Abigel

We have a new winter tradition and we love it.

For the fourth year going, Noni and I have watched the Hungarian TV series "Abigel" in the Christmas break. It's on two DVDs, with a total duration of about eight hours.

This last time we broke it up to three chunks. On the second night we found it almost impossible to stop. And that was despite the fact that we obviously knew the story very well by then.

So what's so fascinating about "Abigel" that keeps drawing us back? It's simple: a brilliant plot and loads of great characters played by the best acting talent Hungary had to offer in the eighties.

The film is a real gem - if it was not in Hungarian, it would be a blockbuster.

I see that Magda Szabo's "The Door" was received very well by critics when it was translated into English in 2006. Isn't it time for "Abigel" to be translated as well? I'd love to do it. Any interested publishers out there?

It's probably not the next Potter, but you never know. it's got the potential to be big.