ABSTRACT
Imre Kertesz's Sorstalansag (Fatelessness) represents a radical break from other such historicized or quasi-historical accounts. In terms of his approach Kertesz was considerably ahead of his time, and Sorstalansag could prove a somewhat frustrating or at least irritating read even today for anyone expecting devastating or stomach-churning horrors that turn into an ultimately uplifting and life-affirming account of a young teenager's survival in the camps. Sorstalansag was followed in 1977 by A nyomkereso (The Sleuth), two short detective novellas on similar themes; one of the stories, though set untypically in Latin America, none the less addresses the issue of repressive political regimes. The increasing recognition of Kertesz in Hungary and, especially, Germany can be documented not only through sales: in Hungary he won the Fust Milan Prize in 1983 and eight other prizes prior to 1992, followed by the top Hungarian prizes for literature: the Marai Prize in 1996 and the Kossuth Prize in 1997.
