Magda Szabo; trans. by George Szirtes
Iza’s Ballad by Magda Szabo, translated from the Hungarian by George Szirtes, is a compelling portrait of a mother and daughter who share a profound love for each other but who never really understand one another. The chasm separating mother and daughter becomes fully apparent as the novel unfolds.
Ettie and Vince are a loving couple who have been married for nearly five decades. They dote on their daughter, Iza, beam with pride at her accomplishments, and are in awe of her. Iza does no wrong in their eyes. With Vince’s death at the opening of the novel, Ettie, unaccustomed to making decisions for herself, willingly surrenders to Iza’s directives.
Iza is a successful, highly respected physician in Budapest. She is a take-charge person, a dutiful, loving daughter who regularly sent money to her parents and efficiently handled whatever issues they faced. When Vince dies, Iza sweeps her mother off to live with her in her Budapest apartment. At first, Ettie, is thrilled at the prospect. In her mid-seventies, she is a simple, gentle rural woman who has devoted her life to taking care of others. She is grateful to Iza and imagines she can be of use to her daughter in their new life together in Budapest. But things don’t turn out as anticipated.
The overwhelming grief Ettie feels at the loss of her husband and partner for so many years is compounded by her inability to adjust to life in the big city. She struggles to cope with modern appliances. All her attempts to be useful to her daughter by cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, etc. are rebuffed because she just gets in the way of the housekeeper. Deprived of agency and choice; alienated from her surroundings; feeling isolated, lonely, and increasingly useless, Ettie becomes taciturn, withdraws into herself, and loses what little voice she had. With no community or purpose, she spends all day re-living memories of happier times.
For her part, Iza tries to make her mother comfortable and happy, but her attempts are inept. She doesn’t understand her mother’s need to feel useful or the extent of her isolation. She dismisses her mother’s sentimental attachment to her personal belongings with a wave of her hand. For Iza, an object’s value lies exclusively in its use. If it is broken, threadbare, cracked, or old, replace it with something shiny and new. She can’t grasp why her mother is becoming increasingly withdrawn. Plagued with guilt but not knowing how to help, she begins to view her mother as a nuisance, as a heavy burden interfering with her busy, active life. The abyss widens; the clash becomes inevitable; the tragic ending, inexorable.
Magda Szabo’s depiction of the tense dynamics between mother and daughter can be seen as a metaphor for the tension between rural and urban; between traditional and modern culture; between our private thoughts and those we articulate; and between appreciating objects and places for their sentimental value and the memories they embody versus viewing them in purely utilitarian terms.
Magda Szabo’s writing, as translated by George Szirtes, is beautiful, powerful, moving, and heart-wrenching. It is emotionally draining to witness Ettie’s gradual deterioration until she becomes a hollow shell of her former, vibrant self. In the absence of communication and mutual understanding, it seems love alone cannot prevent one from inflicting a world of hurt on those we love.
The compelling character portrayals embody this tragic but beautiful meditation on grief, love, and aging. Very highly recommended.