Desert of Love

Selected Poems

Pilinszky Janos

Janos Pilinszky (1921-1981) was a unique and compelling voice among the generation of European poets whose work bore first-hand witness to the horrors of war. The distinction of his poetry, as Ted Hughes argues, is both spiritual and artistic: "the desolation of [his] vision is equalled by its radiance". The depth and power of Pilinszky's poetry are forcefully recreated in these memorable versions by Janos Csokits and Ted Hughes. "The Desert of Love" is a revised edition of their earlier selection of his magnetic, intense and haunting poems.
The added memoir by Pilinszky's close friend and associate Agnes Nemes Nagy gives a major living Hungarian poet's view of his achievement.

About the Author

Janos Pilinszky (November 1921-1981) was drafted into the army in 1944 and the horrors he saw, such as the Ravensbruck concentration camp, made an indelible impression on him. His first collection appeared in 1946 but his second was delayed by the communist censorship, because of the combination of his Catholic faith and pessimism. His collected poetry "Krater" appeared in 1976; a short novel "Conversations with Sheryl Sutton" was published in translation in 1992. He was awarded the Kossuth Prize in 1980.

Back to the list of books