László Krasznahorkai Receives the Nobel Nobel Prize in Literary Arts
The coveted Nobel Prize in Literature for 2025 has been bestowed upon from Hungary author László Krasznahorkai, as announced by the Nobel awarding body.
The Academy highlighted the 71-year-old's "compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of cataclysmic fear, reasserts the strength of the arts."
An Esteemed Career of Apocalyptic Fiction
Krasznahorkai is renowned for his bleak, pensive books, which have earned many accolades, such as the 2019 National Book Award for international writing and the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.
A number of of his books, notably his fictional works his debut and another major work, have been turned into cinematic works.
Initial Success
Originating in a Hungarian locale in the mid-1950s, Krasznahorkai first rose to prominence with his mid-80s debut novel Satantango, a bleak and mesmerising portrayal of a failing rural community.
The book would later win the Man Booker International Prize honor in the English language nearly three decades later, in 2013.
An Unconventional Writing Approach
Frequently labeled as postmodernist, Krasznahorkai is famous for his lengthy, intricate sentences (the 12 chapters of his novel each consist of a solitary block of text), dystopian and melancholic subjects, and the kind of unwavering intensity that has led reviewers to liken him to literary giants like Kafka.
Satantango was famously transformed into a seven-hour movie by director Béla Tarr, with whom Krasznahorkai has had a long working relationship.
"Krasznahorkai is a great epic writer in the central European literary tradition that includes Franz Kafka to the Austrian writer, and is marked by absurdist elements and grotesque excess," commented the Nobel chair, head of the Nobel jury.
He characterized Krasznahorkai’s writing as having "developed towards … flowing syntax with lengthy, intricate lines lacking punctuation that has become his hallmark."
Literary Praise
Susan Sontag has described the author as "the contemporary Hungarian master of the apocalyptic," while Sebald applauded the broad relevance of his outlook.
Just a small number of Krasznahorkai’s novels have been published in English. The reviewer James Wood once remarked that his books "get passed around like precious items."
Global Influences
Krasznahorkai’s professional journey has been influenced by journeys as much as by his writing. He first departed from socialist the country in the late 80s, spending a period in the city for a fellowship, and later was inspired from Eastern Asia – particularly Mongolia and China – for novels such as The Prisoner of Urga, and another novel.
While writing this novel, he journeyed extensively across Europe and stayed in Ginsberg's New York residence, describing the renowned poet's support as essential to finalizing the work.
Author's Perspective
Inquired how he would explain his oeuvre in an discussion, Krasznahorkai responded: "Characters; then from these characters, words; then from these words, some short sentences; then further lines that are longer, and in the primary very long sentences, for the span of 35 years. Beauty in language. Enjoyment in darkness."
On readers discovering his books for the first time, he added: "If there are people who haven’t read my novels, I would refrain from advising any specific title to explore to them; instead, I’d recommend them to venture outside, sit down in a place, possibly by the banks of a creek, with nothing to do, a clear mind, just being in quiet like rocks. They will sooner or later come across an individual who has previously read my novels."
Literature Prize History
Before the announcement, oddsmakers had ranked the top contenders for this annual prize as an avant-garde author, an innovative Chinese author, and Krasznahorkai.
The Nobel Honor in Literature has been given on one hundred seventeen prior instances since the early 20th century. Current winners have included the French author, the musician, the Tanzanian-born writer, Glück, Peter Handke and Tokarczuk. The previous year's winner was Han Kang, the from South Korea writer best known for her acclaimed novel.
Krasznahorkai will officially receive the award and diploma in a event in the month of December in the Swedish capital.
Additional details forthcoming
