történetekbe

történetekbe is a literary term used primarily in Hungarian literature to describe the narrative technique of embedding one or more shorter stories within the framework of a larger narrative. The concept serves to illuminate thematic motifs, create a multi-layered storytelling experience, or provide metafictional commentary on the act of storytelling itself. In a történetekbe structure, the protagonist of the larger plot may encounter, narrate, or imagine the inner stories, and those embedded tales are often thematically linked to the overarching narrative while occasionally standing in contrast to it.

The technique has roots in ancient epics such as the Odyssey, where characters recount tales that inform the main quest, and in medieval hagiographies, where miracles are reported through nested accounts. In Hungarian literature its prominence grew in the twentieth century, particularly among modernist and postmodern authors such as István Orosz, whose novel “Álom” (1977) interweaves multiple layered narratives, and Leó Lászlo, whose experimental prose in “Könyv” (1994) uses characters’ internal stories to question reality and narration. The method aligns the literary concept of “mise en abyme” – a story within a story – with Hungarian narrative traditions, showcasing a deliberate structural choice that invites readers to question the reliability of narrative voices.

Scholarly discussions on történetekbe emphasize its role in exploring the multiplicity of perspectives, especially within the context of memory, identity, and historiography. It also has been used in autobiographical works where the author reflects on past events through the stories of those they have known. Critics point out that excessive nesting might obscure a cohesive plot, yet when executed with precision, the technique deepens thematic resonance and engages readers in active interpretation. The form continues to be studied in contemporary literary theory courses across Hungary for its capacity to blur boundaries between fiction and reality and to foreground reader participation in meaning-making.