cloudyskye asked Vilmos Kondor:

Hi Vilmos, I have read and enjoyed all your Zsigmond Gordon books. The Budapest vibes were just great. One detail that has been bothering me all the time: Zsigmond is always, always smoking. (He must smell like a walking ashtray.) So I'm curious: are you such a devoted smoker yourself? Or is it just to illustrate the reality of those days?

Vilmos Kondor Well, how shall I put it. I was an avid smoker for more than 30 years. I also grew up in a family where almost everybody smoked almost all the time. My father killed three packs a day. But actually I had already quit smoking when I started writing Budapest noir, so my answer is a bit complex.
No, I am not a devoted smoker. Not anymore at least. Actually, I detest the smoke, it gives me an instant headache. Can't really stand it.
But back in those days everybody smoked all the time. It was bad, really bad, so I tried to paint a proper and credible background in this regard, too.
You're absolutely right: he must have smelled terrible. Just as bad as I did. I realized it a couple of months after my last cigarette. I rode the elevator with a smoker, and the stench was pungent... (Kissing a smoker, my wife told me, was like licking an ashtray.)
I'm glad that you enjoyed the series.

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