Temptation

More about the book

A Dickensian coming-of-age tale set in Budapest, this story explores themes of poverty, sex, World War I, and the darker aspects of human nature through the eyes of a lobby boy. Abject poverty is central to the narrative, following Bela, an illegitimate child sent to live with a peasant woman after his mother abandons him. When she ceases to pay for his care, he faces starvation, bullying, and exclusion from school. Years later, his mother retrieves him to live in the city, where she is dominated by his irresponsible father, Mishka, who eventually disappears. As she toils endlessly, Bela shares a room with a hardworking prostitute in a crowded tenement, vividly portrayed by Szekely. Bela secures a job at a fancy hotel, managing to save for a uniform while waking before dawn and working late into the night, leaving him exhausted and hungry. Despite his hardships, he becomes intrigued by the upper class, leading to entanglements with a rich, troubled woman. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Budapest darkens with the rise of fascism, and Bela becomes increasingly aware of the societal divide between the wealthy and the working class. Ultimately, against all odds, he finds the determination to seek a new future.