A Review of Embers by Sandor Marai

Cover

A Hungarian general recluse living in a grand estate receives an old friend who he hasn't seen in 41 years.

Two friends who were attached at the hip from ages 12 to 34 now haven't seen eachother in 41 years. In this book we find out why and we also learn about human nature. During the first few chapters of this book before the long soliloquy starts this book was shaping to be a 5 star book. It lost me during the soliloquy.

Henrik (the Hungarian General) and Konrad (his old friend) were one the best of friends. They met while attending a military school. Henrik is of rich aristocratic nobility while Konrad is from a poor region of the Austro-Hungarian empire where his parents do without in order for Konrad to thrive.

One day during a hunt in 1899 something happens. The next day Konrad flees the empire and spends the next decades in either the tropics or in London. During the book we find out why Konrad fled, more about the General's life and perception of things, and about human nature.