Satantango

 

I first received Satantango as a gift from a friend when I was in college, who told me I would enjoy the story and Lászlo Krasznahorkai's writing style. Years and years later, despite it consistently lingering in the back of my head, I finally read it. It wasn't the first book of Krasznahorkai's that I've enjoyed. A few years ago, I picked up a copy of The World Goes On solely because of the stunning, colorful cover. The book (comprised of thoughtful, vivid existential short stories) was truly phenomenal in every way.

This year, since I've adamantly decided to consistently restart my love of reading once and for all, I determined to finally read Satantango. The tone of the book is decidedly less vivid than The World Goes On, but definitely not inferior. Satantango tells the story of life in a bleak, miserable Hungarian village, which is wholly as sad as you can possibly imagine. 

The tone throughout, peppered by a nonstop downpour of rain filling the dark skies, corresponds perfectly to the insane levels of despair each resident feels at all times. Like many parables and tales before, one crafty villager by the name of Irimias successfully aims to capitalize on the villagers' despair, alongside his slimy sidekick, Petrina.

I did have a difficult time reading the passage about the young girl, Esti, and the cat. It brought me to tears and I couldn't pick up Satantango for a few days. For this reason, despite the critical acclaim, I am not going to watch the film. 

Aside from that part, Satantango is a phenomenal novel, illustrating human craftiness and deception at its best. The scene where the villagers go insane and dance one night at the bar is the apex of the novel, which Krasznahorkai dubs the "Satantango."

Overall, I found the doctor the most interesting character. He has truly acknowledged and come to terms with the depths of his despair, rendering himself nearly immobile with the exception of consistently lifting the bottle of palinka. I thought it was appropriate that the novel should end with his narration, as he was truly the largest, unspoken presence in the village.

The sentences were surprisingly not as long as those in The World Goes On and I found I read it quicker as a result. After Satantango and The World Goes On, I would definitely be open to reading more of Krasznahorkai's novels. 

Rating: 8/10