Mészáros Tibor (szerk.): Once I lived, I, Sándor Márai. Patterns from a globetrotting Hungarian's life (Budapest, 2004)
Márai's secret
AZKEN HITZORDUA SÁNDOR MARAI Europeanness. The writer traveled and lived (as his fate would have it) throughout Europe. He traveled throughout with open eyes, examining locations receptively. His reports, sent from Berlin, London, Paris and even the shores of Lake Geneva make real what is now an ideal. It is no coincidence that nowadays, besides nostalgia, readers can easily recognize the different countries of Europe in Máraí's works. They are reading the lines of one of them, of a person, who writes with great feeling of the thoughts and impressions that are unique to humanity. It is perhaps a less well-known fact that Márai's life-works have strong English links. 1 would point out just a few of these. In 1942 he reported from the London world exhibition, and one year before he had conducted an interview with Sherlock Holmes's 'father', Conan Doyle. His interest in the country continued throughout the time he spent in Hungary, until 1948. Just to name a few examples of themes Máraí addressed in his articles: in 1933 he spent a few weeks in London as a correspondent for his paper, the Újság, writing a series of articles entitled English Lessons. He describes everything of interest he sees in the town. Walking down Fleet Street he naturally writes about English journalists. In this article he notes that "The Times has been appearing for one hundred and fifty years and it perfectly represents England. Its calm is imperturbable. Everything is always in its place in this paper, like in a huge, organized department store." In the article Before the Season, he wrote, "On the lawn of Hyde Park the sheep graze and the unemployed lie, bending up on their elbows to look at the riding lords...That's how big democracy is here." He greatly esteemed the Itzulpena: Xabier Olarra tyet* 59
