Mingled Minds and Transtextuality in a Contemporary Hungarian Young Adult Novel (And the Case of Compulsory Literature in High Schools)

Re-adapting classical works for Hungarian adolescents bridges the gap between classic and contemporary. This paper introduces Borbála Szabó’s novel as an example in a larger project that establishes strong intertextual connections with early twentieth century canonical texts reflecting on friendship of two literary figures, Dezső Kosztolányi, Frigyes Karinthy. Fictional reality is parodied several levels almost parasitically hallucinatory manner. It rearranged metaleptic gestures relying tropology schizophrenic mindset. Living family alcoholics, protagonist, sixteen-year-old girl verge mental breakdown psychotic episodes whose development described through to figures. NoFather NorMother (Nincsenapám, seanyám) complex comic novel, parody caricatures. Its central image closed space. replete transtextual, paratextual, references explicitly discussing status meaning literature demonstrating strategies interpretation. A tour de force presenting narrative elements, citational techniques, critique, stages disturbing schizophrenogenic environment teenager enters debate around compulsory school readings.