Agria 38. (Az Egri Múzeum Évkönyve - Annales Musei Agriensis, 2002)

Király Júlia: A kultuszteremtő Gárdonyi

like for example the excellent characterisation and the novel way in which he evoked the spirit of the age, failed to receive the praise they deserved. Whilst the exact position of Gárdonyi within the pantheon of Hungarian novelists remains unsure there was no doubt that Eger Castle and the period in general has acquired cult status. On becoming compulsory reading for twelve- and thirteen-year-old pupils it became the most-read novel in Hungary. As a result the number of visitors visiting the castle grew, and Eger's heroic resistance entered the national consciousness. For the last few years attention has once again focused on Géza Gárdonyi's career, and his novels, including The Stars of Eger, have been undergoing a period of reassessment. At the exhibition dedicated to the Cult of Eger held at Eger Castle in 2002 some of the writer's manuscripts which were unknown until relatively recently were put on display, and there is a possibility that a collection of studies will be appearing showing the current state of research. 212