#yeagh!! anyways love this book cant believe i forgot about it for so long

[mackmp3]

TELL ME ABOUT ABIGAIL

OKAY OKAY :DD

abigail is a young adult novel written by hungarian author magda szabò in 1970 - as far as i know it's like a cult classic childhood foundation text in hungary but i dont know anyone from hungary so cant really confirm that

its about a young girl, gina, who's father is a military general in the second world war - he is sending her off to an incredibly strict boarding school all the way across the country. hungary was on the losing side of world war two. she of course, doesn't know this as it hasnt happened yet, and is mad about being sent away from her father. she's really quite pretentious and has a general attitude of superiority which leads to her being almost immediately ostracised by Everyone in her year. and i mean Everyone, all the other girls hate her. the title, Abigail, is the name of a statue in the grounds of the school, which all the girls think is some sort of magical being who helps them out in surprisingly tangible ways (gina of course thinks this is rubbish).

with the war looming over everyone, and surrounded by young girls who's lives are entirely the world of the Very insular school, and the elaborate fantasies in their minds of meeting a handsome boy and getting married, gina learns........ to be a nicer person is not a very good description of it?? like she Does learn how to respect other's feelings and relationships and people work, and is a lot more likeable at the end, but also how dangerous the world was for her.... like the character development is just sooooo so so so good ough. like the war was a nebulous concept for all the girls as the school in their very filtered view of it, whereas You The Audience know that her father is the general of an army working with nazis. she doesn't. usually i dont like wwii books because i dont want to read about war or nazis but they arent central to the story, just looming specters over it. haunting the narrative one might say. i don't mean to be offputting in this bit btw!!! just feel like i should mention

it does for sure have a somber tone, and it is a bit depressing, but that's not really the point? of the book?? like she is quite sad, but is a contemplative and atmospheric way, and it isnt brushed aside as 'teenage sullenness' but also isn't dragged out for no reason, its very very well written. i don't remember the exact content for warnings or anything, but even though it does have a dark tone, nothing horrific happens - sad, not horror in any way.

but yeah i really really liked gina, even though she is Awful nearer the start of the book, there's a sort of spark in her, and i loved her rebellion and then later her contemplative moments and oagsiasiahiun i think i might go reread this rn..........