Customer Reviews

Babel Guide: Hungarian (Babel Guides to Literature in English Translation)

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The title should be Babel (Incomplete)Guide to Hungarian Literature. The so-called Database has many mistakes. If you type on a Hungarian keyboard watch the "z" and the "y". They are interchanged. I.e. Tibor Méray not MÉRAZ, or GZALUI, or Konnyzu. Some books are listed multiple times: Mór JÓKAI (not JOKÁI): "Debts of honour" four times the same two editions but still neglecting a third one by Doubleday, Page & Co, 1900. A. Makkai's anthology listed once as In the Quest of the Miracle Stag, a second time as Quest of the Miracle Stag (both incorrect titles). Among the anthologies why not list W.D.Snodrass' "Traditional Hungarian Songs" (1978)? If Tamás ACZÉL's The Ice Age is listed, why not list The Hunt as well? Ted Hughes' PILINSZKY translation at Carcanet Press is listed, why not his revised edition at Anvil Press? The only book by TANDORI is listed twice. One English book of Albert WASS is listed, but I have three more books of his in English in my library. Some of the authors living in the West but have English books are ignored: Albert VAJDA, Agnes VÁRDY HUSZÁR, Judith PETRES-BALOGH or Magda ZALÁN. And I guess Arthur KOESTLER and George MIKES are not considered Hungarian writers by the Hungarian Cultural Center in London or the Ministry of Culture in Budapest.
The abstracts of a few individual works and authors are good.
Buy the book because it is the only one of its kind. But beware...! There are many mistakes and omissions.