsychology at the University of Edinburgh.