Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai wins the Nobel Prize in literature

"Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai, whose philosophical, bleakly funny novels often unfold in single sentences, won the Nobel Prize in literature Thursday for his compelling and visionary oeuvre. The Booker judges praised his extraordinary sentences, sentences of incredible length that go to incredible lengths, their tone switching from solemn to madcap to quizzical to desolate as they go their wayward way."

"He joins an illustrious list of laureates that includes Ernest Hemingway, Toni Morrison and Kazuo Ishiguro. The literature prize has been awarded by the Nobel committee of the Swedish Academy 117 times to a total of 121 winners. Last year's prize was won by South Korean author Han Kang for her body of work that the committee said confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life."

Laszlo Krasznahorkai, 71, received the Nobel Prize in Literature for a compelling, visionary oeuvre of philosophical, bleakly funny novels that often unfold in single sentences. Several works, including his debut Satantango and The Melancholy of Resistance, were adapted to film by director Bela Tarr. Krasznahorkai has received major awards including the 2015 Man Booker International Prize; judges praised his extraordinarily long sentences whose tone shifts from solemn to madcap, quizzical to desolate. He joins laureates such as Ernest Hemingway and Toni Morrison. The literature prize has been awarded 117 times to 121 winners by the Swedish Academy. Last year's prize honored Han Kang for work confronting historical traumas and human fragility.

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