Mór Jókai
Mór Jókai was a prominent Hungarian writer, known for his extensive contributions to literature, including twenty-nine long novels, poetry, humorous articles, and numerous tales. He initially pursued a career in law but shifted his focus to writing after achieving partial success with his first play at the age of twenty. Jókai was not only a literary figure but also an active participant in Hungary's political landscape, having fought in the 1848 revolt against Austria and later founding a patriotic newspaper, Hon. His nationalistic sentiments were a recurring theme in his work, which resonated with readers both in Hungary and internationally. Jókai's writing style has drawn comparisons to notable authors like Charles Dickens and Alexandre Dumas, often incorporating elements of melodrama that endeared him to his audience. He enjoyed a fulfilling personal life, particularly in his marriage to actress Róza Laborfalvi. Upon his death in 1904, Jókai was honored with a public funeral, reflecting his significant impact on Hungarian literature and culture.
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Mór Jókai
Hungarian novelist
- Born: February 18, 1825
- Birthplace: Komárom, Hungary
- Died: May 5, 1904
- Place of death: Budapest, Hungary
Biography
By the time he was twenty, Mór (also Móricz or Maurus) Jókai (YOH-koy) had written his first play. The partial success of this work led him to choose the life of a writer, and he abandoned a fledgling career in law to apply himself vigorously to this end. Before he was fifty he had finished twenty-nine long novels, some poetry, humorous articles, dramas, and sixty-eight volumes of tales. He had established himself as the great living figure in Magyar literature.
He also had a good marriage with Róza Laborfalvi. Having fought in the unsuccessful revolt against Austria in 1848, he was deeply involved in political journalism. He founded Hon, a Magyar patriotic newspaper, and in 1860 he was sentenced to a month of solitary confinement for printing his views. His novels, which expressed nationalistic sentiments and were widely published abroad, served both his literary hopes and the aspirations of his people.
Jókai’s work has often been compared to that of Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, and Sir Walter Scott. Like them, he was not above melodrama, and like them, he was loved by his readers. When he died in 1904, he was accorded a public funeral by unanimous vote of the legislature.
Bibliography
Henneman, John Bell. Shakespearean and Other Papers. Sewanee, Tenn.: The University Press, 1911. Includes an essay on Jókai.
Jókai, Mór. Tales from Jókai. 1904. Reprint. 3d ed. New York: Books for Libraries Press, 1971. With complete biography and photograph of Jókai.
Reményi, Joseph. “Mór Jókai, Romancer.” In Hungarian Writers and Literature: Modern Novelists, Critics, and Poets. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1964. Includes introduction and bibliography.