A Family History in Four Movements
Csaba Iglódi’s family novel spans two centuries and four generations of the Dreher beer brewing dynasty. The story is set between the early 1800s and 1946, and focuses on four men – four fathers and managers. The Founder journeys from the Black Forest region to Vienna, and formulates Viennese lager beer there. He is followed in line by the Beer King, whose heir to the frothy throne is an Innovator who turns out to be the penultimate manager, followed by a Consolidator who, through no fault of his own, loses out.
Dreher Symphony is on the one hand a business novel, whose author has a solid background in management, narrating a booming business empire’s history with access to relevant archival materials as well as his own experience. On the other hand, it is also a gripping family saga, set against a tapestry of Napoleonic wars. 19th century revolutions, a brief but profitable period of peace, and finally, two subsequent world wars.
This book brings to life 19th century Vienna and Budapest, though as a wandering protagonist’s apprentice we are even transported to England at the height of the industrial revolution. The actual Dreher empire extended to four countries of today: Vienna and Trieste, as well as Michelob in Czechia and Steinbruch, now known as the Kőbánya district in Budapest. The Dreher Symphony’s finale ends up in Hungary, post-World War II, where Jenő Dreher’s company, ranking highest in taxed revenue, is abruptly nationalized by the Communist state – a typical end note for an East-European business saga.
Dreher Symphony is a tribute to the magic triangle of talent, perseverance and sheer good luck, to tradition and innovation, and of course to women, in that long-gone world of men.
Two centuries and four generations of the Dreher beer brewing dynasty
Libri Prize for bestselling debut novel in 2023
Shortlisted for the Margó Prize 2023
Product details
Publisher: Athenaeum
ISBN 978 963 54 3268 4
2023, hardback
432 pages, 6990 HUF
Magvető Rights 
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