It was a few years ago now that I looked at Embers, Sandor Marai’s 1942 novel set over one evening. If, like me, you liked Embers – the more famous novel in the UK – then I think you’ll like Esther’s Inheritance too. It is a similarly constrained piece of writing, also set primarily over one evening, focussed on an anticipated guest.
“We are bound to our enemies, nor can they escape us.”
However, the psychology of this novella was harder for me to manage as a reader.
Esther lives in the house she inherited from her father with her ancient retainer Nunu:
“Nunu thinks she knows everything about me. And maybe she does know the truth, the simple ultimate truth we dress up in so many rags all our lives.”
As a young woman Esther loved Lajos – now, around 20 years later, he has telegrammed to say he will visit the next day. This sends her back to his letters and her memories of the past.
“I marvelled at the fierce workings of this aimless energy. In each of his letters he addressed me with power enough to move anyone – especially a highly sensitive woman – indeed, whole crowds, even masses. It wasn’t that he had anything particularly ‘significant’ to say… He was always writing about the truth, about some imagined truth that he had just realised and urgently wanted me to know.”
But Lajos is utterly vacuous:
“Later we discovered that Lajos himself had never read, or had simply scanned the authors and thinkers, the works and ideas that he so emphatically recommended, wagging his head and chiding us with good-humoured severity. His charm acted on us like a cheap wicked spell.”
Yet when he arrives with an entourage of vague and bitchy hangers-on Esther still feels drawn – possibly less to him than she once was, but certainly to how he made her feel.
“But there was a time when I was close to him when my life was as ‘dangerous’ as his. Now that this danger has passed I can see that nothing is as it was, and that such danger was in fact the one true meaning of life.”
The full extent of Lajos’ previous betrayal is revealed during the visit, as is a betrayal by another. There is a suggestion at one point that possibly Lajos had authentic feelings for Esther for a brief moment, for whatever they were worth.
Esther is fully aware of what Lajos is like and all he has done, and yet when he inevitably makes the move for his latest self-serving rip-off scheme she seems ready to capitulate. It really is rather baffling.
I only write about books I recommend and I do recommend this because Marai is such a beautiful writer. But a lot of the psychology and plot of this novella depends on the charm of Lajos, which is difficult to convey on the page and was completely lost on this reader. Maybe I’m not subtle enough for Esther’s Inheritance. I suspect in some ways this would work well as a film, where a charismatic actor could bring Lajos’ charm to life.
“When somebody appears out of the past and announces in heartfelt tones that he wants to put ‘everything’ right, one can only pity his ambition and laugh at it”
madame bibi lophile recommends 
Hmm the title Embers is very recognisable to me, I’m sure I read it years ago. Esther’s Inheritance sounds lovely too, I like books set over one day or in this case one evening.
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I think you’d like them Ali, they’re very finely observed and carefully written. I like books set over a single day too, there’s something very appealing about the containment.
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Very intriguing indeed. I liked Embers very much, but I’m interested in your comments about the psychology feeling more elusive in this one. Is this an earlier novel than Embers or a later one? I suppose I’m wondering if Marai was still trying to formulate his ideas with this story?
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That’s a really good point Jacqui and one I hadn’t considered, thank you! This was written 3 years before Embers, so yes, that may explain why Embers worked so well for me but the psychological premise of Esther’s Inheritance not so much.
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I suspect the beautiful writing wouldn’t make up for Lajos’ vapidity for me. I do like ‘His charm acted on us like a cheap wicked spell’, though.
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It really is baffling why everyone falls for Lajos’ charm. I think the right actor could make it just about convincing in a film, but he’d have a job on his hands.
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Interesting and I can understand why you would struggle with this one. Do you think if it had been a longer book the author might have been able to develop the characters more and so get across what was so compelling about Lajos?
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That’s an interesting question Kaggsy. I had the sense the author said all he wanted to say so I don’t know if it had been longer that he would have done much differently, but perhaps if he had gone into the past relationship a bit more, I would have understood why Esther was so in thrall to Lajos.
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I admire Marai but I’m not as taken by him as I am by other Hungarian writers.
I think I’ll pass on this one.
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It’s certainly an odd one Emma, in some ways I found it a frustrating read although still a worthwhile one.
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In Embers, I had a hard time feeling anything for the characters. I felt detached.
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Yes, that was my experience with Esther’s Inheritance. I just couldn’t see why they were behaving as they did.
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Oh good, another one I can cheerfully skip. Carry on! 😀
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😀 So long as there’s not too many skippable ones! I’ll get your TBR up any way I can!
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