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vivastory @daena @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @kvanread @mklong @youneverarrived @leahbergen @leftcoastzen @Liz_m @merelybookish @gatheringbooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @reviewsbylola @suet624 @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @billypar @barbarabb @catebutler 5y

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

6. Chapter XIII is partially titled "the novel is concluded without coming to an end." Skylark has recognized that something has changed in her during her week away. Mother has expressed hope for change, but Father burns the "incriminating" theater stub. Miklos sees clearly the family's "suffering collected like unswept dust," yet he believes that from the greatest pain will be born the greatest happiness. Do you agree? ??????

arubabookwoman Cont'd: What is the future for this family? Will they choose life over death? Photo: Hungarian Goulash @vivastory 5y

LeahBergen I had the feeling at the end that Skylark had just fully given up on any sort of happiness coming her way in life. I also think that Mother and Father blindly took all their cues from her, possibly from parental guilt at her “ugliness”, and there is no happy ending for this family. That burning of the theatre ticket was very telling; they chose death over life. 5y

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LeahBergen And now I want some Hungarian Goulash. 😆😆 5y

vivastory @LeahBergen The scene when they first at Goulash in this book... I ended up having stew & wine for dinner that night 😂 5y

vivastory @LeahBergen Yes the burning of the ticket did feel like a final decision, symbolic as it was 5y

BarbaraBB @vivastory @LeahBergen And that Mother left her new crocodile bag behind when they went to pick up Skylark. They knew their rebellious weeks were over and there wouldn‘t be another escape from death. 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory It‘s a stew day here now. 😆😆 I fully realized the ugliness of Skylark‘s personality in the section where they discussed that she didn‘t season their food. What a monster. 😆 5y

LeahBergen @BarbaraBB Oh, I found everything about that much-coveted crocodile bag so poignant! 5y

vivastory @LeahBergen That sounds amazing! Right?! I think I even literally said out loud “Not even pepper?!“ 😂 😂 5y

BarbaraBB @LeahBergen That not seasoning was a blow for me too! I stopped sympathizing with Skylark 😀 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory @BarbaraBB 😆😆 I love that this was the final straw for all of us! 5y

Suet624 Speaking of seasoning, everything about Skylark seems to be very bland. 5y

vivastory @Suet624 🔥🔥but so true 5y

Suet624 Also, let's not get another NYRB with such an ugly cover!!! This cover creeps me out. LOL 5y

Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen love what you said about the family giving up so to speak & your comment about the 🐊 bag! 5y

vivastory @Suet624 It's not one of their best. Did you see the thread of creepy NYRB covers on my review for

Nothing But the Night

Suet624 @vivastory Those are so funny/creepy. Nothing but the Night's cover reminded me so much of Skylark's cover.
5y

Suet624 @vivastory Those covers are so funny/creepy. I also remember seeing Nothing But The Night's cover and thinking it reminded me so much of Skylark's cover. 5y

vivastory @Suet624 It was like a more emo version of Skylark 😂 5y

youneverarrived I just see them as continuing on as they were. That‘s the feeling I got from it. Exactly what @LeahBergen said. 5y

LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen 😘 5y

Tanisha_A I'd say there is no end to their misery 😂 5y

26 likes23 comments

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

5. On meeting Miklos Ijas Father thinks, "How children suffer for their parents, and parents for their children." Father marvels that Miklos can speak so openly of his pain. Do you think Father and Mother have buried themselves in the "bottomless pit" of their pain with no way out? As Miklos and Mother discuss Skylark, Father hears voices within him "louder than those without. He did all he could to drown them out." What do you think ??????

arubabookwoman Cont'd : the voices were saying, and why did Father want to drown them out? Photo: Emperor Franz Josef #NYRBBookClub @vivastory 5y

Leftcoastzen @vivastory all the tags didn‘t take 5y

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Leftcoastzen I think most people have experience with this to a smaller or greater extent . We all have friends/relatives that may have something about them we don‘t like but we ignore it for the good of the relationship.For Mother & Father it seems they have submerged a lot ! 5y

vivastory @Leftcoastzen Thanks for letting me know. I just looked at Litsy on my phone & noticed that. I entered everyone manually on the first question, so everyone has been tagged once & should find the discussion.
This is very well stated. I think this was a case of where after years of ignoring problems it finally just reached a crisis point for them. 5y

arubabookwoman I was just noticing that no one had commented on this question, and was surprised b/c I think the encounter with Miklos is important. I think I will add tags here. @catebutler @daena @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @BarbaraBB @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @sisilia @Suet624 @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @saresmoore @Liz_M @sarahbarnes @Reviewsbylola @Billypar @Theaelizabet @batsy @Tanisha_A 5y

BarbaraBB I missed this question indeed. I have to think about this one because I must admit I don‘t remember the voices Father heard ☺️ 5y

Reviewsbylola I think the voices father heard are the same thoughts that eventually came out when he was drunk off his ass. Father wasn‘t ready to admit how he truly felt about skylark. 5y

arubabookwoman @Reviewsbylola I think Father has been thinking these thoughts for a long while, but blocks them out when he can because he doesn't want the consequences of admitting the pain, and maybe trying to change. Father seems to have isolated himself from even Mother and Skylark, in his study researching genealogy, and waiting for death. 5y

emilyhaldi I‘m eager to hear other takes on this scene as I‘m struggling to interpret the meaning behind this interaction. Obviously the father is stricken by Miklos‘ openness about his pain bc he and his family avoid truth and honesty at all costs. But I found it interesting that Miklos immediately saw the father‘s pain when speaking of Skylar... perhaps Miklos is so familiar with feeling shame as it relates to his father, he can also see it in others? 5y

emilyhaldi I agree with you both! @Reviewsbylola @arubabookwoman I also believe that is the reason that the Father quit drinking years ago... he feared that he couldn‘t keep his true feelings buried while uninhibited. 5y

arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola on the one hand I saw Miklos as offering a glimmer of hope for the family. He is able to carry on despite the painful events in his past. He says out of great pain great happiness can be born. Miklos is why I felt the ending is more open-ended than many here. I just keep hoping they will change, despite all indications to the contrary. 5y

emilyhaldi I like your bright outlook ✨ @arubabookwoman Maybe the father is at least hopeful that when he and the mother are dead and gone, Skylark will be able to live a decent life on her own. I‘m too cynical to believe either of the parents will ever change... I‘m not sure they could ever be honest without hurting Skylark in the process, which they refuse to do. 5y

BarbaraBB Well said @emilyhaldi I guess that‘s why Father quit drinking indeed. And I‘m afraid nothing will change too but I hope you are right @arubabookwoman 5y

Billypar I'm sorry I missed this discussion - I finished it a little too late! I'm enjoying reading the discussion. I didn't notice that quote about the voices when I first read it, but now I wonder if he's having the same thought as Mother, whether the empathy Miklos displays means he could finally be the suitor for Skylark they've been waiting for. But they've also been disappointed so often before and they know how unlikely it is given his young age. 5y

arubabookwoman @Billypar My first thought (hope?) when Miklos appeared was also that he could be a suitor for Skylark, but then he turned out to be so much younger, and already had a girlfriend. I think Father already recognized the hopelessness, and the voices he hears were saying the things he ultimately verbalized to mother during his outburst. 5y

20 likes16 comments

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

4. Did Father's drunken outburst surprise you? Do you think he really believes the things he says? Mother tries to convince him that they love Skylark, but does she actually agree with Father? Do you think Father's characterization of Mother's response as "cheerful absurdity" is accurate? Deborah Eisenberg says the reader must accept that Skylark is ugly, and "not the sort of ugliness familiar from so much wishful literature, that is to ????

arubabookwoman Cont'd "eventually disclose a disguised beauty." Could you accept that Skylark's ugliness could cause so much pain and turmoil? Photo: Engraving of Dobozy fleeing the Turks. Mother and Father have a painting of this scene in their parlor. #NYRBBookClub @vivastory (edited) 5y

BarbaraBB @arubabookwoman I love your illustrations! 5y

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BarbaraBB In Dutch there is a saying that ‘drunk people tell the truth‘. In this case I tempt to agree. What Father says he can‘t make up I think. Those words are too harsh. And I think Mother agreed. They share the shame of feeling something parents are not allowed to feel. 5y

arubabookwoman @BarbaraBB "the shame of feeling something parents are not allowed to feel." A great way to express that. 5y

vivastory @BarbaraBB That's a great saying! I agree. Even if he & mother never discuss the words he said it will always be there between them. 5y

Suet624 I agree 100% with @BarbaraBB. Firstly, you have to be drunk to be able to say those truths. Secondly, they share the shame. Another piece I found to be sad was the fact that Mother had to hide her piano playing. What was that all about?
5y

vivastory @Suet624 I forgot about the piano playing! This was such an interesting book because it seemed like such a great take on the strict parent trope, but in this case the parent is the child 5y

arubabookwoman @Suet624 We're told Skylark wasn't very good at the piano. Maybe Mother didn't want to show her up. 5y

LeahBergen Yes, I think this is very much a case of “in vino veritas” (in wine there is truth). Father said what he never had the nerve to say before. 5y

LeahBergen Ah, yes! The piano that was locked away!! 5y

Suet624 @arubabookwoman Oh! I forgot that Skylark wasn't good at it. You're right. 5y

Leftcoastzen I‘m so glad you found that image ! The piano locked away ! You could see how resentment could fester though they made a decision to lock it up cuz she wasn‘t good at it. 5y

BarbaraBB @arubabookwoman That must be It indeed! They don‘t want to offend Skylark. But it is the other way around too, like @vivastory states, that the parent becomes the child. What a book 🤍 5y

youneverarrived I think he was telling his true feelings towards Skylark and it felt as though the mother shared those feelings to an extent but was shocked that he actually spoke about it and feels guilty/harsh for feeling that way about her own daughter so of course she tries to deflect it. 5y

emilyhaldi @arubabookwoman yes absolutely, I believe they explained that they eventually let Skylar quite piano as she wasn‘t talented and that was when they hid it away, so as not to be reminded. It seems the family lives their lives trying to bury truths but I absolutely think the father was being honest in his drunken outburst. Perhaps that‘s why he quite drinking for many years... as it was bringing truths to the surface that he didn‘t want to confront. 5y

Suet624 @emilyhaldi wow! That‘s an interesting thought that that was why the father quit drinking. 5y

Reviewsbylola I believe they were both being truthful. I think there is a duality beneath the surface where parts of skylark disappoint and disgust them. They love her because she‘s their child but they don‘t actually care for her as a person. 5y

Reviewsbylola I think you‘re exactly right @youneverarrived Mother doesn‘t want to acknowledge her true feelings so she deflected. 5y

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Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

3. The foreword discusses the "babbling surface" as opposed to "silent depths" in literature. Is this book more about the "babbling surface" or the "silent depths"? How do the antics of the Panthers and the thumbnail sketches of the townspeople and their lives in a provincial town contribute to the book? Are we reading a comedy or a tragedy?
Photo: Gentlemen's Drinking Club
#NYRBBookClub @vivastory

vivastory I think it alternates between the two. It felt very genuine in that sense as I feel like that's how most people live. I loved the interactions that Mother & Father had with their community members. 5y

BarbaraBB I read it more like a tragedy. The ending unavoidable however hard they tried to deny it. Also Father never fitted in, he couldn‘t any longer be the man he used to be. 5y

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LeahBergen This is a great photo! I found the sections with the Panthers to be some much needed comic relief in an otherwise quite grim little novel. 5y

vivastory @BarbaraBB It def ended as a tragedy for sure. I think that until father's drunken outburst it was a bit of a mixture between comedy & tragedy. That scene was def pivotal 5y

Suet624 Great photo! To me the book dealt with the silent depths - clearly outlining the emotional desert of the parents. This book managed to be both a comedy and a tragedy. The presentation of the story and the characters made me chuckle but the life that the parents have lived was a tragedy. 5y

Leftcoastzen I love the Panthers scenes. I believe it was a way for these middle class gents to cut loose a bit .I think that‘s why the community takes it in stride.Such silent depths! Deflect, deny, make due , don‘t offend, then you end up where Father and Mother are. 5y

Reviewsbylola I think the babbling surface is the way Skylark and her parents live their lives day in and day out, not acknowledging their true feelings but instead putting on a false face. And then the deeper surfaces are obviously how they truly felt about each other. 5y

vivastory @Reviewsbylola I completely agree. It was fascinating to watch it swing between the two poles. 5y

GatheringBooks Like @Suet624 i thought it was comic/tragic and as @Reviewsbylola noted - both surface/depth captured fully. I felt that the strength of the narrative lies in its subtlety. It is a quiet novel and perfectly captures provincial/daily/bucolic existence. The drunken episode referenced by @vivastory def brings to light the unarticulated/implicit that drives the complicated parent-child interactions that pretend to be accepting but truly isn‘t. 5y

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Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

2. Deborah Eisenberg wrote about Skylark that "we encounter lives that contain no hidden exits or negotiable margins, and we come away from the book feeling that we have experienced the inalterable workings of destiny." Do you agree? The author wrote, "I will always be interested in just one thing: Death. Nothing else....For me, the only thing I have to say...is that I am dying." Is Skylark about death?
Photo: Taroc cards
#NYRBBookClub
@vivastory

vivastory I def agree with the first part of Eisenberg's statement, but I'm not so sure about the second half. Family obligations are complicated now, it's hard to imagine what they would be when Skylark is set 5y

vivastory I do think that Skylark is about death, but I find the author's statement to be a bit glib & reductive. Death is only meaningful when contrasted with other themes. 5y

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Leftcoastzen It does seem to have death as a underlying theme. Life expectancy was shorter, a married daughter with children perhaps is like a spring or new beginning in a sense for grandparents. Skylark is staying, not pleasant, but making herself useful. 5y

Leftcoastzen I also wondered no matter how they feel about their daughter they are worried what will happen to her when they are gone. 5y

vivastory @Leftcoastzen Good point about having grandchildren. 5y

vivastory @Leftcoastzen I think it's mother & father trying to come to terms with their own regrets & the things that they have sacrificed & missed out on, but also as you said having to worry about Skylark's future as well. 5y

arubabookwoman I found the book to be permeated with references to death. The priest on the train with Skylark is "already nearing the grave." P.16; For Father, "all the future seemed to hold for certain was the prospect of his approaching death." Pp26-7. Bells rang constantly for funerals, there were 3 coffin makers in town, and " seeing all these funeral concerns, the unsuspecting visitor might have imagined that people...???????? 5y

BarbaraBB I‘m not sure about this question. I did notice how Father and Mother are referring to Skylark as their little girl while she is 36, so maybe they are denying that they are aging. Skylark‘s absence opens an unexpected possibility to go back to the persons they once used to be. With her return there is no escaping death any longer. 5y

arubabookwoman "...didn't live inSarszeg at all, but only died there." And Father has the recurring dream of finding Skylark dead. And so on. Their whole restricted life is a sort of death. 5y

vivastory @BarbaraBB I think that's true. I was actually really disappointed when she appeared at the end bc it seemed that with her absent they had a chance at a second life, even if short lived. 5y

vivastory @arubabookwoman That's def true, yet for me what made all of those images so effective was contrasting it with all of the parties & dinners etc If mother & father had just remained at home the week that Skylark was absent this would have been a far less impactful book I think 5y

arubabookwoman @vivastory Definitely the contrast of the lives Father and Mother lived while Skylark was away made a great impact. 5y

BarbaraBB @vivastory Exactly! How clever of the author that even we readers wish Skylark gone. I felt ashamed when I noticed that feeling in myself! 5y

Suet624 @arubabookwoman “Their whole restricted life is a sort of death.“ Perfect. That's the feeling that I carried throughout the book. 5y

Leftcoastzen @vivastory agree with you that Mother and Father are elated with their adventures and have regrets of what they had missed over the years 5y

youneverarrived I do kind of agree with the first bit, when Skylark comes home there is an inevitability about it - like they just go back to normal, you can tell they will settle back into the same old routine and I guess that goes hand in hand with what @arubabookwoman says - their restricted life is a sort of death. 5y

Reviewsbylola I had a college professor say once that every piece of literature is either about sex or death. That really stuck with me! I absolutely think this book touches on death very subtly. Father especially seems desperate over his own mortality. Skylark also gives hints when she references the monotony of life at the end, when she referencing waking up to another day of the same household chores and duties. 5y

Reviewsbylola Lolol @vivastory! Totally found myself wishing for a blazing train wreck so the parents could be free of skylark. 🤣🤣 5y

GatheringBooks @arubabookwoman appreciated how you took note of all death references in the novel - now that you mentioned it, there is definitely a YOLO vibe that Skylark‘s parents were exuding with Skylark away. However, it just struck me that the parents‘ alienation was largely self-imposed and also a decision they made on their own, ostensibly as brought about by their embarrassment about Skylark - which as the story progressed seems to be unfounded 👇🏼 5y

GatheringBooks Cont: esp since the neighbors didn‘t seem all that concerned about Skylark‘s presence/absence much less her appearance. It made me reflect how our decisions as human beings are often driven by perceived responses/dis/approval of people that only happen on in our heads - and we are chained by said expectations notwithstanding its being based on actual facts/reality. As a result, the characters in this story are unable to live fully. 5y

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Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

1. The title of the novel is Skylark, but we spend most of it with Mother and Father. During her week away, Skylark writes a long letter to Mother and Father. What does her letter reveal to us about What kind of person Skylark is? What does Father learn reading between the lines of the letter? Why does the letter's "every word [cut] him to the quick"?
Photo: Theater in Subotica, Serbia, town on which Sarszeg is based.
#NYRBBookClub @vivastory

vivastory Looking forward to everyone's thoughts. As always, chime in when available @BarbaraBB @catebutler @daena @emilyhaldi @quietjenn @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @saresmoore @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @Suet624 @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar 5y

arubabookwoman @vivastory Scott you seem to have an easy way to tag all members. I'm hoping you will do this on the other posts??? All questions are now up. 5y

vivastory @arubabookwoman I just manually tagged them, but I'm using my laptop now so I'll see if I can copy & paste 5y

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arubabookwoman I can do it manually-I was just waiting till all questions were up. Let me know if you want me to do the tagging. Thx. @vivastory 5y

vivastory I honestly feel like I never had a sense of who Skylark was as a person. This was def a story where the absence of a character was as impactful as their presence, but all we really learned about her was what others said about her. 5y

arubabookwoman I felt, reading between the lines of the letter, that Skylark's was very judgmental of others, and as to Father and Mother, very controlling. I felt she saw herself as "martyr-like." That's why I liked the Eisenberg quote. Skylark was not just an ugly duckling, ugly on the outside only. She was also maybe not such a nice person. @vivastory 5y

Leftcoastzen I love that Father prefaced the reading of the letter with how she was educated to put out a certain type of letter. Then you wonder as @arubabookwoman notes her judgmental side and how she plays the martyr . I also remembered that the mother and father were invited, yet turned a trip down & sent Skylark instead.wondering if Father has regrets about not taking the trip. 5y

vivastory @arubabookwoman I did get the sense that she was controlling, esp with her comments about the King of Hungary restaurant. I think that she might have liked having people rely on her, as you noted her controlling side. I read the ugliness that was talked about as more metaphorical than in a literal sense. 5y

vivastory @Leftcoastzen It makes me wonder if he regrets not taking the trip bc he feels like with her being gone & enjoying their new found freedom wasn't worthwhile since it was shortlived. 5y

BarbaraBB I was surprised at the tone of voice of the letter. I went along with Father and Mother and assumed Skylark was as nice a person as described through them. It was refreshing to discover she had a mind of her own. A controlling one indeed! 5y

BarbaraBB Also I think Father dreaded reading the letter because deep in his heart he knew of course that she would be her critical self in the letter - something he hadn‘t thought about while missing her. 5y

vivastory @BarbaraBB That's a good point about being reminded of her criticism. For me at first the letter read a bit neutral in tone but the more I have thought about it the more that her controlling nature really creeped in. I often found myself thinking of Iza's Ballad while reading this, although they are vastly diff in several ways I think there's quite a few similarities 5y

Suet624 @BarbaraBB I like the idea that he dreaded reading the letter because he didn't want to hear her judgments and critical nature. I wondered how he lost the letter. He didn't throw it away, so what happened to it? And @arubabookwoman, you're right that she was ugly on the outside as well as the inside. (It's funny how hard it is for me to say she's “ugly“.) 5y

vivastory @Suet624 I was uncomfortable with the discussion about her being ugly, but it did seem like it was figurative. We know that at one point she was potentially courting someone but stopped bc he was late once (if I recall correctly). 5y

BarbaraBB @vivastory @Suet624 Yes! It‘s hard to use that word but I agree with you both that it seems to be more about her personality as a whole. 5y

LeahBergen @Suet624 I, too, wondered what happened to that letter! It seemed odd that he so quickly lost a letter that they had (supposedly) been so looking forward to. 5y

vivastory @LeahBergen @suet624 I was wondering if I had remembered correctly that he said he lost it. It was a really strange detail! 5y

arubabookwoman @Suet624 @vivastory @BarbaraBB I definitely did not think Skylark's ugliness was a symbol-I thought it was very real. However, from my 20th/21st century outlook, I had a hard time accepting that ugliness (at least physical) would cause such pain and turmoil. That's why the Eisenberg quote resonated with me. To fully appreciate the book, we have to accept Skylark's ugliness in the context of her society. 5y

BarbaraBB @arubabookwoman I think you are right about that. 5y

BarbaraBB @vivastory @Suet624 @LeahBergen I think he didn‘t want Mother to read it to protect her from what he himself felt when he read it. I don‘t think he lost the letter, he made that up. 5y

LeahBergen @BarbaraBB I think you‘re correct here! 5y

vivastory @BarbaraBB Good point. That makes sense that he'd make it up. 5y

Suet624 @BarbaraBB @vivastory @Leahbergen I just checked the section on the letter and it seems as though he genuinely thought he had it in his pocket. They looked all over for it and Father tried to suppress his irritation. I assumed he was irritated because he couldn't find the letter. But maybe he was just irritated by the letter? 5y

vivastory @Suet624 Interesting...my guess is that he was irritated by the letter 5y

Suet624 I have a question... The next to last paragraph of the introduction talks about Skylark's ugliness not being a symbol. It was unnameable anxiety. It was eternal. There was no deliverance. This paragraph really threw me and changed my idea about the book. Did anyone else have the same experience? 5y

arubabookwoman @Suet624 I took Skylark's ugliness to be very real, as opposed to merely symbolic. Here is the full Eisenberg quote that really resonated with me, the reader must accept society's edict that she is ugly, and "not the sort of ugliness, familiar to us from so much wishful literature, that is to eventually disclose disguised beauty to the sophisticated, original, or morally gifted..." ?????? 5y

arubabookwoman @Suet624 Nor is the reader to find in Skylark " a redemptive and beautiful soul. She doesn't have one. Her character--formed or deformed by her appearance and the response to it--is largely graceless." 5y

Reviewsbylola I haven‘t finished yet, so I will join the discussion later today, but I think Skylark is just as stifled by her parents as they are by her. Or perhaps just stifled by her “ugliness,” which is why she refuses to open up, such as refusing to go to the ball. Also, she seems to use taking care of her parents as a crutch. By acting like they need her so badly, she can ignore the fact that she has no place in society. 5y

arubabookwoman I also sometimes wondered whether Father and Mother misread what people thought of Skylark's looks. You know how when you're a teenager you think everyone is noticing everything that's wrong about you, while in actuality most people aren't even paying attention. 5y

vivastory @arubabookwoman Your last point above. I def got that vibe 100% 5y

vivastory @Reviewsbylola That's a fantastic point. I do think that Skylark uses her parents as an excuse. Although mother & father enjoyed their period of freedom while she was absent, it did feel like a terribly co-dependent relationship between them. I do think that Skylark is controlling, but I think that they manipulate her as well 5y

youneverarrived @Reviewsbylola this is the feeling I got too. The scene where she looks at herself (through a train window if I remember rightly?) and is so upset by it and then her crying alone at night at the end of the book - you can tell she‘s not happy as she is, and she most likely knows how society sees her so she hides behind her parents in a sense by taking care of them to the extreme. 5y

BarbaraBB @Reviewsbylola Yes! That‘s it of course. Her parents legitimate her presence. How sad. 5y

Reviewsbylola I literally just finished, and I was even more convinced of it by the end where she‘s wondering what will happen once her parents are dead. @vivastory @youneverarrived @BarbaraBB 5y

emilyhaldi I just reread Skylar‘s letter and even more so than when I read it the first time, the whole thing felt artificial. I believe Skylark feigned happiness and joy and peace throughout her stories while her father read it as transparent. He knows she‘s faking happiness and in reality is as miserable as he is. I imagine that without her parents around her she must come across even “uglier” and more awkward to others. 5y

vivastory @emilyhaldi That's really interesting! When I read her letter at first she came across as a little neutral, but I could def see what you mean about her pretending to be happy 5y

Tanisha_A Such an interesting discussion! I definitely think she was controlling, remember her mother saying Skylark didn't like going to theatre, or to restaurants, etc and that creeped up in her parents life too. But then, there is definitely truth behind her creating a wall of her parents to protect her from society's eyes. 5y

GatheringBooks Apologies for being late to the #nyrbbookclub party. Loved reading all of the comments here and resonated deeply with @Reviewsbylola comments - particularly about skylark being “just as stifled by her parents as they are by her.” I feel that much of their interactions as parent and child organically feed into and respond to each other, taking their cues from each other‘s responses, which would be a sign of codependency as everyone here noted 👇🏼 5y

GatheringBooks Everything i read here, ably moderated by @vivastory and @arubabookwoman reminded me ever so slightly of the disturbing picturebook by Danish husband and wife tandem Oscar K and Dorte Karrebæk about a dying mother who eventually took her son‘s own life for fear that no one will take care of him when she dies. While not “ugly” like Skylark, this story depicts an “idiot” (as title says) adult son with nowhere else to go and no one to care for him.

Idiot!

25 likes39 comments

Leftcoastzen

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

pick

#NYRBBookClub When the daughters away the parents will play? Mother & Father Vajkay live a simple life with their spinster daughter,Skylark.When she is to travel to visit relatives out in the country , they worry about her & how they will get along without her.Glorious descriptions of everyday life in small town Hungary as Skylarks parents discover what they have missed by living the quiet life at home.Loved it!

LeahBergen I thoroughly enjoyed it, too! 5y

BarbaraBB Great review. I felt the same! 5y

53 likes2 comments

Reviewsbylola

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

Nothing like starting the book the night before our discussion! 😅 Thank goodness it‘s short. #nyrbbookclub #bathandbook

vivastory You'll knock it out in no time! 💪📚 5y

LeahBergen I enjoyed this one. 👍 5y

Suet624 I have no idea why but this took me some time to read. 5y

Reviewsbylola I‘m really enjoying it! Almost done! @vivastory @LeahBergen @Suet624 5y

vivastory @Reviewsbylola Glad to hear you're enjoying it! Pop over to the discussion when you can. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. 5y

74 likes5 comments

quietjenn

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

Hoping to finish up Skylark tonight, just in time for the #nyrbbookclub discussion tomorrow. Got my first vaccination shot this week which left me to tired for much reading, but totally worth it!

LeahBergen Absolutely worth it! 5y

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youneverarrived

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

pick

I loved the fact that this book focuses mainly on the parents experience while the daughter (Skylark) is away with family but somehow she‘s always in the back of your mind - how is she coping? Is she having a good time? - whilst also being immersed in the lives of the parents. The introduction mentions Chekov and I can definitely see a resemblance. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #nyrbbookclub

LeahBergen I found myself wondering how she was doing as well. 😊 5y

vivastory Great review! I agree that this is def one of those books where a character's absence is just as much a presence in the story. Looking forward to tomorrow's discussion! 5y

vivastory Also, love the new profile pic! 5y

65 likes3 comments

LeahBergen

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

pick

I don‘t quite know what I found so captivating about this novel: perhaps it was the foreign (to me) setting of 1899 Hungary or maybe it was the hopelessly hopeful characters of Mother and Father Vajkay. Their reawakening to the simple pleasures of life once their unattractive and desperately single daughter is out of the house reminded me of Babette‘s Feast by Izak Dinesen.

I‘m so looking forward to our discussion!

#NYRBBookClub

BarbaraBB Great review. I felt for Father and Mother too ❤️. And I get the comparison with Babette‘s Feast! 5y

arubabookwoman I'm glad you liked it. There's much to admire here. Looking forward to the discussion! 5y

vivastory I've never read Babette's Feast 😬 I did find Skylark to be a fascinating inversion of the trope of children running amuck in the absence of parents 5y

LeahBergen @vivastory I actually haven‘t read it yet, either (it‘s waiting on my shelves 🙄) but it‘s one of my all-time favourite films. I think you‘d enjoy it, too (just make sure it‘s the subtitled one and not the dubbed one ... blech!). 5y

Reviewsbylola I enjoyed this one so much! 5y

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BarbaraBB

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

pick

Full of guild and hesitation father and mother Vajkaj discover there is a life without their daughter Skylark. She is 36 year old and ugly. They love but above all pity her. Skylark stays for a week with family and instead of missing her terribly, her parents sort of flourish. Yet they feel ashamed and wait eagerly for Skylark‘s return to retreat in their joint loneliness.

Once again an unpredictable and satisfying #NYRBBookClub read.

TheKidUpstairs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

IuliaC Lovely photo and flowers 😍 5y

squirrelbrain Gorgeous tulips! 5y

vivastory I'm glad you liked it! I'm sure it had an extra layer to it with your son heading out on his own. 5y

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TrishB Great review and pic ❤️ 5y

JennyM I want to just fall into this pic! Beautiful 💐 5y

Hooked_on_books What a beautiful picture! 😍 5y

emilyhaldi Great review, and photo!!! 😍🌷 5y

Come-read-with-me Beautiful flowers! 5y

CarolynM What a gorgeous photo😍 And a great review, as always🙂 5y

Leftcoastzen Lovely review! 5y

quietjenn Striking photo and great review! 5y

BarbaraBB @IuliaC @squirrelbrain @TrishB @JennyM @Hooked_on_books @emilyhaldi @Come-read-with-me @CarolynM @quietjenn Thank you 😊 a friend brought the tulips over a week ago and they keep changing! Had to take a pic! 5y

BarbaraBB @vivastory I was surprised indeed I stumbled upon this theme right at this moment! Fortunately I have always had a live outside the one with my son 😅 5y

Megabooks Gorgeous tulips!! 5y

BarbaraBB @Megabooks They live a life of their own. Each day a different pose 😀 5y

Kalalalatja I‘m loving the tulips! 😍 5y

Tanisha_A Such a cheery photograph! 🤩 5y

Tanisha_A I enjoyed reading this one! Looking forward to discuss 5y

arubabookwoman I'm glad you liked it. I was very impressed by it, and would like to read more by him. I have hos Anna Edes on the shelf. 5y

LeahBergen What a pretty photo! I was surprised at how much I enjoyed his book, too. 5y

KVanRead Lovely photo. Just finished this today and still thinking on it. Looking forward to discussion! 5y

BarbaraBB @Tanisha_A @LeahBergen @KVanRead It will be a good discussion this weekend. I am curious to see what people think of the family dynamics! Great choice @arubabookwoman ! 5y

cathysaid Oooh I have this one waiting on my shelves. I‘ll move it up on the list! 5y

Suet624 Goodness! That photo! And you summarized the book perfectly. Just what I meant to say. 🤣🤣 5y

BarbaraBB @cathysaid Do! It‘s good! 5y

BarbaraBB Thank you Sue, you are too kind 😘 @Suet624 5y

Reviewsbylola Gorgeous picture! 5y

Graywacke I know I‘m late...but this picture...it‘s gorgeous. 5y

BarbaraBB @Graywacke Thank You 😊 5y

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Tanisha_A

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

pick

What an excellent narrative of life – its joys and suffering. It's set in a (fictional) town called Sárszeg based on Szabadka in Hungary, encompassing a September week of 1899. That's one rich week in literature. More than the plot, i loved the way the author detailed the mundane. He has a knack for writing sharp profile of characters, their reveries, thoughts, & actions. He involves you in their lives – you are not just a spectator anymore, 👇🏽

Tanisha_A but a participant. 5y

BarbaraBB I‘m almost finished and enjoying it a lot too! 5y

Tanisha_A The story revolves around a family of father, mother, & their daughter Skylark. Skylark is unattractive & unmarried, which bears heavily on the parents, their social lives & happiness. They love her much but also carry this pain perpetually. A change occurs when Skylark goes away for a week (to the plains for a holiday) – their days of theatre, dining in restaurants, tea parties, gentlemen‘s club come alive; old friendships revive; 👇🏽 5y

See All 21 Comments

Tanisha_A tough but real conversations happen. At the end of the week, the daughter returns and they are happy and relieved to have her back, but everyone goes back to hiding the hurt they live through each day. An emotionally evoking read! 5y

Tanisha_A #nyrbbookclub 5y

batsy Great review! I should start 😬 5y

Tanisha_A @batsy Thanks Suba! I think you will like this one. Looking forward to your thoughts. 😊 5y

Tanisha_A @BarbaraBB It's so good. I am excited to discuss it with our group! 5y

Cathythoughts Yes ! Great review 👍🏻❤️ 5y

Leftcoastzen I haven‘t started it either 😬 5y

youneverarrived You‘ve put it so well 🤍 I really enjoyed it too. 5y

Liz_M That is a lot of colored flags! I should read this soon, but unfortunately I will probably miss the discussion. 5y

Tanisha_A @vivastory @arubabookwoman 5y

JennyM Hope you and your family are ok, T. Keeping you in my thoughts as you experience another wave of this heartbreaking virus 😢❤️ 5y

Tanisha_A @JennyM Hi love! Thanks for checking in. ❤️ We are all well for now, staying at home, taking precautions. It's very scary here currently. How are you and family doing? 5y

arubabookwoman I'm glad you liked it. The more I think sbout it the more I admire his skill as a writer. Looking forward to the discussion. Stay safe--conditions sound very bad there. (edited) 5y

KVanRead Excellent review! Just finished and still processing. Such an emotionally tense ending! 5y

JennyM @Tanisha_A oh that‘s so good to hear you are all ok but heartbreaking the loss you are experiencing. We are all fine here, thanks. Sending love ❤️ 5y

vivastory What a thoughtful review! I'm glad that this one worked for you. Sorry to hear that things at home are uncertain. Any projection on when you might receive the vaccine? 5y

Tanisha_A @vivastory Hi Scott! Yeah, it's just so crazy here. I got my first dose today, but overall, there's a massive shortage of resources. I do feel grateful for our little book-club and enjoying reading these NYRB classics. I do want to catch up soon on the ones I missed, Jan through March! 5y

vivastory I'm so happy to hear that you received your first dose! 🎉👏 It's heartbreaking to see what has been happening there. I hope that you & your loved ones remain safe and healthy! Looking forward to your thoughts on any other NYRB selections. You always have insightful reviews. 5y

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Suet624

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

pick

(I have tried for 20 minutes to download the cover image. I give up. My daughter and granddaughter are lovelier to look at than that cover anyway.) I honestly don‘t know how I feel about this book. The story revolves around parents who live a limited restrained life with their daughter, Skylark, a lonely, unattractive and frugal woman. When their daughter leaves for a week the parents are rejuvenated and begin to question their life‘s choices. 🔽

Come-read-with-me Love this picture! 5y

Suet624 I loved the writing so I would recommend it. However, I was left feeling very sad for the parents and had a sense of melancholy for a few days afterwards. I read the intro when I finished the book and there was an interpretation of Skylark that changed my perspective a great deal and helped me to see the book in a different light. I look forward to the #NYRBbookclub to discuss it. @vivastory @arubabookwoman (edited) 5y

Tera66 Great picture! 5y

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Suet624 @Come-read-with-me @Tera66 thank you! 5y

AmyG Your granddaughter is so big! And adorable. What a great photo. 5y

Suet624 @AmyG she just turned 3 and I swear she looks twice that age. 5y

FelinesAndFelonies Oh my goodness. She squishes my heart! What a cutie patootie! 5y

Tamra Much cuter I‘m sure! 5y

Leftcoastzen So adorable! 5y

vivastory I usually love the NYRB covers, but in this case I completely agree. Great review & a lovely pic, Sue! Really looking forward to the discussion this weekend! (edited) 5y

Centique What a beautiful family you have! 5y

JennyM Such a beautiful photo. ❤️ 5y

Reggie Gracie!!!! What a great pic and review! 5y

batsy This picture makes me happy! 🧡 Thoughtful review; I haven't started and I should 😬 5y

Suet624 @batsy I'm still puzzled as to why this very slim novel took me almost two weeks to read. I wasn't reading any other books, just this one. I kept having to put it down. There was something unsettling in it - it must be triggering something in me that I haven't yet put my finger on. What I give up for my kids perhaps? Not sure. But it's put me in a mood, for sure. 5y

Suet624 @Reggie Thanks, Reggie. I'm finally starting to be able to hang with Gracie and Captain Adorable and I couldn't be happier. It's been so long. 5y

Suet624 @vivastory Thank you, Scott. I feel the same way about the cover. Did you see the comment I posted on your review? 5y

Suet624 @FelinesAndFelonies Adorable and a firecracker. My prayer is that her fiery spirit remain intact for years to come. 5y

Suet624 @JennyM @centique @leftcoastzen @Tamra Thank you so much! 5y

youneverarrived Glad you are getting to spend more time with them now! Lovely photo 🤍 the book does leave a sort of melancholy mood, I agree. 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Great, fun photo! 💕 5y

Tanisha_A I enjoyed reading this, and I too felt that melancholy. Looking forward to discuss. The photo here is great! 😃 5y

arubabookwoman So glad you liked this. The more I think about it, the more impressed I am about it as a book. Looking forward to the discussion. 5y

KVanRead Great review. Looking forward to the discussion. And I much prefer your picture. That cover creeps me out! 5y

BarbaraBB Melancholy is the right word for the mood I was in too after finishing this. I forgot to read the intro! Also that photo is adorable! (edited) 5y

Suet624 @youneverarrived Someone asked me what the first thing was that I would do after my vaccination period was over. I said I'm doing it! I'm hanging with my grandkids!! Sleepover tonight. Can't wait. 5y

Suet624 @arubabookwoman I agree. The book has lingered. The writing was so evocative and the subject matter was something I can really chew on. 5y

Suet624 @KVanRead That cover, right???? Why?? It's just too spooky and smudgy. :) 5y

Suet624 @BarbaraBB Check out the next to last paragraph of the intro. 5y

BarbaraBB Thanks! I will! 5y

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Suet624

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

I love how descriptive this entire paragraph is, but this in particular: they fed their brood of bawling infants who bounced among the kohlrabi in the depths of their wicker-ribbed wagons. #NYRBbookclub

kspenmoll I always wonder how an author comes up with such vivid imagery in words. 5y

vivastory Kosztolanyi's prose really reflected that he was a poet I think, but without becoming lyrically burdensome 5y

Suet624 @vivastory shoot. I forgot he was a poet. Makes total sense. 5y

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Suet624 @kspenmoll I agree. 5y

vivastory @Suet624 He had such a full career it's a bit crazy looking at his bio 5y

nathandrake1997 This is some stunning prose ❤️ Especially those vivid and atmospheric descriptions ❤️ 5y

Suet624 @nathandrake1997 I know, right? I love everything about that paragraph. 5y

47 likes7 comments

Tanisha_A

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

“And through the window of an elaborately carved wooden case, the sauntering brass hands of a grandfather clock, which sliced the seemingly endless day into tiny pieces, showed the time: half past twelve.”

Repeat that everyday since almost a year, and it becomes a very resonating sentiment.

#nyrbbookclub

vivastory Are you enjoying the book? 5y

Tanisha_A @vivastory Yes, a lot. I have read 80 pages so far, and while i love it's quiet pace, i am intrigued to see where it goes. 5y

53 likes2 comments

GatheringBooks

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

#SpringSentiments Day 11: These frozen ruby and cherry margarita are #impervious to alcohol - as is the norm with most establishments here in the Middle East - just the way I like it.

Eggs

Eggs 👏🏻📚🍸👌🏼🤗 5y

40 likes1 comment

GatheringBooks

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

#OppositeDay 10: #Soft crumbly cheese with beef bacon wrapped shrimp - yummylicious indeed. #NYRBBookClub - enjoying our book club pick for the month, so far.

vivastory Looks amazing!! Glad to hear that you're enjoying the book 5y

TheKidUpstairs Your posts always make me so hungry! And I don't even like shrimp! 5y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yum!! 5y

Suet624 I love shrimp and you‘re killing me 😂 5y

47 likes4 comments

KVanRead

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

My first trip to a brick and mortar library in over a year! Just stood by the door to pick up the next two #NYRBBookClub reads but nice to take a peek inside and say hello to all the books😀❤️📚

vivastory

vivastory Nice!! Have they been doing curbside service for long? 5y

CaffeineAndCandy 💜💜💜 5y

KVanRead @vivastory They have, although not sure how long at my local branch as they started with main branch and slowly expanded. TBH, I usually borrow everything from Libby but since these were unavailable there, I was excited to find them in ‘corporeal‘ form 😊 5y

KVanRead @CaffeineAndCandy 😊 feeling the #librarylove 5y

61 likes4 comments

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

@vivastory @BarbaraBB @emilyhaldi @sprainedbrain @mklong @youneverarrived @KVanRead @LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen @Liz_M @merelybookish @GatheringBooks @readordierachel @sarahbarnes @sisilia @Reviewsbylola @Suet624 @batsy @Tanisha_A @Theaelizabet @Billypar @saresmoore

The nominations for April are Skylark by Kosztolanyi, Transit by Anna Seghers, and The Child by Jules Valles.

sisilia 😍 I vote for the one that I haven‘t read: The Child 5y

batsy All of these sound really interesting! Tough choice but I'll go with

arubabookwoman I am trying to tag sarasmoore, but she is not coming up. Do I have the wrong tag? ETA-fixed it. (edited) 5y

See All 27 Comments

Suet624 Oh boy, I would be really happy with either Skylark or Transit.

Suet624 or

Leftcoastzen These all sound great! My vote

The Child

Suet624 @saresmoore 5y

merelybookish Intriguing choices! I'm going with

BarbaraBB Thank you Deborah! I have already read Transit (it‘s a great choice) but I really want to read

readordierachel Happy to read any of these, but I'll vote for Skylark 5y

Billypar Great choices! I'm going with Transit, but also very intrigued about Skylark.

vivastory What a great selection! Voting for Transit 5y

vivastory @catebutler @daena @quietjenn The nominations are live 5y

emilyhaldi Great choices! I‘m going for the one that I already own 😉

KVanRead Great choices! I‘m voting for

GatheringBooks Thank you soooo much for putting this up early! Deeply appreciated. I vote for

sprainedbrain I vote for

sarahbarnes Great choices! I‘ll vote for

Liz_M I'm also going to vote for

LeahBergen Oh, this is a toughie. My vote goes to

Reviewsbylola I‘m so torn but I think I‘ll go for

The Child

quietjenn Not an easy choice, but I vote for

daena I‘m going with

(edited) 5y

mklong Great choices! I vote for

vivastory @saresmoore @youneverarrived @Theaelizabet @catebutler @Tanisha_A The April nominations are posted 5y

Theaelizabet Tough choice! I go with

catebutler For some reason, the tag didn‘t show up until just now. But, my choice would have been

34 likes27 comments

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

NYRB Classics Reading Society meeting no.8 - Skylark

I think I‘m the only one who gave this book 4⭐️ 😅 The rest would love to see more exciting plots in the book. Alas, this book is not the vavavoom kind

Tamra I envy you your group! 7y

sisilia @Tamra I‘m lucky to have them for IRL bookclub. Nobody‘s really interested in NYRB Classics here, so the group remains small. It‘s good to be small, though. We can discuss things in depth 😊 7y

Tamra @sisilia I‘d join in an instant! 😁 7y

ehewett88 I would love an irl book club must be great fun 7y

77 likes4 comments

Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

pick

4⭐️ Skylark was gone for a week. Her parents felt lost - how could they live without her? Well, they could! They went to the opera, enjoyed the wonderful food at the restaurant, socialized with the town‘s people, and even gambled for fun. And then Skylark‘s back, and their lives were back to ‘normal‘.

This book is solemn and quiet; reading it feels like people-watching in the old Hungarian society. The year was 1899. #NYRBClassics

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Skylark | Dezso Kosztolanyi

TGIF, dearest Littens! Friday means I can get comfy in my jeans and flats. Skylark was my commute buddy this morning. I‘m about 50 pages in, and it‘s enjoyable so far. #NYRBClassics

mabell For me, jeans and flats would be dressing up 😂 7y

AlaMich This is on my NYRB TBR 😊 7y

julesG Happy Friday! Glad I can go casual every day. 😉 7y

sisilia @mabell @julesG Ooohh you guys are so lucky! 😃 7y

sisilia @AlaMich 🙌🏻 7y

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