Magdolna és egyéb elbeszélések

Magdolna grows up in the bustling streets of turn‑of‑the‑century Budapest, haunted by the death of her mother and the quiet devotion of a father who cannot fill the void left behind. She pours herself into novels, finding both comfort and a restless yearning for the larger dramas that swirl on their pages. The city’s clamor of workers and laughter of children contrast sharply with her solitary evenings, when she imagines herself among the literary heroines she admires.

When her father arranges a marriage to a courteous but unremarkable young man, Magdolna steps into a world of balls, fine dresses, and polite society, yet feels a growing disquiet. The marriage offers little of the passionate ideal she has read about, and she begins to question the roles of wife, daughter, and lover. One star‑lit spring night, perched on her balcony, she lets her thoughts drift outward, seeking a way to reconcile the stories she loves with the life unfolding before her.