Release date is 2026-01-04

Albert László from page images generously made available by the Internet Archive

Fenn és lenn by Ferenc Herczeg is a novel written in the late 19th century. Set around a southern Hungarian market town, it opposes the “high” life of the Lovrich barons to the “low” but lively world of the Pogány family. Its focus is Kun Attila, a celebrated explorer and the baron’s estranged nephew, who returns from Africa and is drawn between the frank, spirited Jolán and the proud noblewoman Etel while old family wounds resurface. The story promises romance and social satire against a vividly drawn provincial backdrop.

The opening of this novel presents the landscape, the ruined “Jó Ali” tower, the town of Boros-Keve, and the baronial castle opposite the cheerful “Pogányvár” summer house. We meet Jolán and her young cousin Béni at play when Attila arrives unannounced from his travels, is warmly welcomed by the widow Pogányné, and deflects questions about his African exploits. A sweeping family backstory follows: the Lovrich rise from swine-merchant wealth to nobility; Iván, the present baron; his sister Sarolta’s scandal with the engineer Kun; her first marriage to a count, then her secret second marriage to Kun, whose early death leaves their son Attila to be raised by the kind, middling Pogánys. Attila grows up, rejects a post arranged by the baron, and wins fame on a perilous Central African expedition before returning. Daily visits to Pogányvár rekindle boyhood intimacy with Jolán; a daring climb to the fortress ends with her reckless play on the parapet, Attila’s fierce rescue, and a charged, near-intimate moment, capped by a token—an impromptu “little eagle”—for Béni. Rain then forces Attila indoors; a stiff summons from Iván leads to a cold, businesslike settlement and a disappointing, bloodless first meeting. As he leaves through the garden, he encounters Etel, whose striking poise and cool curiosity spark a taut, suggestive exchange just as the scene breaks off. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: Budapest: Franklin-Társulat, 1908