Quotes from Tibor Fischer

One of the reasons why I don't write the same kind of book again and again is that I get bored very easily, so I like to make things interesting for myself.

Miami, in many ways, is a quintessentially American city. The juxtaposition of showy wealth with dire pennilessness, the tussle of glitz and decay doesn't come any more marked than here.

It's true, some senior Hungarian writers are not known for their laughter. There is a strong Germanic influence - an attitude that if it's enjoyable it can't possibly be literature.

Most books reviews aren't very well-written. They tend to be more about the reviewer than the book.

There's prejudice and poverty in Hungary as there is in every country.

I went to a British Council event a while back and there were lots of German professors of literature. About half of them were convinced I had a German sense of humour and the other half were sure it was British. They are probably still arguing about it now.

I'm not the most prolific writer in the world, and, sadly, writing a novel involves a lot of effort.

I never could get a proper job.

Criticism is part of being in the marketplace. If you can't take a bit of criticism, you shouldn't bother publishing a book.

The way British publishing works is that you go from not being published no matter how good you are, to being published no matter how bad you are.

You can't really win as a Booker judge. If you choose the obvious names, the unit-shifters, you're accused of being timid and unimaginative; if you choose the unfamous, you're labelled willful and perverse.

It's what the reader thinks that counts.

Like most men, I'm a life support system for a phallus.

As an author, I realise, you're on your own. You have to do everything you can to help The Book. If I make sure people know it's out there, they can make up their own minds whether they want to read it.

Outside their country, Hungarian directors have had, from the critics at least, a friendly reception.

The impossible lives next door to the possible; people ring its door bell by accident all the time.

Because my name is Hungarian, everyone assumed I knew about Hungary. I didn't. They also assumed that if you knew about Hungary, you also knew about the rest of Eastern Europe.

I don't take much notice of reviews now - obviously you'd like to have straight worship but you're never going to get that.

When I think of Hungarian films, I think of despair and bleakness, and what's more, despair and bleakness of indefensible duration.

You don't really have to go anywhere in particular in New York City to have a good time. In every part of town, there's always something going on. It helps to know people there, too, because everything changes so fast, and they will be able to point out what's hot this month.

Travelling is difficult, and writers tend to want to stay at home and do their work.

No one wants a masterpiece knocking around when your own book is looking for attention.

As suburbs go, Bromley's not bad. But as David Bowie and Hanif Kureishi have observed, you do want to get out of there quickly.

Ultimately, it's about the quality of the writing whatever style you are writing.