This fascinating memoir, written on the heals of Banffy’s famous Transylvanian Trilogy, describes life in the post-World War I kingdom of Hungary. Banffy brilliantly describes both the political devastation caused by the Western Allies, as well as the people’s relentless spirit and endurance.
Miklos Banffy (1873-1950) was variously a diplomat, MP and foreign minister in 1921/22 when he signed the peace treaty with the United States and obtained Hungary’s admission to the League of Nations. He was responsible for organizing the last Habsburg coronation, that of King Karl in 1916. His famous Transylvanian Trilogy, They Were Counted, They Were Found Wanting, They Were Divided was first published in Budapest in the 1930s.
After thoroughly enjoying The Transylvania Trilogy, I anticipated another masterly storytelling of Hungary, picking up where the trilogy ended. Meh. I did not expect a memoir, his memoir, rather than a fictional story that weaves in Hungary’s history after the dissolution of the Austria-Hungary Empire.
[A separate Amazon listing The Phoenix Land: The Memoirs of Count Miklos Banffy clarifies, even having a different description: As this memoir reveals, Count Miklos Banffy lived in a time and era of great transition. Banffy’s life as a statesman and author residing in Hungary at the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, during the downfall of the Hapsburg dynasty, is detailed. His life story includes such notable accomplishments as obtaining Hungary’s admission to the League of Nations and organizing the last Hapsburg coronation for King Karl in 1916. Banffy also reflects upon his country’s experiences through World War I, the first socialist republic, and the terrifying communist rule of Bela Kun.]
Part 1 of the book, written in the 1930s, is more detailed, interesting and believable: Karl’s coronation, his first diplomatic assignment, his time learning to paint in the Netherlands, his recall after the defeat of the communists. Interesting is, at times, an overstatement: are readers concerned about the difficulties in finding and hiring live models for his oil painting class? I think not.
Part 2, written post-World War II during his last years, shows the frailties of memory, especially when your personal papers are destroyed in a house fire. The stories often lack detail, with far too many whose name I don’t remember or it was either this or that or I couldn’t begin to recount the details of the conversations. Why bother if you can’t remember? Though he states he’s not blowing his own horn, it comes across that he is.
The memoir’s apparent main focus is ensuring readers understand the many wrongs thrust upon Hungary throughout its history: Austria’s war, not Austria-Hungary, for reasons Hungary disagreed but for which they were called upon to fight; the disadvantageous terms of the Treaty of Trianon which reduced its size and population by two-thirds; Burgenland, considered Hungarian for years, transferred to Austria (first all, then most); the Entente‘s Conference of Ambassadors blaming Hungary for King Karl’s two attempted putsches. With a (somewhat) light touch, Banffy portrays Hungary as a poor nation whose bad luck has been thrust upon it for no legitimate reason. Perhaps he’s right – my understanding of Hungarian history is fairly light – but usually there’s two sides to every story.
While The Phoenix Land does have its intermittent moments where the storytelling is grabbing, overall it’s a slog with no thread that connects the stories told into a unified piece (other than Hungary has always been screwed). The focus is Banffy post-WWI experiences with the (light) history of Hungary woven in as based on his experiences. In the end, I could only make it through three-quarters of the book before deciding enough is enough. Some amusing anecdotes but the storytelling is far less compelling than in Trilogy, lacking the detailed context and background necessary to those without a deep background in Hungarian history.
