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The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian: 50 Facts & Facets of Nationhood
What is it to be Hungarian? What does it feel like? Most Hungarians are convinced that the rest of the world just doesn't get them. They are right. True, much of the world thinks highly of Hungarians--for reasons ranging from their heroism in the 1956 revolution to their genius as mathematicians, physicists, and financiers. But Hungarians do often seem to be living proof of the old joke that Magyars are in fact they may be situated in the very heart of Europe, but they are equipped with a confounding language, extraterrestrial (albeit endearing) accents, and an unearthly way of thinking. What most Hungarians learn from life about the Magyar mind is now available, for the first time, in this user-friendly guide to what being Hungarian is all about. The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian brings together twelve authors well-versed in the quintessential ingredients of being Hungarian--from the stereotypical Magyar man to the stereotypical Magyar woman, foods to folk customs, livestock to literature, film to philosophy, politics to porcelain, and scientists to sports. In fifty short, highly readable, often witty, sometimes politically incorrect, but always candid articles, the authors demonstrate that being credibly Hungarian--like being French, Polish or Japanese--is largely a matter of carrying around in your head a potpourri of conceptions and preconceptions acquired over the years from your elders, society, school, the streets, and mass media. Compacting this wealth of knowledge into an irresistible little book, The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian is an indispensable reference that will teach you how to be Hungarian, even if you already are.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 25, 2025
Since my native language is Hungarian, I try whenever possible to read books about Hungary and by Hungarian authors just to keep my hand in the game. Istvan Bori edited a very informative and entertaining book about Hungarian culture entitled Essential Guide to Being Hungarian. He and his associates picked fifty topics that are characteristic of being Hungarian ranging from soul and fate to literature, food, folk customs, to music and science. (That latter category is particularly rich as it includes such areas as the development of the atom bomb and computer programming.)
November 27, 2014
The essays in this book, 50 (short ones) in all, offer something for every reader: culture hounds, music aficionados, foodies, film enthusiasts, and political history buffs. Some are playful in nature, some are a little pedantic, but all are laced with Hungarian pride. While the book could be interesting for someone who needs a survey course in Hungarian culture, it exhibited the following issues:
1) Unabashed, and sometimes boastful, sexism. The essay about poets indicates that most well-known Hungarian poets are men, as if it's some coincidence, and not a problem of recognition or the results of women's limited freedoms and education in the past. The essay about women is written by a man who seems to think he is being cute when he vacillates about what women are and is really excited about how, as he says, "no women's movement has yet to get off the ground in Hungary." He chalks it up to "a whole army of indifferent men." Oh, well, then. What are you gonna do?
The article about men, written by a woman, exalts them, and blames their later-life ill health on the quality of Hungarian beer--it's so excellent, they apparently can't help themselves, and again, what are you gonna do? And yet, this writer posits, most Hungarian women want "nothing more than to be seduced by a real Hungarian man."
I guess we can appreciate the "honesty," since any person learning about Hungary before visiting has the right to know that this mentality is alive, well, and to some, a point of national pride.
2) No help with pronunciation. Names and Hungarian words would have benefited from some small effort to help the native English speaker see how they are pronounced and therefore have a better time internalizing them.
3) The essays were so short at times they glossed over interesting aspects of the given topic.
Despite the annoying aspects of this book, it serves as a point of departure for further reading on any of the 50 subjects in the book. The essays about folk culture, literature, and contemporary writing are particularly interesting, as are those about food and language.
1) Unabashed, and sometimes boastful, sexism. The essay about poets indicates that most well-known Hungarian poets are men, as if it's some coincidence, and not a problem of recognition or the results of women's limited freedoms and education in the past. The essay about women is written by a man who seems to think he is being cute when he vacillates about what women are and is really excited about how, as he says, "no women's movement has yet to get off the ground in Hungary." He chalks it up to "a whole army of indifferent men." Oh, well, then. What are you gonna do?
The article about men, written by a woman, exalts them, and blames their later-life ill health on the quality of Hungarian beer--it's so excellent, they apparently can't help themselves, and again, what are you gonna do? And yet, this writer posits, most Hungarian women want "nothing more than to be seduced by a real Hungarian man."
I guess we can appreciate the "honesty," since any person learning about Hungary before visiting has the right to know that this mentality is alive, well, and to some, a point of national pride.
2) No help with pronunciation. Names and Hungarian words would have benefited from some small effort to help the native English speaker see how they are pronounced and therefore have a better time internalizing them.
3) The essays were so short at times they glossed over interesting aspects of the given topic.
Despite the annoying aspects of this book, it serves as a point of departure for further reading on any of the 50 subjects in the book. The essays about folk culture, literature, and contemporary writing are particularly interesting, as are those about food and language.
January 29, 2021
Fifty short essays by Hungarians, plumbing the depths of stereotypes about Hungarian life.
September 22, 2014
This book is a collection of 50 short essays on various topics (origins, history, arts, sciences, products, and entertainment) as they relate to Hungary and Hungarian-ness. There isn’t a great deal of depth to most of the essays, and so this isn’t the book for someone who is well-acquainted with Hungary and Hungarians and wants a deep level understanding. However, it would be a very useful and easily digested resource for travelers visiting Hungary who want insight into this smallish nation with its very long history. For those familiar with Hungary, this nation has a national character that is quite unique and which is characterized by intelligence, solitariness, and a certain variety of gloominess.
Hungary has had a much larger impact on the world than either its size would suggest, or than most of the world recognizes. Famously, the Manhattan Project, which produced the first atomic bomb, wouldn’t have achieved success in such a rapid timeframe—if at all--if it weren’t for a slate of Hungarian-educated scientists including Edward Teller, Leo Szilard, Eugene Wigner, and Jon Von Neumann. Few of his peers would have disputed the statement that Von Neumann was the smartest person on the planet during his day. Challenging explosives calculations that made the atomic bomb possible are just part of a legacy that also included being the father of game theory--an approach to strategic interactions that is in widespread use in Economics and the social sciences today.
There are some areas in which Hungary has certain niche. For example, while Hungary might not be thought of as an athletics powerhouse, generally speaking, the Hungarians dominate in the sport of water polo and are frequently strong contenders in some swimming events.
This book’s chapters are roughly organized, but not formally grouped, into alike topics. For example, foods, beverages, spices, and desserts are all one after the other. Various history topics are presented together, and the same is true of the arts. Some of the chapters are on much more concrete topics than others. For example, there are chapters on “Fate” and “Soul” up front that are more conceptual than the average chapters. As I indicated, this is a collection of essays by various authors, and that means that there’s not a solitary tone and approach throughout the book. However, there was a single chief editor, and so the chapters aren’t distractingly disparate either.
I believe the book was unfortunately named. “The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian” makes it sound as if this would be a perfect gift for the children of emigrants, i.e. people who’ve visited the country and spent time around Hungarians, but who want to learn more about their native culture. It probably doesn’t give enough depth and new information for such people. For example, the chapters on cuisine talk about pogácsa and gulyas (i.e. goulash), and don’t delve into the exotic, but rather stick with the everyday cuisine with which any visitor to Hungary will already be familiar. On the other hand, tourists and travelers for whom this book might be ideal could be led astray, thinking the book is offering them more depth than they want, need, or can reasonably digest. That being said, there are chapters on niche subjects such as “contemporary writers” or “folk dancing” from which even a veteran visitor to Hungary might pick up something new.
I’d recommend this book--particularly for those who haven’t yet spent a great deal of time in Hungary or who work or interact with Hungarians and want more insight into their nature. Each essay is short and easily digested.
Hungary has had a much larger impact on the world than either its size would suggest, or than most of the world recognizes. Famously, the Manhattan Project, which produced the first atomic bomb, wouldn’t have achieved success in such a rapid timeframe—if at all--if it weren’t for a slate of Hungarian-educated scientists including Edward Teller, Leo Szilard, Eugene Wigner, and Jon Von Neumann. Few of his peers would have disputed the statement that Von Neumann was the smartest person on the planet during his day. Challenging explosives calculations that made the atomic bomb possible are just part of a legacy that also included being the father of game theory--an approach to strategic interactions that is in widespread use in Economics and the social sciences today.
There are some areas in which Hungary has certain niche. For example, while Hungary might not be thought of as an athletics powerhouse, generally speaking, the Hungarians dominate in the sport of water polo and are frequently strong contenders in some swimming events.
This book’s chapters are roughly organized, but not formally grouped, into alike topics. For example, foods, beverages, spices, and desserts are all one after the other. Various history topics are presented together, and the same is true of the arts. Some of the chapters are on much more concrete topics than others. For example, there are chapters on “Fate” and “Soul” up front that are more conceptual than the average chapters. As I indicated, this is a collection of essays by various authors, and that means that there’s not a solitary tone and approach throughout the book. However, there was a single chief editor, and so the chapters aren’t distractingly disparate either.
I believe the book was unfortunately named. “The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian” makes it sound as if this would be a perfect gift for the children of emigrants, i.e. people who’ve visited the country and spent time around Hungarians, but who want to learn more about their native culture. It probably doesn’t give enough depth and new information for such people. For example, the chapters on cuisine talk about pogácsa and gulyas (i.e. goulash), and don’t delve into the exotic, but rather stick with the everyday cuisine with which any visitor to Hungary will already be familiar. On the other hand, tourists and travelers for whom this book might be ideal could be led astray, thinking the book is offering them more depth than they want, need, or can reasonably digest. That being said, there are chapters on niche subjects such as “contemporary writers” or “folk dancing” from which even a veteran visitor to Hungary might pick up something new.
I’d recommend this book--particularly for those who haven’t yet spent a great deal of time in Hungary or who work or interact with Hungarians and want more insight into their nature. Each essay is short and easily digested.
September 21, 2013
A nice introduction to Hungarian culture. It's written by Hungarians. I'm lucky enough to have been there twice, now, and I'd heard much of this already; but a good quick read for anyone who is not familiar with the country.
March 20, 2026
This delightful smorgasbord of Hungarian food, music, history, and culture in the various essays composed in this book. The book reviews so much history in a proud manner, highlighting that King Matthias as one of “our nation’s great kings” and Hungarian’s Age of Reform (1830-1848) as the most energetic era of Hungry. This book covers a lot in a proud, mostly playful manner that is easy to digest. It speaks about independence in 1849 and years of oppression. The author addresses the different leaders like Emperor Francis Joseph in the 1860’s, King Horthy from 1920-1944 and Kadar who was the First Secretary under the Soviet power from 1956 to 1988 when the country finally broke loose of the communist domination. It was under Kadar that the dictatorship tried to be more responsive to the citizens, increase standards and give a hint of democracy with the establishment of the Hungarian Revolutionary Workers-Peasant Government; Kadar sided with the Soviets and kept the nation under their domination until the wall came down and true democracy broke out all over Eastern Europe, including Hungry.
The portion of the book about food was perhaps the most interesting. Onions, paprika, and lard – and in the 20th century, healthier vegetable oil – end up in every dish, according to this journal. Like many nations, the Hungarians have their own stew: gulyas or fozelek (think vegetable stew, usually extra salty). Delicious wine was highlighted as was music, science, and culture.
This is a fun, light-hearted book that gives us a better appreciation to a beautiful, fun country to visit and will make our next visit more enjoyable.
The portion of the book about food was perhaps the most interesting. Onions, paprika, and lard – and in the 20th century, healthier vegetable oil – end up in every dish, according to this journal. Like many nations, the Hungarians have their own stew: gulyas or fozelek (think vegetable stew, usually extra salty). Delicious wine was highlighted as was music, science, and culture.
This is a fun, light-hearted book that gives us a better appreciation to a beautiful, fun country to visit and will make our next visit more enjoyable.
January 11, 2020
Avoid, disappointment
Mediocre. Listing historical facts without any insights or ideas connecting them together. No conclusion or solid message at the end.
Mediocre. Listing historical facts without any insights or ideas connecting them together. No conclusion or solid message at the end.
March 9, 2017
many little 4pp pieces on various topics concerning Hungary, I thought it would be a fun read with literary touches. Instead it is full of the dutiful cataloging of stuff you'd find in a travel guide. You never get the impression that the writer is giving a fuck. i guess the stupid cover art should have been adequate warning. Competent, probably worth more than one star but I'm feeling bitter.
August 26, 2014
The cover is more amusing than the contents, which is not to say they aren't useful. It's best to use as a reference or place by your Porcelain Goddess library, where you will find the brief entries just right while you sit. It is so difficult to find any good material in English on Hungarians that it remains an essential on my bookshelf while I write about my Hungarian ancestors.
The uneveness other reviewers mention is due to twelve different writers. As they note, put three Hungarians in a room and you will have four political viewpoints. Perhaps my mother's adage is more appropriate: If you have a Hungarian for a friend you don't need an enemy. As a result there is an inconsistency in the depth and approach to each topic. The entry on Classical Music is a decent overview of its roots and influences its pre-Christian culture up to the key folk-music into classical innovators, Bartok and Kodaly. The entry on Contemporary Writer is full of vague generalizations and refers to only one by name, Peter Esterhazy. Complicating the utility of the work is the Index, which refers topics to essay numbers, not page numbers.
Despite the inconsistencies, the entries altogether will familiarize one with key figures and historical events so important to appreciating the unique Hungarian character. Many are witty and self-critical. If you plan to visit Hungary, it won't hurt to peruse this book. But find the proper way to pronounce "Egeszsegedre!", Cheers!, or you may find yourself tossing a vulgarity.
The uneveness other reviewers mention is due to twelve different writers. As they note, put three Hungarians in a room and you will have four political viewpoints. Perhaps my mother's adage is more appropriate: If you have a Hungarian for a friend you don't need an enemy. As a result there is an inconsistency in the depth and approach to each topic. The entry on Classical Music is a decent overview of its roots and influences its pre-Christian culture up to the key folk-music into classical innovators, Bartok and Kodaly. The entry on Contemporary Writer is full of vague generalizations and refers to only one by name, Peter Esterhazy. Complicating the utility of the work is the Index, which refers topics to essay numbers, not page numbers.
Despite the inconsistencies, the entries altogether will familiarize one with key figures and historical events so important to appreciating the unique Hungarian character. Many are witty and self-critical. If you plan to visit Hungary, it won't hurt to peruse this book. But find the proper way to pronounce "Egeszsegedre!", Cheers!, or you may find yourself tossing a vulgarity.
July 30, 2012
Started reading during the summer but I am not making any real progress with this one. Unfortunately the content is not as exciting as promising as the title or the cover. The short essays are ok to read, but they are not interesting or revealing at all. There are way too many references to historical or literary figures without giving any background information of who they were and after all you never really understand whom these essays are addressed to: native Hungarians, who will get the references without any problem but will disagree with half of the assumptions and statements about Hungarians, or to foreigners, who will never get any brief background information on e.g who Petofi was nor will they get any closer to the Hungarian mind by the time they finish the book (let alone you'll get more insight to the Hungarian mind while spending a fun filled weekend in Budapest).
Will pick up this book later, see if the rest of the essays are worth reading.
Will pick up this book later, see if the rest of the essays are worth reading.
March 28, 2013
How could a book about Hungarian culture be so boring? The two star rating was generous and purely based on nationalism. A couple of the essays were interesting. But really, you have to work pretty hard to make this subject matter boring.
June 29, 2014
I read this book while traveling in Hungary. I already knew a lot about Hungarians and their history and culture and this book confirmed or added to my understanding. I enjoyed the short essay format of the book very much. A great book to learn more about the Magyars.
September 13, 2012
This book was disappointing. It does not reveal any major insight into the Hungarian mind. It ends up merely listing Hungarian things, from local drinks to film directors.
January 4, 2013
This was not as exciting as I had hoped it would be, although it was informative and interesting. It made me miss Budapest.
June 19, 2016
I learned things about Hungary that I didn't even know I wanted to know
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews