Peter the Priest

Mór JókaiProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 257K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Peter the Priest by Mór JókaiAuthor: Jókai, Mór, 1825-1904,Language: English, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Dec 23, 2007

Editor's review

Mór Jókai, a major figure in Hungarian literature in the age of Petőfi, is known for his romantic style, and this book centers on a priest, unfolding its story through the tension between religious identity and worldly desire. Jókai excels at embedding observations of social customs, class relations, and human weaknesses within the plot, so readers can follow the ups and downs of the main characters' fates while also sensing the atmosphere of nineteenth-century Central European village and church life. As a public-domain ebook, this edition is released by Project Gutenberg, and the English translation allows Chinese readers to encounter the narrative rhythm of the original directly. It is suitable for reading in the context of comparative literature, Eastern European literature, or Hungarian cultural studies, and also serves as an introductory work for understanding Jókai's narrative style. One caveat: this is not a tightly plotted suspense novel; its value lies more in character portrayal and the evocation of period atmosphere, so readers should slow down and attend to the social criticism in the details.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Eastern European literature and Hungarian culture
Those studying the relationship between religion and secular life in nineteenth-century Europe
Literature lovers who enjoy romantic narrative and group portraits of characters
Students who want to encounter public-domain classics in English originals

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced, strongly plotted suspense stories
Readers impatient with religious themes and period background description
Readers who need modern vernacular translations to lower the reading threshold

Reading tips

Read the preface or a short author biography first to understand Jókai's era and the Hungarian literary background
Proceed chapter by chapter, noting character relationships and conflict threads after each chapter
Look up religious or local-custom terms as you go rather than skipping them
Read alongside other works by Jókai to observe the continuity of his narrative techniques

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book an English original or a Chinese translation?

According to the information, this book is an English ebook released by Project Gutenberg, with the language marked as English, so readers will be reading an English text. If you need a Chinese version, you must look for a translation separately; the two differ considerably in reading experience.

Who is Mór Jókai, and do I need to know about him in advance?

Mór Jókai was an important nineteenth-century Hungarian novelist known for romantic narrative and depictions of social customs. Knowing his life and era in advance helps in understanding the characters' motives, but it is not a prerequisite for reading; readers can also become familiar with him gradually as they read.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Hungarian literature?

It can serve as one introduction to Jókai's narrative, but note that the book's pace is slow and there is considerable background description. If you want to build an overall impression first, reading it together with a brief history of Hungarian literature or another representative work by the author will be more effective.

What should I pay attention to when reading the electronic edition?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a public-domain electronic text, laid out mainly as plain text, without the layout aids of a paper book. It is advisable to use reading software that supports bookmarks and annotations, making it easier to revisit character relationships and key plot points.

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About the author

Mór Jókai Author · Hungarian · 1825–1904

Mór Jókai (1825–1904) was the most important Hungarian novelist, playwright and revolutionary of the 19th century, and a major representative of Romantic literature. Born in Komárom, he took part in the 1848 Pest uprising and drafted the Twelve Points, and was later elected to parliament. His representative works include A Hungarian Nabob, The Baron's Sons, Black Diamonds and The Golden Man. Jókai's writing depicts Hungarian history and social change on a grand scale, with dramatic plots, vivid characters, romantic colour and national feeling; he is often compared with Dickens and Scott. His output was enormous: 106 of his works are held in this collection, and a hundred-volume collected edition appeared in 1894, evidence of his productivity and influence.