Путеводитель по Будапешту для марсиан

by Antal Szerb, Антал Серб

Антал Серб (1901-1945) – венгерский писатель, литературовед, переводчик. В 1940-е гг. подвергся преследованиям из-за еврейского происхождения. В 1944 г. был помещен в трудовой лагерь, где заболел, подвергся пыткам и умер 27 января 1945 г. Путеводитель по Будапешту для марсиан был впервые опубликован в 1935 г. Название обманчиво обещает экскурсию по городу, сохранившему былую живость одной из довоенных мировых столиц, пусть и подточенную войной, революцией, горечью поражений и потерь. Но на деле перед нами воспоминание о юности автора. Серб описывает реалии ушедших времен, тенью скользящие по набережным и стенам домов, и невозвратимость прошлого странным образом отражается в сегодняшнем дне – многое из того, что еще было живо на момент написания Путеводителя, успело за последующие почти сто лет исчезнуть. Любой из нас в сегодняшнем Будапеште – тот же марсианин.
Фотографии Будапешта и его жителей 1930-х гг. из цифрового архива Fortepan, позволяют еще и увидеть этот знакомый и уже не знакомый город.

Genres: Hungarian Literature, Nonfiction, Hungary, Travel

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1935

About the author

Antal Szerb was a noted Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the major Hungarian writers of the 20th century.

Szerb was born in 1901 to assimilated Jewish parents in Budapest, but baptized Catholic. He studied Hungarian, German and later English, obtaining a doctorate in 1924. From 1924 to 1929 he lived in France and Italy, also spending a year in London, England.

As a student he published essays on Georg Trakl and Stefan George, and quickly established a formidable reputation as a scholar, writing erudite studies of William Blake and Henrik Ibsen among other works. Elected President of the Hungarian Literary Academy in 1933 - aged just 32 -, he published his first novel, The Pendragon Legend (which draws upon his personal experience of living in Britain) the following year. His second and best-known work, Utas és holdvilág, known in English as Journey by Moonlight, came out in 1937. He was made a Professor of Literature at the University of Szeged the same year. He was twice awarded the Baumgarten Prize, in 1935 and 1937.

In 1941 he published a History of World Literature which continues to be authoritative today. He also published a volume on novel theory and a book about the history of Hungarian literature. Given numerous chances to escape antisemitic persecution (as late as 1944), he chose to remain in Hungary, where his last novel, a Pirandellian fantasy about a king staging a coup against himself, then having to impersonate himself, Oliver VII, was published in 1942. It was passed off as a translation from the English, as no 'Jewish' work could have been printed at the time.
Szerb was deported to a concentration camp late in 1944, and was beaten to death there in January 1945, at the age of 43. He was survived by his wife, Klára Bálint, who died in 1992.

Reviews

[Amy Or · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a delightful read.
It’s one short read that you want to bring to Budapest and retrace the author’s footsteps, hopefully stroll along the Chain Bridge with you lover, and bring the same person back, as per the author’s suggestion.
The Hungarian definitely has a soft spot for the city, and has thoroughly expressed his romantic feeling towards the city and the dweller’s appreciation of the city in the book. Written in the 30s, the city’s landscape hasn’t changed much, but the atmosphere certainly has. The book, with pictures from the era, helps to evoke a nostalgia, even if you’ve only just got to know the city.

[Andrea Tomé · Rating 5 out of 5]

The loveliest little book

[D. Dorka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Először Tittel Kinga Mesélő Budapestjében találkoztam a címmel. Aztán Szabados Ági Mutasd a könyvespolcod! műsorában, amikor Juhász Annánál volt - Anna azt mondta a végén, ez a kis kötet volt az, amit először olvasott Szerb Antaltól, és rögtön megfogta. Hát naná, hogy a végén már tűkön ültem, hogy végre kivegyem a könyvtárból.

Terjedelmét tekintve ez egy kis semmi könyv. Novellácska, de mégsem az. Útikönyv, de mégsem az. Impressziók és tények vegyesen állnak a lapokon. Budapest egyes részei, helyszínei Szerb Antal szemén át. És ez a szűrő olyan szűrő, ami rengeteget hozzáad. Életérzést. Kritikát, de érzelmeket is. A humora pedig…zseniálisan intellektuális. Csak egy-egy jelzővel hangos nevetésre tudott késztetni.

És egy kicsit hadd szóljak az eredeti illusztrációkról is (amiket nagyon remélem, hogy megtartottak a friss kiadások is, épp elég baj, hogy a borítót nem.) Nagyon hangulatos az az eleji-végi egy-egy rajz. De ami igazán nagyon tetszett, ahogy egy-egy iniciálé tökéletesen kíséri az azt követő bekezdéseket. Ahogy az a pár vonal át tudja adni az egész atmoszférát.

Ez a kötet egy kincs, kell a polcomra!

[Gil The Bright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antal Szerbs love for his city of birth vibrates trough every page in this little book. Tender, ironic, melancholic, nostalgic. And of course with his characteristic never faltering love of life.
Many of the reference (and locations in the city, for this was written in 1935 a decade before many of the locations were destroyed by the war) will be lost on the modern reader. Of course it would have been great to be able to see the locations and stroll around (tough this is still possible, only not to the same extent) however it does not take anything away from the book itself.
A love letter to a world now long gone; that would just like himself be destroyed by the war.

[Ani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Életemben nem hallottam róla, nem terveztem olvasni Szerb Antal-t, de elvarázsolt.
Ő is kihívásra olvasott könyv, de az írójáról még életemben nem hallottam – pedig emelt szinten tanultam irodalmat és igazán szerettem a tantárgyat. Sajnálatos eset, mert humoros ama szösszenet, amit szerencsém volt olvasni.
Azért továbbra is megmaradnak a régi magyar kedvenc íróim, de öröm volt valami újat és jót olvasnom.
Különösen szépek voltak az illusztrációk és iniciálék!

Annyira szerettem volna azt a Budapestet végigjárni, amit elém vetített. Annyira szép, annyira történelmi, annyira szerethető. Humoros és kedves iromány. Ahogy olvastam elmélyült a szerelmem Budapesttel. Mondjuk voltak liezonjaink, de inkább csak autókázni és átutazni szoktam rajta – imádok elkavarodni a forgalomban és vegyülni a pesti népekkel, de tartósan nem élnék ott.

[Zsófia Németh · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Kálvin-tér mintha azért nőtt volna
olyan nagyra, hogy órákon át várhasson, mint régen, valakire,
aki már nem jön erre soha."

[Zuzana Be · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chain Bridge is infernally long... Stroll, with a woman on your arm, across to Buda, and then stroll back again - possibly with the same woman. You will find it conductive to romance simply because it is so long.

Cheeky love letter to Budapest. By som to nazvala. Alebo travel guide z 1935. Alebo list mimozemšťanovi, ktorý prišiel na návštevu - v 1935.
Kúpené ako suvenír v Budapešti. Neľutujem.

[emma 🐑💌 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Kálvin-tér mintha azért nőtt volna olyan nagyra, hogy órákon át várhasson, mint régen, valakire, aki már nem jön erre soha”

[Réka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Budapest szerelmeseknek

[Kamran Sehgal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up this delightful little book at Írók Boltja in Budapest and read it in one go in an Italian café next to Szent István Bazilika. So about as bougie as you can get.
With a rather eye-popping name this book certainly is a charming read of a city that seems to be unfortunately overlooked today. Being that this was in the year 1935 it might as well be of a different city entirely considering the city of 2023.
A good book to read for that nostalgia hit of old-timey Central Europe.

[Adrian Buck · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pamphet sold in hard covers, the photographs are intended to illustrate the text, but a map and decent footnotes would have been more useful. Not least to explain all the odd references: Hödlerin, Schrammelmusik, The Monk of Heisterbach....Budapest's German inheritence was very much still in place in 1935.

[Justin Labelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully concise and playful take on a travellers guide to the city.
This has aged remarkably well with tongue firmly in cheek.
Playful and subjective tour of some of the most memorable architectural elements of the city.
The prose flows smooth and consistently, to the beat of a turning spoon in a busy cafe, a quiet din in the throes of lively environment.

[Karli Sherwinter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, concise lyrical homage to the author’s hometown of Budapest written in 1935 before the city went through the turmoil of WWII and communism. Since so many of the places in the book can still be visited today, it serves as a charming historical guide to the city it once was.

[Francisco Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un delicioso paseo por Budapest en los años 30. Píldoras que no se dedican a la simple descripción sino que aportan las impresiones que los lugares y algunos eminentes habitantes dejan en el autor. Su bello lenguaje y cadencia nostálgica te lleva a cuestionarte si estás leyendo un ensayo o un poemario, desde luego no es una guía al uso. Mención aparte merece esta edición que corresponde a la segunda original por sus ilustraciones fantásticas que complaumentan a la perfección el texto generando esta pequeña joya.

[Tiger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a fun short read, enjoyed the sarcasm and fun of it as I was visiting Budapest for the first time. However, would not consider this a good description for “aliens” as unless you were in Budapest I think the language and description is hard to follow and understand from a “foreign” point of view. Could be because of the translation? But that was my take as someone who had just got to Budapest reading this at a cafe

[K's Bognoter · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Martian’s Guide to Budapest" (opr. 1935) af ungarnske Antal Szerb er en pudsig og overraskende humoristisk vandretur gennem Budapest anno 1935 – med en veloplagt og ualmindeligt velskrivende guide. Ideel som rejselekture under et besøg i den ungarnske hovedstad.
Læs hele anmeldelsen på K's bognoter: http://bognoter.dk/2018/05/17/antal-s...

[lk]

чудесная маленькая книга с историческими не менее чудесными фотографиями. скорее воспоминания Серба о своей юности, довоенный период (30-е гг)

Серб попал в лагерь из-за еврейского происхождения, где в итоге умер 27 января 1945г.

[Susan Rothenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forget the Martian, but enjoy the descriptions of the various areas and buildings in Budapest. A very good introduction to the city.

[Mariann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Antal Szerb, and I like Budapest, so I enjoyed it. Nothing extraordinary, but interesting.

[Bulányi Zsolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remek kis szösszenet. 5*

[Szonja Balázs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugyan azt a ismerősen kellemetlen szorongató érzést hozta a torkomba, mint Szerb Antal bármely műve. A lelkembe hatol és leírhatatlan folyamatokat indít el pár egyszerű sor.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, playful, witty, intelligent, funny, and philosophical little book about one of the world's great cities at the near-peak of its prowess.

[- · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, beautiful read while walking the streets of my sacred city.

[Rachel Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so deceptively charming; in the back of your mind, though, you think of Antal Szerb being beaten to death in a concentration camp, and the charm of the satire is brutalizing, if not lost.

[Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically what it sounds like--a tourist guide written by a true craftsman of literature. A beautiful little book that blends history, sharp wit, social commentary, and wait idyl imagery all in one. I decided to try this before delving into his longer prose and I am now extremely excited to explore this Hungarian author more.

[BuildingCommunity]

I read this in English and left the book in Budapest because I thought I would be back teaching there. Instead I am in Beijing teaching and it is awesome to be here. This is a good book, good photos too....

[Kriszti · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute little guide to nostalgic budapest.

[Letti]

If only it had been longer. Much much longer.

[Tomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little gem of a book for any Budapest enthusiast.