Ferenc Barnás (b. 1959) is a promising new talent in Hungarian literature. Last year he won together with Péter Esterházy the prestigious Sándor Márai prize, which is granted either for the author's entire production or for a significant work of prose. Barnás was awarded for his two novels, Az élÅsködÅ (1997, "The Parasite") and Bagatellt (2000, “Bagatelle”). “The Parasite” is a long inner monologue written in Proustian style, a kind of case history. In the first part, the narrator - a young man - unveils his psychopathic character discovered in early childhood; in the second, his unhappy love affairs are uncovered. The third part tells about an obsessive anti-hero relating his amorous adventures with his last girl friend. A young man's sexual life and his doubts about himself and his normality are central themes of the book. Another theme is pathological jealousy which leads to the failure of the relationship between man and woman. The poetic and musical language of the novel leaves no doubt that this is the work of a master. Barnás has studied Hungarian and esthetics at the University of Budapest and philosophy and music in Munich. He has taught literature, esthetics and philosophy in various art schools. He wrote his doctor's thesis on the world view of Hermann Hesse in 1990.
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