It took me more than a month to navigate through the intricacies of Péter Nádas's memoir, and mind you, this is only the first volume! Upon completing it, I felt as though I had gained a deeper understanding of Hungary – what sets it apart from its Germanic and Slavic neighbours, as well as the commonalities they share. Nádas skilfully highlights the complex history of Hungary, emphasising its multicultural past and the evolution of the concept of nationhood, which he weaves throughout his family's stories. He underscores the fact that in the early 19th century, only 42 per cent of the eight million inhabitants of the Kingdom of Hungary spoke Hungarian, illustrating the country's diverse population and the co-existence of various cultures, religions, and customs.

As Nádas comes from a Jewish family, there is a huge portion of the stories he dedicates to the life of his Jewish ancestors in Hungary. One such interesting instance is the Tiszaeszlár affair in Nyíregyháza, originally a murder case which was later presented by the media of that time as a Jewish blood libel, leading to a set of trials that set off anti-Semitic agitation in Austria-Hungary between 1882 and 1883. Triggering this case was the death of a local girl, Eszter Solymosi, following which Jews were accused of murdering and beheading her. A body was found in the Tisza river where she lived, having apparently drowned, which later drew controversy as the body wasn’t that of Eszter, yet dressed in her clothes. A lengthy trial followed, resulting in the acquittal of all of the accused. Yet the case triggered anti-Semitic agitation in the years that followed.

Nádas describes the case in minute detail, not only the chronology and the legal processes but also the role that his family played in the case. The brother of his great-grandfather, Ernő Mezei, sent an interpellation addressed to the minister of justice in November 1882, which led to some dramatic scenes. Attorney-general Havas was then sent to Nyíregyháza, and he found that, despite the official declaration of the examining judge, the accused had not been granted a single hearing. Some of the prisoners were released by him. But, realising he was hampered by powerful influences in his endeavour to accelerate the affair, he offered his resignation, which was readily accepted.

Despite the wealth of detail, I found myself struggling with the memoir's non-chronological structure. Without distinct chapters, readers must rely solely on Nádas's narrative to track the story's progression. The memoir also shifts anachronistically between different time periods, which can be disorienting. However, this unconventional structure may also reflect Nádas's assertion that the past, present, and future coexist in a continuous present. While it presents challenges, it also offers a unique storytelling experience, akin to a roller coaster ride through history, where anything can happen at any moment.