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Budapest: A Critical Guide
"It's essentially a loving and learned essay on the city slyly disguised as a guidebook. What he really does is to capture the soul of the city and its denizens, past and present. His evocative observations and opinions, laced with wit and candor could only have come from one clever guy who's truly lived the life in Budapest. You'll read every page of this book as though it were a novel." From a reader on amazon.com
"Not just about Budapest but about any city. Török introduces the reader both to the soul of one of the world_s most soulful cities and to its haunts, dives, corners, and backwaters. Read it a week before you go, brush up on the way there, immerse yourself in Török's Budapest, and you will experience the city in a way that none of the other available guides can begin to convey." John Farago, NYC on amazon.com
"What better to accompany a visit to Budapest than someone like Andra´s Török, a person who knows Budapest inside out, from top to bottom, and then some. Great job Mr Andra´s Török! Take my hat off to you Sir!" Martyn Richard Jones on amazon.com
András Török, aka Simplicissimus (b. 1954) is an author, lecturer, and long-time chronicler of the Budapest urban scene. This is the seventh edition of his third book. He studied English, History and Modern Greek in his native Budapest during the 1970s, then he sharpened his wit in the dissident intellectual salons. Later he worked as translator, teacher, graphic designer and, after the Fall of the Wall, deputy minister for culture and President of the National Cultural Fund. Meanwhile, instead of writing new books, he re-wrote this same book, over and over again. He is a founder and regular columnist of the monthly Budapest, re-launched for the third time. A critic has called this book "The Bildungsroman of the author, who is a cross between a local historian, a journalist and a fiction writer."
"Not just about Budapest but about any city. Török introduces the reader both to the soul of one of the world_s most soulful cities and to its haunts, dives, corners, and backwaters. Read it a week before you go, brush up on the way there, immerse yourself in Török's Budapest, and you will experience the city in a way that none of the other available guides can begin to convey." John Farago, NYC on amazon.com
"What better to accompany a visit to Budapest than someone like Andra´s Török, a person who knows Budapest inside out, from top to bottom, and then some. Great job Mr Andra´s Török! Take my hat off to you Sir!" Martyn Richard Jones on amazon.com
András Török, aka Simplicissimus (b. 1954) is an author, lecturer, and long-time chronicler of the Budapest urban scene. This is the seventh edition of his third book. He studied English, History and Modern Greek in his native Budapest during the 1970s, then he sharpened his wit in the dissident intellectual salons. Later he worked as translator, teacher, graphic designer and, after the Fall of the Wall, deputy minister for culture and President of the National Cultural Fund. Meanwhile, instead of writing new books, he re-wrote this same book, over and over again. He is a founder and regular columnist of the monthly Budapest, re-launched for the third time. A critic has called this book "The Bildungsroman of the author, who is a cross between a local historian, a journalist and a fiction writer."
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 17, 2015
У меня, разумеется, последнее издание, а не это. Замечательный путеводитель, который очень интересно и читать просто так, и использовать по назначению.
March 2, 2018
This is the best travel guide I've ever read. I hope I can someday find a book for any other city or region of the world that is remotely as good as this one.
January 13, 2025
Superb, though the English translation is a bit faulty sometimes. Still, one of the better guides for Budapest.
August 15, 2011
This is what all guide books should be - personal history, a sense of place, a sense of your place within a place. Go to Lonely Planet if you need to know what hostel to stay in; go to Torok if you care about the neighborhood within which your hostel is located.
August 10, 2014
A book full of wit is very informative about Hungary, its history, and personal opinion. This is a book you can read for pleasure without ever visiting Hungary. I bought this book before a short break to Budapest and quickly became enthralled in Torok's style of writing. He gives historical, political and general interesting information unlike any guide book on the market.
Some of the information has changed regarding some restaurants, but it is certainly worth following the walks he suggests in detail. This is a book to read and savour before you go.
Some of the information has changed regarding some restaurants, but it is certainly worth following the walks he suggests in detail. This is a book to read and savour before you go.
September 9, 2025
The way it was written, I was expecting the part B, with trips, to be equally as detailed and full of interesting details as part A. Nonetheless, this is a very interesting read, for a person who's been to BP several times. I didn't have the time to go on any of the suggested trips - albeit I'll do my best next time I'm visiting - but they sounded great.
August 24, 2012
It is also on my bedside table. I have not been to Budapest in years and do not foresee going in the near future. But this book makes me want to go. It is intelligent and funny. Torok is like a friend who takes you around and shows you his home . . . which is exactly what he is doing.
April 30, 2016
A great guide indeed, which lets you discover Budapest almost with a friend. Very personal at times and always interesting, providing you with a lot of background information. Recommended if you want to visit a Budapest.
July 10, 2011
Very useful and written in a wicked manner. Now off to the city to explore the newly discovered sites thanks to this book :)
May 22, 2007
The best book about Budapest.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews