Started off strong, then went down from there. ( )

A long book and not always an easy read. Had to skip over a few bits in the middle but the structure lets you do that - as the generations move on each of the twelve chapters allow a fresh start and a new engagement. ( )

I bought this book during my holiday in Budapest in 2014. When abroad, I usually try to look for a book about either the city, region or country I was in. When reading the blurb, I found it quite interesting, so I decided to buy the book.

As my Hungarian is close to non-existent, except for some basic words, I had to read a translation, in this case the English one. And I can tell you: the writing style is superb, poetic, beautifully worded. The style isn't always my main focus, but here you just cannot overlook or deny its splendour.

Style is one thing, story another. It begins with a boy / man who has the gift of foresight (or hindsight, rather). He can look into the past of his ancestors and a little bit into his own future. He records his experiences in what is called 'The Book of Fathers'. He also has a timepiece which is fixed on a certain date and time. This is another means to collect visions from the past. Of course, he has it restored, so it can continue to function as a little clockwork. When he gets married, his (first) son inherits this gift of "sight" and the book in which to write down his experiences and desires. Each chapter is about the next first son. Each chapter also ends with the death of the central character.

Of course, not all first sons, when they become fathers, only have one son. Some have several children, including daughters, all with their own traits. Miklós Vámos doesn't really focus on the other children much, as there is a red line to follow. Each first son obviously faces struggles and happy moments in their lives, they get married once or more, and so on. Family ties are vital in every chapter.

All this starts in the 17th century, although the real take-off is set in the 18th century. As each character, all of which are in fact Jews (which is demonstrated by their names and professions and how civilization treats them) in this Hungarian family saga lives his life, you'll notice how the setting changes and progresses into the future (17th century --> 18th century --> 19th century --> 20th century). Political and economic aspects are of key importance to properly tell the story, to show how life was back in the day and that it wasn't (always) easy for the Jews or others when this or that person was in power, when the World Wars were being fought, when new political systems were installed (socialism, for example).

At some point, one of the first sons has had it with taking the past into account, with the recurring thoughts and dreams, that he decides to get rid of it all. Obviously, it's not as easy as it seems. But then the chain is broken. Luckily a later son, when in search of his (parents') past, decides to write down whatever he finds out about them, so his future son can continue this project.

While it's far from my cup of tea or usual reads, I find that [b:The Book Of Fathers|2770030|The Book Of Fathers|Miklós Vámos|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421010222s/2770030.jpg|1723824] is a recommended story, not only because of the scale (following a family over the course of a good 300 years in a varying historical context), but also because of the beautiful wording. It's also a fairly easy read (depending on your English knowledge), although the structure - the chapters look a little like novellas - can be a bit unpleasant, in my humble opinion, because each chapter introduces a new central character. Sometimes, though, Vámos did not start from scratch to focus on the new first son; he then used a rest of the previous storyline to have the next one start and flow more smoothly.

It's, when you look at it from a different perspective, also a story about mankind, about one's ancestry, about one's history: Who are you? Where do you come from? Who were your parents, grandparents, ...? If you can't answer any of those questions, do you then exist? Are you then real? In a way, this could be compared to [b:Nineteen Eighty-Four|185900|Nineteen Eighty-Four|George Orwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437912805s/185900.jpg|153313], where the past is rewritten (though for different reasons) and history thus erased, nothing to link back to anymore.

Added value: historical note by the author. Always a nice addition to historical fiction books. ( )

This novel tells the stories of 12 first-born sons of the fictional Hungarian Csillag/Stern family. Vamos covers 300 years of Hungarian history--from an 18th century eclipse to the 1999 eclipse. There is an 8-page author's note at the end--that I wish was at the beginning!-- in which Vamos explains how this book began as his attempt to write ab out his father's family. He did not know much, so his father and grandfather's lives became the basis for 2 of the 20th century characters, and he rest is fiction based in history. Astrology plays a roll (there's a reason there are 12 generations), as does the history and development of the Hungarian language (which is not so obvious in the translations).

The story starts with young Kornel Csillag, born 1702, who returns to Hungary with his mother and grandfather, who had fled a war. They settle, but the war is not over and their town is destroyed and nearly everyone killed. Kornel survives, and begins The Book of Fathers. A watch he finds gives each eldest son the gift of sight through his ancestors, and sometimes future visions as well. Through the generations they expand and add volumes to the book, and each man feels like he truly knew the previous generations.

This book is nearly 500 pages, but is both fun and fascinating to read. As boys/men find their talents, the wives they knew were coming, and speak languages they know because their ancestors did. They also find their fates, which their vague visions of the future left them confused about. It is clever and interesting, and is packed full of Hungarian history of the common people.

Vamos is a very well-known author in Hungary and has taught at Yale. He has many other works that I will look out for. ( )

A long book and not always an easy read. Had to skip over a few bits in the middle but the structure lets you do that - as the generations move on each of the twelve chapters allow a fresh start and a new engagement. ( )