Satantango

It won't stop raining in a forgotten Hungarian hamlet. The collective farm that gave the place a reason to exist has collapsed, and the people left behind are a handful of drifters stuck in the middle of nowhere, full of plans that never go anywhere.

One dawn, Futaki wakes to the sound of church bells. Meanwhile, Schmidt and Kráner plot to skip town with the money the villagers saved. Futaki overhears and demands a cut. From his window, the Doctor, drunk and alone, writes everything down in a notebook.

Then a rumor shifts the mood: Irimiás, a former co-worker everyone thought was dead, is coming back with his sidekick Petrina. To some he's a savior. To others he's trouble. The waiting turns into a night of drinking and dancing at the local inn.

Krasznahorkai's debut is built from very long sentences and chapters that step forward and back like a tango. Betrayal, dreams of escape and broken trust drive every page.