Pretty Michal cover

Pretty Michal

Rating 3.3
Word count
529K words
Chapters
53

Tags

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.Pretty Michal by Mór JókaiAuthor: Jókai, Mór, 1825-1904,Language: English, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Apr 4, 2010

Editor's review

Mór Jókai was one of the foremost Romantic novelists in nineteenth-century Hungary. Pretty Michal continues in the historical romance vein he excelled at, telling a story of love and fate through tightly plotted action, vivid characters, and strong local color. This English translation preserves the dramatic tension of the original: scenes are richly pictorial, and the emotions of the characters are intense yet restrained. For readers unfamiliar with Hungarian literature, it offers a welcome point of entry, conveying both the narrative appeal of Central and Eastern European Romantic fiction and Jókai's characteristic optimism and humor. As you read, pay attention to the social classes and historical background, which underlie the characters' choices. The translation has a certain period flavor and moves at a leisurely pace; it rewards readers willing to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of classic storytelling.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers interested in Hungarian and Central/Eastern European literature who want to broaden their reading horizons
  • Readers who enjoy nineteenth-century Romantic romances and strongly plotted narratives
  • Scholars and students of comparative literature interested in the translation of literatures in minority languages
  • Literature lovers willing to read classic fiction slowly and savor intense emotional writing

Not a good fit for

  • Contemporary fiction readers who prefer fast-paced modern storytelling and a spare style
  • Readers with little patience for nineteenth-century translation style and lengthy descriptive passages

Reading tips

  1. Learn a little about nineteenth-century Hungarian society before reading; it helps in understanding the characters' motives
  2. Read chapter by chapter and briefly review the plot after each one to avoid confusing the relationships among characters
  3. Pair it with other works by Jókai or books on Hungarian history for a fuller picture

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.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53

FAQ

Can I understand this book without a background in Hungarian history?
You can follow the main story; its themes of love and fate are universal. But knowing something about nineteenth-century Hungarian social classes and historical circumstances will help you understand the characters' choices and conflicts, making for a deeper reading experience.
How difficult is the English of this translation?
The translation dates from an earlier period, with long sentences and somewhat old-fashioned diction, making it moderately to fairly difficult overall. Readers with university-level English should manage; keep a dictionary handy, and when you meet a long sentence, grasp the main clause first and then work through the details.
What style does Jókai show in this work?
It displays his characteristic Romantic style: dramatic plotting, intense emotion, vivid local color, and an often optimistic, humorous tone. Readers can thus enjoy the narrative pleasures of nineteenth-century Hungarian fiction.

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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.

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