Erika Szudár: That Evil Hour (A Printed Book in Hungarian)

Human nature is very strange. Inherently, everyone is good, everyone is an angel, yet the devil is also lurking within. When the balance between good and evil will be disrupted inside us is unpredictable. Most of the time, we fight for a lifetime and seemingly succeed in holding back the dark side of our soul, but this carves deep lines into our faces. However, if we yield to the pressure and let the volcano erupt to the surface, we will face serious social conflicts, as we break human norms. Therefore, we battle with our conscience throughout our lives because, unless we are hypocrites, our sense of justice is often compromised, and we thirst for vengeance—for we were born human. Fantasy, however, is not confined within social boundaries; it liberates us, and we feel relieved when someone else writes down what the devil is chanting inside.

Nature, too, reflects the duality of the human soul. Whether it is the depths of the sea, the African sands, or the brilliance of distant stars, we feel an urge to understand everything. For most of us, this understanding only reaches the level of admiration, but if we are blessed in life to glimpse a beautiful bird or lose ourselves in the scent of a dazzling flower, we must rejoice in this discovery.

The intention to transport the reader beyond the world of fantasy into the culture of distant peoples is not just a self-serving part of the story, but my teaching philosophy. We must break out of the often colorless world of everyday life and lift our eyes to the rainbow towering further away from us, because it is worth it…

The heartbreaking story will soon be followed by the sequel.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My heartfelt thanks go to Gábor, the poet whose imagery and rich world of colours inspired me throughout the writing process, and whose unique song lyrics strengthened my belief that I was on the right path.

It is an indescribable feeling to share our beautiful language—the Hungarian language—with all those who become my readers.

Erika Szudár

(Print lenght: 296 pages)