Embers

Embers by Sándor Márai

Embers was written in Hungary in 1942 but this English translation was published 59 years later in 2001. The original Hungarian title is A gyertyák csonkig égnek, which means "Candles burn until the end". It tells the story, mostly through his own words, of one day in the life of a 75 year old Hungarian nobleman referred to as the General. His world has shrunk to a single room in an old castle at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains where he lives with his 91 year old nanny as his main contact.
This confined existence is broken after many years when he learns that his closest friend since he was ten years old has come to the village to see him after 41 years away. The General has the servants prepare a dinner at the table where they sat at their last meal before their separation. The two talk through the night as the candles burn down to the end and the fire in the fireplace is reduced to embers. They discuss about what happened on that day long ago to cause their break, what happens to feelings over time, and how things look different in old age.
A masterful novel and a great translation by Carol Brown Janeway.