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mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
An enthralling, dark story of Eastern Europe in the 1990s ~ perfect for fans of travel writing and literary suspense stories.
Thanks to Algonquin for the review copy of this title - all opinions are my own.
I have been fascinated by Budapest after randomly watching an episode of House Hunters International, and have lately been reading more and more about Communism and its impact throughout the world. Those factors definitely lead into my deep appreciation of this story ~ a story equally about a historically significant city as it about family tragedies. The descriptions of the city, language and food were absolutely riveting and I inhaled this book in less than 24 hours. In addition, knowing that this book is largely based on the author's own experiences living in Budapest made it even more fascinating - I loved her essay in the Algonquin Reader about her motivation for this book.
If you want to experience a Eastern European country in a time not-long past, and want detailed history and literary social commentary, this one is a must-read. For suspense fans, this is a slow burn and should be entered into with more of an expectation of a tense, dark drama rather than a fast-paced mystery. Highly recommend to geeky readers like myself!
Thanks to Algonquin for the review copy of this title - all opinions are my own.
I have been fascinated by Budapest after randomly watching an episode of House Hunters International, and have lately been reading more and more about Communism and its impact throughout the world. Those factors definitely lead into my deep appreciation of this story ~ a story equally about a historically significant city as it about family tragedies. The descriptions of the city, language and food were absolutely riveting and I inhaled this book in less than 24 hours. In addition, knowing that this book is largely based on the author's own experiences living in Budapest made it even more fascinating - I loved her essay in the Algonquin Reader about her motivation for this book.
If you want to experience a Eastern European country in a time not-long past, and want detailed history and literary social commentary, this one is a must-read. For suspense fans, this is a slow burn and should be entered into with more of an expectation of a tense, dark drama rather than a fast-paced mystery. Highly recommend to geeky readers like myself!
the_cassie_case's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
jessiebwriting's review against another edition
3.0
I really don't know what to think with this read. I felt like I learned a lot about Budapest and Hungary but I don't think I can quite identify the main point of the story. Edward seemed to have a pretty clear goal but Annie's was hard to see clearly. The story was intriguing enough to keep going but I felt pretty neutral by the end.
kanderson246's review against another edition
3.0
Strangers in Budapest by Jessica Keener
I had purchased this book at a book fair and was drawn in by the cover (and the fact that I have visited Budapest myself). I enjoyed the description of life in Budapest for an expat at that time, but the book lacked the suspense of a thriller. It was a slow build up to the last few chapters which were suspenseful and gripping and ultimately made up for the otherwise boring monologue of the main characters.
Set in 1995 after the Communist control of Hungary, young Bostonian couple Will and Annie move to Budapest with their infant son. Annie hopes for a fresh start and Will for economic success. Eight months after their move, they are introduced to Edward Weiss. He is a sick Jewish WWII veteran who has come to Budapest searching for the man he believes killed his daughter. Drawn to his need for help, Annie assists in his revenge plot that can only end in tragedy.
I had purchased this book at a book fair and was drawn in by the cover (and the fact that I have visited Budapest myself). I enjoyed the description of life in Budapest for an expat at that time, but the book lacked the suspense of a thriller. It was a slow build up to the last few chapters which were suspenseful and gripping and ultimately made up for the otherwise boring monologue of the main characters.
Set in 1995 after the Communist control of Hungary, young Bostonian couple Will and Annie move to Budapest with their infant son. Annie hopes for a fresh start and Will for economic success. Eight months after their move, they are introduced to Edward Weiss. He is a sick Jewish WWII veteran who has come to Budapest searching for the man he believes killed his daughter. Drawn to his need for help, Annie assists in his revenge plot that can only end in tragedy.
raychul2992's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
valigator's review against another edition
2.0
Budapest was the first city in Europe I visited and I so wanted to like this book. Parts of it were ok but the main character was so frustrating to me and I felt like the whole interaction with the two conflicting characters was so weird and convoluted, and at the end, unresolved.
micmcc_1's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
kgraham10's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this but the writing is clunky. The plot is very thin. I ended up skimming a lot.
halkid2's review against another edition
3.0
Ex-pats + mystery + quirky characters don't quite add up for me in this one.
Strangers in Budapest strikes me as a mystery more than a standard novel. It draws heavily on the author’s own experience living in Budapest during the 1990s — feeling like an outsider, relying on the ex-pat community, and witnessing the lingering effects left by Nazi and Soviet occupations.
The story focuses on a young entrepreneurial American couple (Annie and Will), and their newly adopted baby, who have relocated to Budapest to take advantage of the economic opportunities offered by a more free Hungarian society. It turns out translating opportunity into success is more difficult than either of them expected.
Add to this a couple of interesting characters:
• like Edward, an older Jewish American, who has traveled to Budapest to hunt down the son-in-law he believes killed Edward’s ailing daughter for insurance money.
• And, Bernardo, a Latino businessman and philandering husband who wants Will to rejoin the corporate world.
• And, Stephen, a handsome but mysterious translator, born in the US but now exploring his Hungarian roots.
Many of these characters also come with long-hidden personal secrets regarding past family tragedies. And of course, when some secrets get revealed, the reader discovers some unexpected connections between characters.
The book builds toward a very suspenseful conclusion. But the question remains, why didn’t I like it more?
I think it’s because there were so many elements included that had no apparent reason for being there. Like a completely unexceptional pickpocket event, barefoot Roma children selling flowers on the street, or some Hungarian history awkwardly forced into cocktail party conversation.
At the conclusion, I simply felt the author wandered too much. Perhaps she was a little too interested in wanting to share her own cultural impressions, from living in Budapest, and simply lost sight that those experiences also needed to be pertinent to the book she was writing.
Strangers in Budapest strikes me as a mystery more than a standard novel. It draws heavily on the author’s own experience living in Budapest during the 1990s — feeling like an outsider, relying on the ex-pat community, and witnessing the lingering effects left by Nazi and Soviet occupations.
The story focuses on a young entrepreneurial American couple (Annie and Will), and their newly adopted baby, who have relocated to Budapest to take advantage of the economic opportunities offered by a more free Hungarian society. It turns out translating opportunity into success is more difficult than either of them expected.
Add to this a couple of interesting characters:
• like Edward, an older Jewish American, who has traveled to Budapest to hunt down the son-in-law he believes killed Edward’s ailing daughter for insurance money.
• And, Bernardo, a Latino businessman and philandering husband who wants Will to rejoin the corporate world.
• And, Stephen, a handsome but mysterious translator, born in the US but now exploring his Hungarian roots.
Many of these characters also come with long-hidden personal secrets regarding past family tragedies. And of course, when some secrets get revealed, the reader discovers some unexpected connections between characters.
The book builds toward a very suspenseful conclusion. But the question remains, why didn’t I like it more?
I think it’s because there were so many elements included that had no apparent reason for being there. Like a completely unexceptional pickpocket event, barefoot Roma children selling flowers on the street, or some Hungarian history awkwardly forced into cocktail party conversation.
At the conclusion, I simply felt the author wandered too much. Perhaps she was a little too interested in wanting to share her own cultural impressions, from living in Budapest, and simply lost sight that those experiences also needed to be pertinent to the book she was writing.
rachelleahdorn's review against another edition
1.0
Unlike other reviews, I thought this was poorly written, unconvincing and depressing. Well, I suppose the latter is indisputable.
The main character is whiny and weak and had a white savior complex unalloyed with any actual skills, wisdom or thoughtfulness. I was unable to identity with her and her actions annoyed me throughout the book. I only finished the book because I didn’t bring another on my vacation.
The main character is whiny and weak and had a white savior complex unalloyed with any actual skills, wisdom or thoughtfulness. I was unable to identity with her and her actions annoyed me throughout the book. I only finished the book because I didn’t bring another on my vacation.