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

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.

New York City has fantastic restaurants and, unlike London, a lot of the best restaurants are relatively cheap.

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

One of my proudest achievements is that when an authoritative book about Hungarian literature came out about a decade ago, there was a little article about me which said I was a Hungarian writer but pretending not to be. Bearing in mind I can hardly write a cheque in Hungarian, I was delighted to be included in the pantheon of Hungarian writers.

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.

It's what the reader thinks that counts.