Link: Goodreads
Author: Ferenc Molnár
Published: 1906
I picked up this book as a kind of comeback after reading mostly non-fiction — and finished it in less than two days. It’s considered one of the most important works of Hungarian fiction.
I think the copy I read was the very first Turkish translation. The book has been translated into more than 30 languages, and I also watched the 1968 Hungarian film adaptation.
It’s both a children’s story and a war story at the same time. Honestly, I think it would be almost impossible to write such a book today, because it openly praises fighting for the homeland.
Later, the author himself admitted: if I had lived through World War 1, I wouldn’t have written this book.
The writer also beautifully portrayed war, friendship, respect for rivals, and even betrayal — all told through the world of children.