Summary:
"Suuri illusioni" by Mika Waltari is a novel written in the late 1920s. The story is set in a city filled with vibrant yet unsettling aromas and follows the protagonist's aimless exploration of urban life, encounters with eccentric characters, and reflections on society. The main character, a young man driven by restlessness, finds himself drawn into the lives of women like Caritas and others as he navigates through a night filled with intrigue and complex social dynamics. At the start of the novel, the protagonist arrives in a city engulfed in the contrasting scents of asphalt, dust, and a certain inexplicable urban essence. He meets a journalist, Korte, who introduces him to the mysterious Caritas during a chaotic social gathering. Through a blend of light banter and deeper discussions, the characters reveal their layers, including Caritas' flirtatious and complex persona, which captivates the protagonist. Fluctuating between moments of levity and serious discourse on love, identity, and the superficiality of social roles, the opening presents a vivid tableau of early 20th-century urban life and the psychological struggles of its inhabitants. (This is an automatically generated summary.)