Product Description
Like the renowned American writer Edmund Wilson, who began to learn Hungarian at the age of 65, Richard Teleky started his study of that difficult language as an adult. Unlike Wilson, he is a third-generation Hungarian American with a strong desire to understand how his ethnic background has affected the course of his life. He writes with clarity, perception, and humor about a subject of importance to many North Americans - reconciling their contemporary identity with a heritage from another country. But more than a collection of essays on ethnicity by a talented writer, the book is structured to share with the reader insights on language, literature, art, and community from a cultural perspective. The book is also unified by the author's attention to certain concerns, including the meaning of multiculturalism, the power of a language to shape one's thinking, the persistence of anti-Semitism, the significance of displacement and nostalgia in emigration, the importance of understanding the past, the need for a narrative tradition in the writing of fiction, and the power of books in Central Europe. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, the book makes a contribution to several fields: Central European and Hungarian studies; North American immigrant and ethnic studies; contemporary literature; comparative literature; and popular culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fills a niche for Hungarian expats and non-Magyars too
Due to the linguistic isolation of Hungarian, its cultural and literary wealth has become trapped in a Slavic and Germanic slurry surrounding its terrain. Teleky, as a Canadian/American third-generation Hungarian, seeks to fit his understanding into the familiar pattern of the ethnic revival of interest among those far removed from their original homeland. As an Irish American myself, I found his searches appealing to me also; the comparisons and contrasts among different sensibilities and the struggles to regain our grasp on difficult ancestral tongues brought his essay on learning Hungarian close to my mental home.
His chapters on stereotypes and Joe Esterhazy's film "The Music Box" I found particularly impressive for their mix of erudition and unforced satirical/incisive commentary. Dismantling the kitsch and tchotkes assembled by expats and Hollywood seems to be a notable skill for Teleky, and makes for his best work here.

For an academic, he writes surprisingly well! That is, his essays aim for the "educated general reader" instead of the professoriate. Always clear, modest, and focusing upon the subject more than himself--even when the subject is himself! Many nationalities feature such essayists seeking to connect themselves back to their roots; Teleky's collection appears to me--as an outsider to this nation's studies--to fill this necessary niche in the Hungarian section of the few English-language studies found on most library or bookstore's cultural shelf. For those of us not able to enter into the Magyar language, Teleky's crossing of the boundary between the Anglophone world and the Hungarian realm shows how valuable that encounter can be. I give this book four, not five, stars only because of personal bias; some of the essays--however clearly conveyed--simply failed to grab me. I doubt, for instance, that after reading Teleky on Peter Esterhazy's daunting post-modern novels I'll rush out to read any. Teleky's promotion of Esterhazy seems a bit half-hearted, as if many of this novelists' tricks dazzle less once his legerdemain has been revealed as imitations of other European literary magicians over the past century or so.

Not that many revelations await him, for instance, when he finally journeys to Hungary in 1993 for the first time. But his refusal to glamorize or over-interpret what he sees is refreshing. He keeps his perspective and sense of humor. And of balance. By avoiding theorizing and refusing to inflate his own stature as an observer, he offers honest essays each "assaying" the value of the little treasures and trinkets he puts under scrutiny as we watch.

I'd also recommend Monica Porter's "The Paper Bridge" for another expat's visit for a month circa 1980, and Zsuzsanna Ardo's "Culture Shock: Hungary" for two other books interpreting Hungarian mores and sensibilities for the rest of us, whatever our bloodlines.

Inspiring and well-written
I heartily recommend this book of essays to expatriate Hungarians and the people close to them as well as second- and third-generation Hungarians with a less firm grasp on what their Hungarian-ness might mean to them. As a Hungarian expatriate living in the U.S. and married to a second-generation Hungarian American, I find Richard Teleky's well-executed essays, which he wrote in an attempt to come to terms with his ethnic identity, very interesting and thought-provoking. Teleky whose grandparents were Hungarian, learnt this difficult language as an adult, following which he set out to visit his forebears' native country and, subsequently, to write about his experiences there, the conversations he conducted with newly acquired friends and distant relatives and reflections on how all this has come to shape his thoughts about his own identity. In my opinion, Teleky, an academic, is at his best when he is most personal. In "Toward a Course on Central European Literature in Translation," he describes, to great comic effect, his experiences teaching a literature course to an initially unknowing group of students who, one feels, by the end of the course -- and the story -- have grown both more mature and open-minded. "What Comes After" and "The Third Generation and the 'Problem' of Ethnicity," the last two essays in this collection, sum up what Teleky has learnt in the worthwhile quest for his connection to a Central European identity. I came away inspired to pose new questions and continue my own quest in a similar spirit, feeling that the five years Teleky put into working on this book enriched his life and deepened his self-understanding. Some of the other outstanding pieces focus on literature: "The Poet as Translator: Margaret Avison's 'Hungarian Snap'" and "Introducing Peter Esterhazy" both testify to Teleky's love of first-class literature and sensitive feeling for this language and the culture in which it is embedded. ... Read more

Product Description
The Spirit of Hungary: A Panorama of Hungarian History and Culture includes these events that molded the nation's soul:

The arrival into the Carpathian Basin...the conversion to Christianity...the glory years of wealth and power...the Mongol invasion...the tragic battle of Mohacs, followed by 150 years of Turkish rule...the struggle and compromise with the Hapsburgs...wars of liberation led by Rakoczi and Kossuth...Hungary's dismemberment at Trianon in 1920...the Horthy era...Communist rule..."glory in defeat"--the Revolution of 1956...the struggle for survival of Hungarian ethnics in neighboring states..."glory in victory"--the bloodless revolution of 1989...a "nation without boundaries."

This book also provides witness to history through colorful biographies, including:

-Saint Stephen, who Christianized a nation of pagan warriors -Janos Hunyadi, the Defender of Christendom-Matthias, the Renaissance King-Ferenc Rakoczi, who held Europe's largest empire at bay with his ragtag army for eight years-Louis Kossuth, who was compared to Moses and Washington during his triumphant tour of America in 1851-Queen Elizabeth, who became Hungary's "Guardian Angel" during her bittersweet life.-Cardinal Mindszenty, who defied Communist rule-and many others.

The Spirit of Hungary also provides a panorama of Hungarian culture, including its language, music, art, and literature.

Chapters on the "Hungarian Genius" and "A Nation of Champions" cover world-class achievements science, medicine, mathematics, and sports. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great introduction to Hungary's impact
Preparing for a trip to Hungary, I enjoyed Sisa's rather old-fashioned narrative history. Suprisingly, the opening chapters proved gripping, filled with enthusiastically rendered anecdotes about early rulers, medieval battles, and lots of double-crossing diplomats and nobles. There's material here for a dozen epic (English-language at least!) novels or movies. Extracts from historical novels sprinkled throughout the book from otherwise untranslated Hungarian authors spice up Sisa's entrees vividly.

As Hungary becomes its own empire, then falls under Turkish and Habsburg dominance, the story keeps pace. When the Austrians take over, and nationalism emerges, you root for the heroes even as Sisa fairly tries to show how other Hungarians and minority peoples allied with the imperialists for their own reasons. Distinguishing the "state" from a "people" and a "nation" clarifies his presentation for Western readers who may lump these terms differently than they apply to Central Europe and the Balkans.

I found the latter part of the book a bit less engrossing; I expected more on 1956 and especially the Kadar period up to 1989. This post-revolt stage seems glossed over too quickly, even as other sections elaborate (especially in the second and third editions) in too much detail for the novice diplomatic and territorial confrontations with Romania, the former Czechoslovakia, and the Balkan states regarding Hungarian minorities and the aftermath of Trianon. This material may better suit political students of this period than the first-time reader wanting a panoramic view of Hungarian history and culture.

The absence of tanchaz music and the 1980s folk-music revival (Muszikas, Marta Sebestyen, romany/gypsy artists for example) bringing Hungary onto the "world music" scene means that you find a lot deservedly on classical music but not its modern folk offshoots and grafts. However, plenty of coverage of art and literature balances this omission, I suppose.

Written with obvious love and passion, yet remaining fair-minded about, say, the mixed blessings and upheavals Jewish immigration caused in the 19th c., the betrayals of its leaders, or the demands of minorities within Hungary's shifting borders, Sisa's book filled a need for a popularly aimed, solid work--belying its coffee-table size and rather rough-hewn cut-and-paste (pre-word processing) layout. Best read a few chapters at a time, the old-fashioned way: in a comfy armchair, propped open on your lap.

The Spirit of Hungary
I had the opportunity to read the book's third edition, appeared in 1995, comparing it with its original edition and found it considerably improved. Besides giving very good data about the facts of Hungary's history, it isalso spiced with chapters from famous historical novels, which gives anadditional insight to some important historical moments (I liked specially"The pagans"). It also contains an ample panorama of Hungarianculture, an explanation of the origin of Hungarian language and adescription of Hungarian music, literature and art. A very recommendablebook for all persons, who wish to receive an insight to Hungary's history,past and present. After five years, a new edition, with updates of thelatest events, like the 1100 years of the establishment of Hungarians inthe Carpathian basin and the Millenium year of St. Stephen's crowning,would be welcome.

Most thorough, unbiased accounting of Hungarian History.
Steven Sisa needs to be commended for themost thorough, unbiased accounting of Hungarian history that I haveread to date in theenglish language.He has captured the essential ingredients of Hungary's 1000 yearpresence in the heart of Europe while avoiding superfluous details. Anecdotes of the likes of Attila the Hun and Batu Khan, the Mongol chieftanwho led his merciless forces against Christian Europe in 1240-41, spring tolife with unusual vividness.Anyone desiring to havea concise picture inone volume of Hungary's colorful yet tumultuous history should not miss theopportunity of having this book in their library. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Culture of Hungary. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 136. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The culture of Hungary has a distinctive style of its own in Hungary, diverse and varied, starting from the capital city of Budapest on the Danube, to the Great Plain bordering Ukraine. Hungary was formerly (until 1918) one half of Austria-Hungary. Hungary has a rich folk tradition, for example: embroideries, decorated potterys, buildings and carvings. Hungarian music ranges from the rhapsodies of Franz Liszt to folk music and Hungarian gipsy music and Roma music. Hungary has a rich and colorful literature, with many poets and writers, although not many are well known abroad due to the limited prevalence of the Hungarian language being a Finno-Ugric language. Some noted authors include Sándor Márai and Imre Kertész, who have been gaining acclaim in recent decades. János Kodolányi was more known in the middle of the twentieth century in Italy and Finland. Imre Kertész won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2002. Péter Esterházy is known and popular in Austria and Germany, and Magda Szabó has become well-known in Europe recently as well. Hungary is home to the largest synagogue in Europe (Great Synagogue), the largest medicinal bath in Europe (Széchenyi Medicinal Bath), the third largest church in Europe (Esztergom Basilica), the second largest territorial abbey in the world (Pannonhalma Archabbey), the second largest Baroque castle in the world (Gödöll), and the largest Early Christian Necropolis outside Italy (Pécs). The biggest cathedrals and most important Hungarian historical architecture located in the surrounding countries. The music of Hungary consists mainly of traditional Hungarian folk music and music by prominent composers such as Liszt, Dohnányi, Bartók, Kodály, and Rózsa. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=869096 ... Read more

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40 page illustrated guide. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, published by Canadian Ethnic Studies Association on June 22, 2000. The length of the article is 1118 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Hungarian Rhapsodies: Essays on Ethnicity, Identity, and Culture. (Book Reviews/Recensions). (book review)
Author: Carmela Patrias
Publication: Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2000
Publisher: Canadian Ethnic Studies Association
Volume: 32Issue: 2Page: 152(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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Published by University of Maryland, College Park, MD 5th edition ... Read more

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In our daily life, we confront with people from different nations. Whether we travel, work or just walk on the street, a situation can occur, when we must react appropriate. The trend of globalization, in today's business environment also calls for global citizens with advanced intercultural communication skills. During the inter­nationalized activities there is a high danger for problems because of the lack of intercultural understanding. Intercultural communication as an object of study and analysis is regarded as a special case of interpersonal communication and takes place during the interaction among people of different cultural identities. Due to the difference in the models of codification, it is expected that in a multicultural environment there will possibly be more misunderstandings and misinterpretations in the decipherment of the messages. This means that the effective intercultural communication presupposes the awareness of the other person's cultural reality.The aim of the authors with creating their first book was to give a helping hand to all those, who whether travel or go to work into a different, foreign culture, let it be not only Hungary, but any other country. ... Read more

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The theme of this work was to theoretically analysethe representation of Hungarian culture and nationalidentity as presented in the 'Magyar Magic Festival -Hungary in Focus' 2004 programme booklet.It wasmy intention to determine how and why specificaspects of Hungarian culture and national identityhad been presented to the British public in this one year long programme.The Festival became my focuson examining Hungarian culture and I attended anumber of events and exhibitions throughout Britainbetween 2003 and 2004 in order to gain a personalperspective on 'Hungarianness'.My interest inHungary was motivated by my fine art practice inwhich I examined theoretical concepts related toidentity.My artwork at this time referenced familyand personal experiences related to my parents'experience of escape from Soviet-occupied Hungary in1956 and subsequent settlement in Britain. ... Read more

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This edition is written in English. However, there is a running Hungarian thesaurus at the bottom of each page for the more difficult English words highlighted in the text. There are many editions of Expressive Voice Culture. This edition would be useful if you would like to enrich your Hungarian-English vocabulary, whether for self-improvement or for preparation in advanced of college examinations. Webster's edition of this classic is organized to expose the reader to a maximum number of difficult and potentially ambiguous English words. Rare or idiosyncratic words and expressions are given lower priority compared to “difficult, yet commonly used” English words. Rather than supply a single translation, many words are translated for a variety of meanings in Hungarian, allowing readers to better grasp the ambiguity of English without using the notes as a pure translation crutch. Having the reader decipher a word's meaning within context serves to improve vocabulary retention and understanding. Each page covers words not already highlighted on previous pages. This edition is helpful to Hungarian-speaking students enrolled in an English Language Program (ELP), an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program, an English as a Second Language Program (ESL), or in a TOEFL® or TOEIC® preparation program. Students who are actively building their vocabularies in Hungarian or English may also find this useful for Advanced Placement® (AP®) tests. TOEFL®, TOEIC®, AP® and Advanced Placement® are trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. This book is one of a series of Webster's paperbacks that allows the reader to obtain more value from the experience of reading. Translations are from Webster's Online Dictionary, derived from a meta-analysis of public sources, cited on the site. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from East European Quarterly, published by East European Quarterly on December 22, 2001. The length of the article is 5333 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The German-Hungarian revision of textbooks.
Author: Peter Molnar
Publication: East European Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 2001
Publisher: East European Quarterly
Volume: 35Issue: 4Page: 395(15)

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This digital document is an article from Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 8837 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Contains 8,000 to 12,000 word essays on specific culture groups in the United States, emphasizing religions, holidays, customs, and languages in addition to providing information on historical background and settlement patterns. Also covers ethnoreligious groups such as Jews, Chaldeans, and Amish. Each essay lists organizations and research centers; name, address, and contact information for periodicals, radio, and television stations; and a further readings section. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Countries and Their Cultures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2314 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Covers the broad range of popular religious culture of the United States at the close of the twentieth century. Beliefs, practices, symbols, traditions, movements, organizations, and leaders from the many traditions in the pluralistic American community are represented. Also includes cults and phenomena that drew followers, such as Heaven's Gale and UFOs. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The Modern Language Review, published by Modern Humanities Research Association on July 1, 1999. The length of the article is 847 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Hungarian Rhapsodies: Essays on Ethnicity, Identity and Culture.(Review)
Author: George Gomori
Publication: The Modern Language Review (Refereed)
Date: July 1, 1999
Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association
Volume: 94Issue: 3Page: 904(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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