Alberto Manguel praises the Hungarian writer L szl F ld nyi as one of the most brilliant essayists of our time F ld nyi s extraordinary Melancholy, with its profusion of literary, ecclesiastical, artistic, and historical insights, gives proof to such praise His book, part history of the term melancholy and part analysis of the melancholic disposition, explores many cAlberto Manguel praises the Hungarian writer L szl F ld nyi as one of the most brilliant essayists of our time F ld nyi s extraordinary Melancholy, with its profusion of literary, ecclesiastical, artistic, and historical insights, gives proof to such praise His book, part history of the term melancholy and part analysis of the melancholic disposition, explores many centuries to explore melancholy s ambiguities Along the way F ld nyi discovers the unrecognized role melancholy may play as a source of energy and creativity in a well examined life F ld nyi begins with a tour of the history of the word melancholy, from ancient Greece to the medieval era, the Renaissance, and modern times He finds the meaning of melancholy has always been ambiguous, even paradoxical In our own times it may be regarded either as a psychic illness or a mood familiar to everyone The author analyzes the complexities of melancholy and concludes that its dual nature reflects the inherent tension of birth and mortality To understand the melancholic disposition is to find entry to some of the deepest questions one s life This distinguished translation brings F ld nyi s work directly to English language readers for the first time.