« Maass on Oil and Dictators in Mother Jones, NPR | Main | Richard W. Bruner Profiled in the Arizona Star »

Make it a double

Balladfinalcoverwebsite_2

Has anyone read Julian Rubenstein's book on Hungary's infamous "whiskey robber"? Some say he manages to nail the jaded socio-economic atmosphere of the post-Commie period.

Pangs of jealousy? Sure. But I always find it tough to read articles, books, etc. about Hungary, as one knows that people who have not spent much time here and don't speak the language will invariably get some things wrong. Consequently, I sort of want to read the book and sort of don't.

But I probably should and keep my mouth shut until I have, especially considering that I am listed in it. Dóri and I spent many hours painstakingly translating the court transcript in my kitchen for Julian.

Drew Leifheit | Budapest Nostalgia | Feb 2, 2005 | Comments (4)

Comments


read it. not bad. makes ambrus out to be a fairly sympathetic character. robin hood-esque. had no idea that romania was that bad btw.

Bill | Feb 19, 2005


Not bad -- indeed it's fantastic.

Scott MacMillan | Feb 22, 2005


On my way through the corridor at the Lukacs baths last night I noticed a Hungarian tabloid whose headline said something like 'Juszt accuses the journalist' and I suspected it had something to do with this book.

Laszlo Juszt is a journalist/TV personality of questionable repute with whom Julian met on several occasions as Mr. Juszt was somewhat of an authority on the Whiskey Robber through his TV show which followed the story. I found a blurb on the Internet which summarizes the tabloid's story: it says that Juszt is demanding recompense for the numerous misconceptions in the book, saying he has written a letter to Julian and if he doesn't receive an answer that he'll file suit. Juszt claims the book not only portrays him in a bad light but also Hungary, and that it humiliates the Hungarian people.

It seems everyone's getting a chance to 'make hay while the sun shines'.

Drew Leifheit | Mar 3, 2005


Why the constant shadenfreud from expats in Central Europe towards any other of their expat kin who happen to get a book into print?

Really, it's time for you to either get over it or just write your own book and we can all enjoy ourselves ripping that apart.

So please, write your book and get it out of your system.

vandorlo | Apr 18, 2005