[Gutenberg 56377] • Egy magyar nábob (1. rész)

Mór Jókai -- also known as Maurus Jokai -- was a Hungarian dramatist and novelist. He originally studied law and became an advocate in what is now Budapest. Encouraged by the reception of his first play, *The Jewish Boy* , he turned to writing, producing Working Days, and becoming editor of *Életképek* , the leading Hungarian literary journal. Following a revolution and the deposition of the Hapsburg dynasty, he became a political suspect. He spent the next fourteen years reviving the Magyar language, producing thirty romances and numerous other works. After the re-establishment of the Hungarian Constitution, he sat in parliament for twenty years, founded and edited the government organ *Hon* , and was later elevated to the upper house by the king. *A Hungarian Nabob* , considered by Jokai to be his best work, is a richly colored picture of aristocratic life, full of vivid, bustling scenes, various native characters, and humorous and dramatic incidents. The Nabob figure is a Hungarian potentate of vast estates, who lives amidst a crowd of retainers, wassailing companions, women, gamblers, fools, and gypsies. The plot relates to the intrigues of his dissolute heir, and his marriage with a young girl which serves to baffle them.