My Happy Days In Hell: (Penguin Modern Classics)

'The knowledge that in a few minutes, when I left the hotel, I would have no home, no bed of my own, no possessions for a long time to come and that I was going towards absolute insecurity - that made me rather happy.' My Happy Days in Hell (1962) is Gyorgy Faludy's grimly beautiful autobiography of his battle to survive tyranny and oppression. Fleeing Hungary in 1938 as the German army approaches, acclaimed poet Faludy journeys to Paris, where he finds a lover but merely a cursory asylum. When the French capitulate to the Nazis, Faludy travels to North Africa, then on to America, where he volunteers for military service. Missing his homeland and determined to do the right thing, he returns - only to be imprisoned, tortured, and slowly starved, eventually becoming one of only twenty-one survivors of his camp.

About the Author :
Gy rgy Faludy (1910-2006) was raised and died in Hungary but spent much of his long life in various forms of exile. A poet and translator, Faludy was imprisoned by the Communist authorities in post-war Hungary where he was subjected to the most terrible treatment. My Happy Days in Hell takes these experiences and makes them into an extraordinary and highly enjoyable work of art.

Review :
A man whose moral compass in all the great questions of the twentieth century has never deviated from the correct direction, no matter what the cost to himself Confronts the monoliths of 20th century totalitarianism and, surprisingly, triumphs. [The series] sheds remarkable light on the literature, culture and politics of the region...anyone coming fresh to the field will be captivated by the richness, variety, humour and pathos of a classic literature that, through a shared historical experience, transcends national and linguistic boundaries. This [series] is a wonderful idea ... They are absurdist parables, by turns hilarious, unsettling and enigmatic. I urge you to go and read them. This new series of Central European Classics is important well beyond simply providing 'good reads'.