The Hungarian Author László Krasznahorkai Wins the Nobel Nobel Award in Literature

The prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for this year has been awarded to from Hungary author László Krasznahorkai, as announced by the Swedish Academy.

The Jury praised the 71-year-old's "gripping and imaginative collection that, in the midst of end-times terror, confirms the strength of the arts."

A Legacy of Apocalyptic Fiction

Krasznahorkai is known for his bleak, pensive books, which have garnered many awards, for instance the recent National Book Award for translated literature and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.

A number of of his novels, notably his titles Satantango and another major work, have been turned into cinematic works.

Initial Success

Hailing in a Hungarian locale in the mid-1950s, Krasznahorkai first gained recognition with his mid-80s first book Satantango, a dark and captivating depiction of a disintegrating rural community.

The work would later win the Man Booker International Prize award in English decades after, in the 2010s.

A Unique Writing Approach

Frequently labeled as postmodernist, Krasznahorkai is famous for his lengthy, intricate sentences (the dozen sections of Satantango each are a one paragraph), dystopian and melancholic themes, and the kind of relentless force that has led literary experts to compare him to Gogol, Melville and Kafka.

This work was notably transformed into a extended motion picture by filmmaker the director Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a enduring working relationship.

"Krasznahorkai is a remarkable writer of epic tales in the Central European literary tradition that includes Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, and is characterised by absurdism and bizarre extremes," stated Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel committee.

He described Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "evolved into … flowing language with lengthy, intricate lines without punctuation that has become his hallmark."

Expert Opinions

Sontag has described the author as "the contemporary Hungarian expert of the apocalyptic," while the writer W.G. Sebald commended the universality of his outlook.

Only a few of Krasznahorkai’s novels have been rendered in English. The literary critic James Wood once noted that his books "get passed around like rare currency."

Global Influences

Krasznahorkai’s career has been influenced by exploration as much as by his writing. He first departed from socialist Hungary in 1987, spending a period in Berlin for a fellowship, and later was inspired from Eastern Asia – especially Mongolia and China – for novels such as one of his titles, and his book on China.

While working on War and War, he explored across Europe and resided temporarily in Allen Ginsberg’s New York residence, describing the renowned Beat poet's assistance as essential to finalizing the novel.

Author's Perspective

Inquired how he would explain his writing in an interview, Krasznahorkai said: "Characters; then from these characters, vocabulary; then from these terms, some concise lines; then further lines that are more extended, and in the chief exceptionally extended paragraphs, for the duration of three and a half decades. Elegance in prose. Enjoyment in hell."

On audiences discovering his writing for the initial encounter, he noted: "For any individuals who haven’t read my books, I would refrain from advising any specific title to explore to them; instead, I’d advise them to step out, sit down somewhere, possibly by the banks of a creek, with no tasks, a clear mind, just staying in tranquility like rocks. They will eventually encounter an individual who has encountered my novels."

Nobel Prize Context

Prior to the declaration, betting agencies had pegged the frontrunners for this annual award as the Chinese writer, an innovative Chinese writer, and Krasznahorkai.

The Nobel Award in Literary Arts has been awarded on 117 past events since the early 20th century. Recent recipients include Ernaux, the musician, Gurnah, Glück, Handke and the Polish author. Last year’s winner was Han Kang, the Korean novelist renowned for The Vegetarian.

Krasznahorkai will ceremonially receive the prize medal and diploma in a ceremony in the month of December in the Swedish capital.

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