Mór Jókai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mór Jókai
Mór Jókai
Born	(1825-02-18)18 February 1825 Komárom, Kingdom of Hungary (now Komárno, Slovakia)
Died	5 May 1904(1904-05-05) (aged 79) Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Resting place	Kerepesi Cemetery
Occupation	author
Language	Hungarian
Nationality	Hungarian
Notable works	The Man with the Golden Touch (Az aranyember) The Heartless Man's Sons (A kőszívű ember fiai)
Spouse	Róza Laborfalvi (1848–1886) Bella Nagy (1899–1904)
Parents	József Jókay de Árva Mária Pulay de Bana

Jókai in 1854; a picture made using a special printing method by Miklós Barabás

Mór Jókai (born Móric Jókay de Ásva; 18 February 1825 – 5 May 1904) was a very famous Hungarian writer. He was a nobleman, a novelist (someone who writes novels), a dramatist (someone who writes plays), and a revolutionary. He played an important part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 in Pest.

Jókai's exciting novels became very popular, even with Queen Victoria in England! People sometimes compared him to the famous writer Charles Dickens.

Early Life and Education

Mór Jókai was born in Komárom, which was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, this place is called Komárno and is in Slovakia. His father, József Jókai de Ásva, was from an old noble family. His mother was Mária Pulay.

When he was a boy, Jókai was a bit shy and not very strong. Because of this, he was taught at home until he was ten years old. Then, he went to school in Pozsony (now Bratislava, Slovakia). He finished his studies at the Calvinist college in Pápa. There, he met other young men who later became famous, like Sándor Petőfi.

After his father died when Jókai was 12, his family wanted him to become a lawyer, just like his father. Young Jókai worked very hard and studied carefully in Kecskemét and Pest. He even won his first case as a lawyer!

Becoming a Writer

But being a lawyer was boring for Jókai, as he loved poetry and writing. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences praised his first play, Zsidó fiú (The Jewish Boy). This encouraged him to move to Pest in 1845 with a novel he had written.

In Pest, his friend Petőfi introduced him to other writers. The same year, his first important novel, Hétköznapok (Working Days), came out. It was first published in a magazine and then as a book in 1846. Everyone saw that Hétköznapok was a work of true genius. The next year, Jókai became the editor of Életképek, a leading Hungarian literary magazine. He gathered many young Hungarian writers around him.

He married the great actress Róza Laborfalvi on 29 August 1848.

Revolution and Politics

When the Revolutions of 1848 began, Jókai strongly supported the Hungarian cause. He was a moderate Liberal, meaning he didn't like extreme actions. But he supported Lajos Kossuth's decision to remove the Habsburg family from power after Hungary won some battles in 1849. Jókai was there when the Hungarian army surrendered in August 1849.

For the next fourteen years, Jókai was watched by the government because of his political views. During this time, he worked hard to help the Hungarian language become strong again. He wrote over thirty novels, plus many stories, essays, and other writings. Some of his famous works from this time include Erdély aranykora (The Golden Age of Transylvania) and Egy magyar nábob (A Hungarian Nabob).

After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 brought back the Hungarian constitution, Jókai became active in politics again. He supported the government for over twenty years in parliament. He also edited a government newspaper called Hon, which he started in 1863. He became very powerful in the country. In 1897, the king made him a member of the upper house of parliament.

In 1899, he caused a stir when he married Bella Nagy, a young actress.

Mór Jókai died in Budapest on 5 May 1904. His first wife had passed away in 1886. Both were buried in the Kerepesi Cemetery.

Jókai in his study; a photograph by Mór Erdélyi

Famous Writings

Jókai wrote a huge number of books. He spent most of his time writing. After 1870, he wrote hundreds of volumes! Some of his best later works include Az arany ember (The Man with the Golden Touch) and A kőszívű ember fiai (The Heartless Man's Sons). The latter tells the heroic story of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. His book A tengerszemű hölgy (Eyes like the Sea) won an award in 1890.

Jókai also enjoyed playing chess. You can even find the Mór Jókai Museum in Balatonfüred.

His book Jövő század regénye (The novel of the next century) from 1872 is an important early science fiction work. Even though the word "science fiction" didn't exist then, this long novel had some very smart ideas and predictions. For example, it predicted a revolution in Russia and the rise of a totalitarian state (a government that controls everything). It also predicted the invention of airplanes! This book was banned in Hungary for many years because it seemed to describe later political events.

Selected Works

Here are some of Mór Jókai's many works:

• "Hétköznapok" (Weekdays), 1846
• "Erdély aranykora" (The Golden Age of Transylvania), 1852
• "Török világ Magyarországon" (Turkish World in Hungary), 1852
• "Egy magyar nábob" (A Hungarian Nabob), 1853
• "Janicsárok végnapjai" (The Last Days of the Janissaries), 1854
• "Kárpáthy Zoltán" (Zoltán Kárpáthy), 1854
• "Szomorú napok" (Sad Days), 1848-56
• "Szegény gazdagok" (Poor Rich), 1860
• "Az új földesúr" (The New Squire), 1863
• "A kőszívű ember fiai" (The Heartless Man's Sons), 1869
• "Fekete gyémántok" (Black Diamonds), 1870
• "Az arany ember" (The Golden Man), 1872
• "A jövő század regénye" (The Novel of the Next Century), 1872-74
• "Egy az Isten" (God is One), 1876
• "Névtelen vár" (Nameless Castle), 1877
• "Szép Mikhál" (Pretty Mikhál), 1877
• "Rab Ráby" (Ráby the Prisoner), 1879
• "Szabadság a hó alatt vagy a Zöld könyv" (Freedom under the Snow; or, The Green Book), 1879
• "A cigánybáró" (The Gipsy Baron), 1885 (later became a famous operetta)
• "A tengerszemű hölgy" (The Lady with the Eyes like the Sea), 1890
• "Nincsen ördög" (The Devil does not Exist), 1891
• "Sárga rózsa" (Yellow Rose), 1893

Selected Filmography

Many of Mór Jókai's stories have been made into movies and even an operetta!

• The Hungarian Nabob [it], 1915 (based on Egy magyar nábob)
• Az aranyember [de], 1918 (based on The Man with the Golden Touch)
• White Rose, 1919 (based on A fehér rózsa)
• The Gypsy Baron, 1927 (based on the operetta The Gypsy Baron)
• The Gypsy Baron, 1935 (based on the operetta The Gypsy Baron)
• Az aranyember, 1936 (based on The Man with the Golden Touch)
• The Gypsy Baron, 1954 (based on the operetta The Gypsy Baron)
• The Gypsy Baron, 1962 (based on the operetta The Gypsy Baron)
• The Man of Gold, 1962 (based on The Man with the Golden Touch)
• A kőszívű ember fiai [hu], 1965 (based on A kőszívű ember fiai)
• Egy magyar nábob [hu], 1966 (based on Egy magyar nábob)
• Zoltán Kárpáthy, 1966 (based on Zoltán Kárpáthy)
• Szaffi, 1984 (based on The Gypsy Baron)

Honors

Hungary has honored Mór Jókai. Three special stamps were made in his honor on 1 February 1925.

See also

In Spanish: Mór Jókai para niños