Szerb Antal - Utas and holdvilág (2022) (Holnap Kiadó)

The fire of rebellion against norms and rules burns in every teenager. Sometimes it sets this and that on fire, but it warms the soul and illuminates the path, the paths. Oddly enough, it tends to cause damage only later, when it burns with a smaller flame, or even smolders. The man leans over in amazement, sighs, and the flame dancing up from the air current scorches his face.
As adults, the majority take the well-trodden path, constrained by expectations, carefully imposed by achievement milestones, smoothed by generations, and leading to the safety of conformity. It's easier to walk there than to stumble hungry and tired through the waist-high weeds. Mihály, the hero of Utas és holdvilág has already traveled a good part of his life on the road, he is at the most difficult stage, where it still seems worthwhile to turn back, but it is already impossible. And if it were to succeed, if it were still possible to run back to the imaginary world of adolescent dreams and plans, then where to next? In what relation to society, if not as part of it? Use it like a genius? Exploit like a con artist? Withdraw from it like an ascetic? To leave everything behind for good and disappear forever like an ideal? Or just drift aimlessly from today to tomorrow? It used to be that what is needed for these is all insignificant things next to the big ideas, just think about the future and it will happen by itself. There will be dedication, passion, lack of conscience or even faith, courage, and money. And if it didn't happen? Or just enough for the journey?
"You have to stay alive. He will live, like rats among the ruins. But still live. And if a person lives, then something can still happen."