A very interesting assembly of fiction, mixed with some poetical reveries that enlighten us upon the whole. Overall, I felt it was a solid collection and it is a shame what happened to the writer, both for humanity and for the fact that he was not able to keep producing his work.

Good book. ( )

This volume brings together the shorter fiction of Antal Szerb, who is best known as the writer of Journey by Moonlight, and also the comic novels The Pendragon Legend and Oliver VII.

The stories here showcase the full range of his talents. It is arranged chronologically, starting with a couple of folk tales, the first of which is the only one set in Szerb's native Hungary, but most of the rest are influenced by the time he spent in the great libraries of Paris and London, and mix esoteric learning, a broad range of interests, plenty of humour and romantic frustration - a common theme is the scholar who is too devoted to spend time with women. A very enjoyable collection. ( )

I've had this collection of stories and a three early novellas/long stories on my shelves longer than any other of the Szerbs I've read this year, and I'm glad I waited to read it because Szerb's novels and historical work are definitely far superior to these shorter works. I enjoyed reading the stories because they provide insight into the themes Szerb explores in his longer fiction, including love and the urge for death, working and obsession, and a little bit of the magical, and of course Szerb is a wonderful writer. I particularly enjoyed the first story, after which the collection is named, "The Incurable," and "Fin de Siecle," which involves various real writers. The translator, Len Rix, who has translated all the Szerbs I've read, notes in his introduction that the novellas, which I would call long stories, are very early works of Szerb, and are of interest chiefly because they show Szerb's early interests before he developed some of his distinctive style. I would agree with that, although they were charming in their way. A reader new to Szerb should not start with this collection.