I've been on a Dezső Kosztolányi kick for the past 5 weeks or so--ever since I happened upon Skylark in a bookstore in Burlington (Vermont) whilst looking to see if they had any László Krasznahorkai in stock. (Which was a strange thing for me to do, actually, since I've already read all of the László Krasznahorkai books that have been translated into English, but hope springs eternal in the book nerd's breast.) And I am currently reading the last novel available in English, Nero, the Bloody Poet. But whilst searching I found out that there was a book published by Oxford University Press in 1967, Hungarian Short Stories, which contained a piece by Mr. Kosztolányi, and, fortunately, the University of Louisville library had a copy of it which I picked up today.
The Kosztolányi story is "Omelette á Woburn," and I just finished reading it a moment ago. And I just have to say that (1) it was delightful to see that it was another Kornél Esti story * and (2) it was very odd (the plot: Dezső Kosztolányi eats breakfast) and (3) I am pretty sure that it was the best omelette story I've ever read.
Which gives me an idea. I would like to do an anthology with really odd "award" designations. Like Best Omelette Story. Or maybe even better, Best Egg for Breakfast Story, Omelette, which would leave things open for a Soft-Boiled Egg (etc.) designation. I am pretty sure that I could come up with a couple of dozen such categories. Best Haircut Story. (That would go to Yukio Mishima for a section of Confessions of a Mask, if memory serves.) Yeah.
Man, I've got a lot of things to do before I die.
* Kornél Esti was the protagonist of the eponymous novel by Dezső Kosztolányi . . . which might could be my favorite of his works, but all of them have been so good that I'm not sure I can even make that call.
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