Quarantine in the Grand Hotel
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Often I pick up a book and I can see how it was influenced by the titans in its genre that came before. Rarely do I get a chance to read something that feels it was the influence. Quarantine in the Grand Hotel was first published in 1939 and it felt like a precursor both to pulpy murder mysteries and goofy humorists like Terry Pratchett. Quarantine is old and it feels like it - the writing is a little hard to understand at times and some of the humor and gender dynamics are definitely out of date. But most of the wit holds true and I loved the faintly absurdist characters. Despite occasionally losing track of who was who in the large cast, it was a lot of fun to try and figure out what was likely to happen next at each step of the way.
I bought this in Budapest because I like getting books from local authors, it had a beautiful cover, and it was in English. If I’d known how much I was
going to enjoy it I would have bought the English copies of his other books too. I can find his books online now that I’m back home, but none from the same cover style I like so much. Ah well, it gives me a challenge to hunt for in used bookstores. I doubt you’ll be likely to find any of Rejto’s books as new prints in the US, but if you find them while traveling or in a used bookstore they’re definitely worth picking up. It was a fun and fast read!
Our go-to drink while in Budapest was an aperol spritz, so it seemed the obvious pairing for Quarantine in the Grand Hotel. Honestly though, the vibe fits. Light and refreshing, the perfect drink and read for a summer evening!
Aperol Spritz
Aperol
Champagne (preferably dry and inexpensive)
Club soda
In a glass with ice, pour equal parts aperol and champagne, adjust to taste. Add a splash of club soda and garnish with an orange.
For a less alcoholic version, my partner and I like to just swap the champagne out entirely for club soda.
