Ballad of the Whiskey Robber

I'm about halfway through the book and I love the way it's narrated with different actors and short segments of music in between.

However, while the acting and narration is good, the fake hungarian accents are distracting (and sound more russian than hungarian).
Most importantly, all the hungarian words in the book (there are many!!!) are pronounced wrong. It would have been nice to have a narrator who either learns how to pronounce the words he's reading or someone who already knows how to pronounce them.

Overall, I still highly recommend this audiobook!

This book is fun, quirky, intelligent, and touching. The narration adds surprise, authenticity, and silliness. The book might not be for everyone, but will be a favorite for those who like satire and oddball characters.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable "lite" read. I liked that different people spoke their parts. Quiky and fun book! It made me want to visit Hungary, and Romania...

The author/narrator is fantastic. I listened to this book three times and am still intrigued!! I'm scanning audible weekly for new Julian Rubenstein books.

I loved this story. Each time I found myself thinking, "This is too farfetched," I remembered that it's actually a true story! The reader is great and even the music, which I usually find distracting, is very professional and adds to the feel of the story.

When I downloaded this book I thought it was a novel. A Transylvanian pelt smuggling, hockey playing, bandit -- it had to be fiction. In this case fact is so much more entertaining than fiction. It is easy to start rooting for the whiskey bandit -- hoping he will take a turn for the better as he tries to make a go of living in the newly democratic captial of Hungary.

The adventures of Atilla the bandit and the Inspector Clouseau-like head of robbery who pursues him are fascinating. Meanwhile I found I learned a great deal about post-communist eastern European countries without even trying.

Wasn't expecting the long history in the beginning and I actually fell asleep several times, but when the real story began it was hard to stop reading. The music was irritating, as well as the various voices, but I adjusted and it may have made it more interesting. A very interesting story, as well as an education on post-communist Hungary.

Enjoyed the glimpses into Hungarian history and culture. Also enjoyed that it is a true story and entertaining. The Whisky Robber is quite the character.

The audio edition of this book is fantastic--really a radio comedy/drama. It is introduced by Attila Ambrus himself, the eponymous Whiskey Robber, as he served time in jail for his string of non-violent bank robberies in Budapest in the 1990s. The author is the main narrator, with voices supplied by a wildly diverse array of people from comedians Dmetri Martin and Eugene Mirman to author Gary Shteyngart, and music by One Ring Zero.

It is the crazy-but-true story of how Attila, a hapless and basically unpaid professional hockey goalie (as well as a pen salesman, pelt smuggler, and serious drinker and would-be high roller), applied himself to the profession of bank robbery, becoming a national folk hero as he left the overworked and under-equipped police sputtering in his wake. Great characters, detailed reporting, and a wry style drive the story along irresistibly. The author even manages to work in a quick background history of Hungary and paints a cynical picture of 1990s Budapest, when the influx of western-style capitalism only changed the style of corruption.

A most enjoyable roller-coaster ride, highly recommended for anyone who is traveling to Hungary, who enjoys true crime reporting, or who just wants a highly entertaining true tale.

The cast does an amazing job of bringing this book to life. I definitely recommend this one.