European Writers’ Festival, London

Eye of the Monkey by Krisztina Tóth – autocratic deception and unchecked desire„There is, as you have probably gleaned, little to be optimistic about in the book’s dystopian cosmos. But there is great enjoyment to be found in Tóth’s artistry; in the precision of her images (“she got dressed as if she were leaving a gynecological appointment”), in the originality of her characterisation (Giselle’s husband is “the kind of fellow who always knew what the temperature would be that day”). Her characters are flawed, deceitful, contradictory, and yet their undeniable humanity pulls us in. Tóth shows us how private pain is so often behind hurtful acts; Larkin’s refrain “Man hands on misery to man” feels like a silent companion to the book."