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Az arany ember
A regény a magyar kapitalizmus keletkezéstörténetének egyik sikeres és közismert szépirodalmi dokumentuma. Hőse egy üzletember, akit szegény hajóbiztosként a véletlen, saját vakmerősége és nem utolsósorban ügyeskedése hatalmas vagyonhoz juttat. Zsákba rejtett kincse egy szultán üldözte török úrtól származik, az ő lánya megnyeréséért hozza fel a Dunába süllyedt hajóból és tartja meg magának Tímár Mihály. A mesés vagyon birtokosaként üzletelni kezd gabonával, telekkel, földbérlettel, és az arany még több arannyá változik kezében. Az arany ember már milliomosként kéri meg a „szegény” török lány, Timea kezét. A lány hálából igent mond, de kiderül, hogy csak a kezét nyújtja kérőjének, szerelmet nem kaphat tőle Tímár. „Alabástrom szobor” felesége és az üzleti pálya ridegsége meghasonlásra kényszerítik a férfit, és elmenekül oda, ahol nem a pénzt, hanem az embert nézik. Ezt találja meg a térképen még nem jelölt helyen, a Senki-szigetén, Noémi mellett. A főhős kettős életét több szereplő köti össze, véletlenek és törvényszerű találkozások, társadalmi összefüggések alakítják sorsukat. A regény kitűnően ábrázolja az akkori Komárom kereskedőrétegének spekulációit, tájleírásai (a Vaskapu, a téli Balaton) gyönyörködtetőek.
541 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1872
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About the author
Mór Jókai
883 books96 followersMór Jókai, born Móric Jókay de Ásva, outside Hungary also known as Maurus Jokai or Moriz Jokai, was a Hungarian dramatist and novelist. He was born in Komárom, the Kingdom of Hungary (today Komárno, Slovakia, southern part remains in Hungary).
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August 31, 2022
My first novel by a Hungarian writer is a goldmine. As I documented myself in the meantime, the writer himself is a very prolific one and well known in his own country. So it comes as no surprise that the novel itself is named
The Golden Man
in Romanian translation, while in English,
The Man with the Golden Touch
.
To increase my wound more I have not heard of this writer before . I had the book for a long time in my home library and I haven't touched it all this while. I eventually picked it up after I finished Il Gattopardo , not knowing what to expect although the blurb of the paperback shone very intriguing to my eyes. One of these days my mother saw me with a big book held up in my hands covering my face and asked about it -- till I could answer she already read the name of the writer from the cover and exclaimed: “Ah, Jokai Mor! Great name! I read him fifty years ago...!” Ohh, me! well, what could I have answered. Just that I am also reading him, but now. In this very present, which is so far away from the novel's dramatic story, scenes and actions.
This writer is a genial storyteller, and I cannot help thinking -- even stubbornly -- that any writer ultimately becomes his books. These books represent, defend or condemn him. And, no doubt, this job is so very difficult, sometimes even with an increased index of danger, although it is done with conscientiousness and responsibility. Well, this is my personal opinion, and I trust things are handled like that :) Nonetheless, the writer is eventually defeated, because words can never be forced to express the infinite nuances of good and evil, of beauty and ugliness or, more directly, the turbid and complex colors of life, the falls and elevations that the human being must endure in the short and incomprehensible way to the earth , that lifted in a fickle or sparkle for a moment.
The first chapter of this novel rekindled in my mind a very dramatic episode from the amazing novel Requiem for Fools and Beasts, by Romanian novelist Augustin Buzura. Fortunately, in this novel no such tragic event occurs , on the contrary – the male hero Timar Mihaly succeeds to save the life of his princess Timea thrice, reason for which she remains forever grateful to him though she will never reach to love him back, despite all his deeds, efforts and persuasions, in a very noble fashion.
There is here – and so much there – a very vivid character though it is not human. It is a big river that handles the lives and destinies of the humans. I was so pleasantly surprised to know more about the Danube – as from the region described in the novel – around the border with the Serbia, Hungary, and west-southern part of Romania, in the area called The Iron Gates, and being mentioned about The Big Boilers, Ponicova cave, Veterani cave, Tabula Traiana, and so on and so forth, while I kept telling myself I have to go there – the sooner the better :)
The novel of course is not a geography lesson . But it is really a great description, and not boring at all – considering that the novel appeared 150 years ago, and the story told is taking place even farther back, around the period of 1820 – 1830! Roughly, 200 years back and things from the landscape point of view are still the same :) Of course, the Nature is not so capricious like humans, on the contrary it’s more stable, fixed, deeply anchored in its calendar and perfectly natural routines.
This is a novel full of symbols. One of these symbols is revealed right at the beginning , when the author - actually the writer’s voice is the one that accompany us during the read, as remembering a story that happened some 40 years back --- tells about a tale – it’s actually a legend that remained even to present unchanged – about some burial place that it is found on the peak of the highest rocks on the narrow strait after the Iron Gates: That tall rock, which shines like a mountain of fire in the lightnings, is the tomb of St. Peter, "Peter's Pit," and the two statues near the tomb are the "two old women": the legend tells that two women, a Hungarian and a Romanian, entered into a quarrel, each saying that the tomb of St. Peter belongs to her country. The apostle, unable to sleep peacefully in the pit because of their shouting voices, became angry and turned them into stone statues.
The novel brings back an old era, so I had to keep recalling that back then the Romanian territories were split and ruled by the mighty rulers of those days: Ottoman Empire, Austrian Empire, Hungarian Empire, etc. However, the story doesn’t focus on the historical details, but it just brushes very lightly so that we can have a better understanding of the life in those times.
The story of the novel revolves around a man – once a simple, common man – who becomes by some very twisted, devilish circumstances the possessor of a great wealth – so he becomes a “golden man” – one who raises up very fast to the level of what any man might assume to be the highest to be achieved in life : a very respectable social rank, high and elevated relations with the authorities and noble people, being very experienced and highly skilled in his profession , with a very beautiful wife, in a word a very respectable, admired man and also caring for the poor people, last but not least, whatever new enterprise he touches turns into a source of gold.
This is just the appearance – there is so much that the man does not show or tell the others. He lives a double life. He has a wife, Timea– a woman he adores but who doesn’t love him back, and he has a beloved, Noemi– the true woman that loves him back, and fortunately he loves her too . But he cannot give up on his wife, well – not yet! The stories told in the novel – and they are so many as if overpouring from a cornucopia – are so masterfully entangled by the writer that they are always full of adrenaline and of magic – that I cannot help wondering if this is not something like re-reading the Arabian One Thousand and One Nights!
He has a home, in a very sumptuous house, where is the center of his commercial affairs and his personal life, but for long periods of the year he lives in a “No one’s island” – where there is a sort of Eden – just two people live there , on a piece of land that formed itself during the past 50 years in the middle of the Danube river. This reminds me that I have found some good parts of the novel completely mind-blowing, it simply exceeded my imagination limits but that didn’t stop me to enjoy those parts greatly.
I tried to extract the lesson(s) of the novel: though it’s a banal story – still, what it makes for an extraordinary impact, both visual and emotional, are the psychological struggles that the hero is confronted with in his many repeated attempts to redeem himself: entering into the possession of that immense wealth destroys his noble spirit and perverts his mind so much that eventually he leads a life of lies for around 10 years. To regain his innocence, he has to let go of everything he has acquired through lies and falseness –and he has to do it before he is killed or he commits suicide, as this thought often crossed his mind…
So, to sum up, I feel that the lesson is that we can always become better, braver and hopeful, especially after reading such a wonderful novel -- an impression that is somehow related to our first youth, to an innocence of reading that you never get it back after crossing the "threshold". But such books remain in our memory forever, precisely because the age of innocence engraves in us the regrets of a departure without the possibility of return.
To increase my wound more I have not heard of this writer before . I had the book for a long time in my home library and I haven't touched it all this while. I eventually picked it up after I finished Il Gattopardo , not knowing what to expect although the blurb of the paperback shone very intriguing to my eyes. One of these days my mother saw me with a big book held up in my hands covering my face and asked about it -- till I could answer she already read the name of the writer from the cover and exclaimed: “Ah, Jokai Mor! Great name! I read him fifty years ago...!” Ohh, me! well, what could I have answered. Just that I am also reading him, but now. In this very present, which is so far away from the novel's dramatic story, scenes and actions.
This writer is a genial storyteller, and I cannot help thinking -- even stubbornly -- that any writer ultimately becomes his books. These books represent, defend or condemn him. And, no doubt, this job is so very difficult, sometimes even with an increased index of danger, although it is done with conscientiousness and responsibility. Well, this is my personal opinion, and I trust things are handled like that :) Nonetheless, the writer is eventually defeated, because words can never be forced to express the infinite nuances of good and evil, of beauty and ugliness or, more directly, the turbid and complex colors of life, the falls and elevations that the human being must endure in the short and incomprehensible way to the earth , that lifted in a fickle or sparkle for a moment.
The first chapter of this novel rekindled in my mind a very dramatic episode from the amazing novel Requiem for Fools and Beasts, by Romanian novelist Augustin Buzura. Fortunately, in this novel no such tragic event occurs , on the contrary – the male hero Timar Mihaly succeeds to save the life of his princess Timea thrice, reason for which she remains forever grateful to him though she will never reach to love him back, despite all his deeds, efforts and persuasions, in a very noble fashion.
There is here – and so much there – a very vivid character though it is not human. It is a big river that handles the lives and destinies of the humans. I was so pleasantly surprised to know more about the Danube – as from the region described in the novel – around the border with the Serbia, Hungary, and west-southern part of Romania, in the area called The Iron Gates, and being mentioned about The Big Boilers, Ponicova cave, Veterani cave, Tabula Traiana, and so on and so forth, while I kept telling myself I have to go there – the sooner the better :)
The novel of course is not a geography lesson . But it is really a great description, and not boring at all – considering that the novel appeared 150 years ago, and the story told is taking place even farther back, around the period of 1820 – 1830! Roughly, 200 years back and things from the landscape point of view are still the same :) Of course, the Nature is not so capricious like humans, on the contrary it’s more stable, fixed, deeply anchored in its calendar and perfectly natural routines.
This is a novel full of symbols. One of these symbols is revealed right at the beginning , when the author - actually the writer’s voice is the one that accompany us during the read, as remembering a story that happened some 40 years back --- tells about a tale – it’s actually a legend that remained even to present unchanged – about some burial place that it is found on the peak of the highest rocks on the narrow strait after the Iron Gates: That tall rock, which shines like a mountain of fire in the lightnings, is the tomb of St. Peter, "Peter's Pit," and the two statues near the tomb are the "two old women": the legend tells that two women, a Hungarian and a Romanian, entered into a quarrel, each saying that the tomb of St. Peter belongs to her country. The apostle, unable to sleep peacefully in the pit because of their shouting voices, became angry and turned them into stone statues.
The novel brings back an old era, so I had to keep recalling that back then the Romanian territories were split and ruled by the mighty rulers of those days: Ottoman Empire, Austrian Empire, Hungarian Empire, etc. However, the story doesn’t focus on the historical details, but it just brushes very lightly so that we can have a better understanding of the life in those times.
The story of the novel revolves around a man – once a simple, common man – who becomes by some very twisted, devilish circumstances the possessor of a great wealth – so he becomes a “golden man” – one who raises up very fast to the level of what any man might assume to be the highest to be achieved in life : a very respectable social rank, high and elevated relations with the authorities and noble people, being very experienced and highly skilled in his profession , with a very beautiful wife, in a word a very respectable, admired man and also caring for the poor people, last but not least, whatever new enterprise he touches turns into a source of gold.
This is just the appearance – there is so much that the man does not show or tell the others. He lives a double life. He has a wife, Timea– a woman he adores but who doesn’t love him back, and he has a beloved, Noemi– the true woman that loves him back, and fortunately he loves her too . But he cannot give up on his wife, well – not yet! The stories told in the novel – and they are so many as if overpouring from a cornucopia – are so masterfully entangled by the writer that they are always full of adrenaline and of magic – that I cannot help wondering if this is not something like re-reading the Arabian One Thousand and One Nights!
He has a home, in a very sumptuous house, where is the center of his commercial affairs and his personal life, but for long periods of the year he lives in a “No one’s island” – where there is a sort of Eden – just two people live there , on a piece of land that formed itself during the past 50 years in the middle of the Danube river. This reminds me that I have found some good parts of the novel completely mind-blowing, it simply exceeded my imagination limits but that didn’t stop me to enjoy those parts greatly.
I tried to extract the lesson(s) of the novel: though it’s a banal story – still, what it makes for an extraordinary impact, both visual and emotional, are the psychological struggles that the hero is confronted with in his many repeated attempts to redeem himself: entering into the possession of that immense wealth destroys his noble spirit and perverts his mind so much that eventually he leads a life of lies for around 10 years. To regain his innocence, he has to let go of everything he has acquired through lies and falseness –and he has to do it before he is killed or he commits suicide, as this thought often crossed his mind…
So, to sum up, I feel that the lesson is that we can always become better, braver and hopeful, especially after reading such a wonderful novel -- an impression that is somehow related to our first youth, to an innocence of reading that you never get it back after crossing the "threshold". But such books remain in our memory forever, precisely because the age of innocence engraves in us the regrets of a departure without the possibility of return.
March 3, 2020
The Man With the Golden Touch didn't let me sleep or do anything else except for reading and thinking about it all day long. I think this book should proudly stand alongside the greatest classic masterpieces. It has an alert action, interesting and intricate characters and about all it takes to keep the reader awake and eager to know more about what will happen next. This is one of the best books that I have read lately.
December 9, 2019
For the English version, please scroll down.
Újraolvasás vége.
Hogy hányadik, már régen nem számolom. :)
Igen, tudom, sokaknak mumusa. :) Éppen ezért mindenekelőtt szóljon ez az értékelés arról, hogy mitől és hogyan lehet ez a regény - kevésbé ijesztő. No meg hogy hogyan lehet az olvasás másféle. Mert olvasni bizony nemcsak egyféleképpen lehet, és érdemes néha kipróbálni azt is, ami eltér a megszokottól.
1. Jaj, azok a borzalmas hosszú leírások!
Gyerekként én is nagyon untam az ilyesmit, de - kisdobos becsületszavamra! - Jókaitól soha. (Victor Hugótól, Walter Scott-tól elég gyakran. :P) Jókai leírásai ugyanis DINAMIKUSAK. (Ezt akkor még nem így fogalmaztam meg. :))
Az embert egy regény olvasásakor elsősorban az érdekli, mi történik a főszereplőkkel. Jókai regényei többek között pont a leírásaik miatt kiválóan alkalmasak arra, hogy az ember megtanulja egy kicsit átállítani magát a másfajta olvasásra.
Tehát tekintsd a leírásokat mininovelláknak! Mintha a nagy cselekmény (egy vagy több szála) mellett még tizenöt-húsz kicsi cselekmény is volna a regényben, amelyekben az ember csak mellékszereplő, a főszereplő pedig folyó, sziget, fa vagy virág. Nem olyan nehéz ez az átállás, mert igaz, hogy természeti jelenségekről van szó, mégis úgy viselkednek, mintha emberek volnának: mozdulnak, dolgoznak, harcolnak, ölik vagy támogatják egymást.
Ha így olvasod a leírásokat, életre kelnek. Meglátod, hogy mindegyikben történik valami. Többszöri olvasás után (mert Jókai regényei alkalmasak az újraolvasásra) azt is látni fogod, hogy nem is lógnak ki olyan nagyon a cselekményből - hogy van hozzá közük. Ebben a regényben például különösen intenzív a kapcsolat ember és természet között, ráadásul a természet elég gyakran Isten földi megfelelőjeként viselkedik. Ugyanazok a szereplők, akik a természettel dacolnak, Isten ellen is fellázadnak, aminek aztán következményei lesznek.
2. Jókai regényei tele vannak idegen szavakkal.
Tény és való, a magyar szerzők között neki van a második legbővebb szókincse. Tény és való, az ő idejében a művelt köznyelv tele volt német, francia, latin szavakkal, ezért aztán a korabeli olvasók minden további nélkül értették ezt a stílust, csak hát a művelt köznyelv azóta sokat változott.
Mégis azt állítom, nem kell mindent érteni ahhoz, hogy az ember érteni, sőt élvezni tudja Jókai regényeit. Én sem értettem többet tizennégy évesen, mint más; nem tudtam, mi az a zászpa, a Hofkriegsrath vagy a tunique. De a szövegkörnyezetből felfogtam, hogy a zászpa a vízben van és virágzik, a Hofkriegsrath az államgépezet része, valami hatalmas hivatal, és le kell győzni, a tunique meg valami fehérnemű, oké, haladjunk, több információ nem kell.
Ez a készség ha egyszer kialakult az emberben, onnantól kezdve más szövegek olvasása is könnyebben halad. Például idegen nyelvű szövegeké, amelyekben szintén nem ért az ember minden szót, de nincs is rá szüksége. Érdemes ezt a készséget minél hamarabb elsajátítani. Mondjuk, nem feltétlenül a leghosszabb regényekkel... de vannak Jókainak novellái is ám. :)
3. Jókai szereplői vagy jók, vagy gonoszak; ilyen emberek a valóságban nem léteznek.
Az arany ember szereplői mítoszok, népmesék hősei, behajítva nagyon is hétköznapi körülmények közé, ahol egyáltalán nem tudnak mindig megfelelni mítoszi/mesei szerepüknek. Vagy éppen megfelelnek, és úgy is járnak.
Timár Mihály a regény elején A HŐS. (Többek között azért kell a Dunát olyan félelmetes erőként ábrázolni oldalakon keresztül, hogy legyen ellenfele.) Erős, bátor, okos, művelt, mindenhez ért, mindenféle nyelven beszél, küzdelme az elemekkel (vízzel) eposzba való. Amikor szembesül a társadalmi hatalommal és annak hétköznapi képviselőivel: komoly, ám korrupt kishivatalnokokkal, szintén győztesen kerül ki a küzdelemből, pedig itt már nem hősnek, hanem sakkjátékosnak kell lenni. A kettő nem zárja ki egymást. :)
Minek csinálja ezt? Azért, amiért bármely tisztességes mitikus vagy népmesei hős: CSAK. Szereti a kihívásokat, és hibátlanul megfelel nekik. Meg mert szerelmes lesz a királykisasszonyba, akit Timéának hívnak, és akit több rendben meg köll menteni. Például Brazovicstól, akinek (tessék figyelni a leírást) olyan a szeme és a hangja, mint egy vízi szörnynek. Ami nem zavarja abban, hogy egyúttal hétköznapi szerb-görög származású komáromi kereskedő legyen.
Eddigre már az összes fontos szereplő színre lépett: a szegény asszony és az egyetlen lánya, 2 db bosszúálló gonosz, valamint 1 db kincs, "aki" legalább olyan fontos szereplő, mint a többiek. És itt torzul el a mese. Mert a királykisasszony nem a hősbe lesz szerelmes, ellenben kiderül róla, hogy nyelvtehetség és matekzseni, a bosszúálló gonoszok nem saját gyönyörűségükre gonoszkodnak, hanem nagyon is komoly lélektani okuk van rá, a hős pedig hagyja, hogy a kincs elcsábítsa, majd sorozatos átváltozásokon megy át: lesz belőle nemesember, Midász király, sőt még sárkány is. Ahol pedig egy hős sárkánnyá tud változni, ráadásul pont a főgonosz a tükörképe, ott komoly baj van a hőssel is, a világgal is.
A mesevilág és a hétköznapi világ nagyon szorosan összekapcsolódik itt: a szereplők cselekedeteit lélektani okok motiválják, és a társadalom működését legalább olyan részletesen meg lehet ismerni, mint a Dunát. A regény nagyon pontosan ábrázolja, hogyan működnek az összefonódások az ország egyik végétől a másikig, mi az a korrupció, hogyan mossa egyik kéz a másikat, és mennyire könnyű úgy belebonyolódni, hogy soha többé ki ne találjon belőle az ember, hacsak nem a koporsó fedelén keresztül. Azt, hogy ebbe az útvesztőbe pont egy halom kincs juttatja be az embert, senki nem vonhatja kétségbe akkor sem, ha a bizonyos kincs egyébként minden értelemben mesebeli, sőt akár meg is személyesülhet, a holddal együtt.
SPOILER JÖN! (És valamiért nem engedi a szokásos módon jelezni a program.) Érdemes végiggondolni, mi történik azokkal, akiknek a kezén átmegy a kincs: Ali Csorbadzsi, Timár Mihály - ő az egyetlen, aki lemond róla -, aztán Krisztyán Tódor és Timéa. Aztán érdemes felidézni hozzá azt a bizonyos Nibelung-történetet, amelyet A Gyűrűk Urából is ismerünk - és sok mindenre rájön az ember. Aztán arra is tessék odafigyelni, hogy Krisztyánnak mennyire igaza van, amikor a saját bűneivel Timárt vádolja: más-más történetszálon nagyon hasonló gazemberségek terhelik a lelkiismeretüket, csak Krisztyán elveszi a büntetését mindenért, Timár meg megússza. AZÉRT, mert Krisztyán elveszi a büntetést HELYETTE, mert rosszkor veszi át azt a bizonyos kincset.
Végül némi személyes vélemény: Gyerekként borzasztóan tetszett nekem a senki szigete, nagyon szerettem volna ott lakni (miután a regénybeli lakókat eltüntettem onnan), és persze Noémi meg Timéa párosából az előbbi nyert. Ma sokkal érdekesebbnek találom Timéát: igazi egyéniség, aki ellenáll a királykisasszony-szerepnek, inkább lesz belőle elátkozott lélek, ha meséről van szó, és üzletasszony, ha a XIX. századi Magyarországról van szó. A vége felé ő maga mondja ki, hogy voltaképpen éveken keresztül ő működteti a férje vállalkozását. Arról pedig, hogy Timár Mihálynak kivel kéne összejönnie, egészen eretnek nézeteim vannak: nem fogom fel, hogy Terézát miért kell öregasszonyozni, mikor összesen három évvel idősebb a férfinél. Ők számítanak egy korosztálynak, a lányoknak apja lehetne Timár Mihály. Szóval nem, számomra egyáltalán nem rokonszenves dolog az, ahogyan a főszereplő szerelmes lesz... de ez már nagyon messzire vezetne. SPOILER VÉGE
----
Újraolvasás, 2019, egy saját sztori kellős közepén.
Személyes megjegyzések:
1. Saját magam számára is elképesztő, mennyire mélyen beleépült ez a történet a lelkembe. Még a tudattalanomba is. Kb. semmit nem úgy írnék meg, ahogy Jókai (nem mintha bármi kifogásom lenne az írásmódja ellen, Isten őrizz), viszont pontosan ezeket a figurákat és helyzeteket használnám kiindulópontnak.
2. (A fentiekből következően) IRTÓZATOSAN fölidegesített a könyv. Utazás közben olvastam, és egyszer csak odacsaptam a mellettem levő üléshez, mire a közelben levő kollégáim részvéttel megkérdezték, hogy nagyon unod már így sokadszorra? Mondom, dehogy, csak utálom, hogy megint nem az nyert, akinek szerintem kellett volna. Nagyon röhögtek. Én is.
3. A nagy szembesülés a Balaton jegén még mindig TÖKÉLETES. Azért az egy pillanatért érdemes újraolvasni ötszáz oldalt. Is.
----
Nth re-reading completed.
I've seen the English translation only once, and even then I didn't get a chance to compare it with the original. All I know it was heavily cut. And I'm very sorry it was. This review is about the original version, and I can only hope that whoever reads it in translation will be able to participate in the experience.
First and foremost: this is required reading at Hungarian secondary schools, and therefore a source of fright. I loved it as a child, though, and now I'm trying to convince people that it's worth plunging into - you only have to change the way you read. And Jókai teaches you how to.
There are usually three major causes of fright:
1. Lengthy descriptions (probably cut out of the translation - for shame!)
When you read a novel, you're mostly interested in what happens to the main characters. Descriptions of landscapes and buildings are usually skipped. Jókai's descriptions are, however, very different from what you're used to. They are DYNAMIC. They should be read as mini-stories, more or less separate, featuring people as mere extras beside a river, an island, a tree or a flower becoming the protagonist. Even as natural phenomena, though, these rivers or trees are humanised: they move, work, fight, kill or support each other.
Reading descriptions like mini-stories makes them come to life. And if you re-read the book several times, you'll also see how much they are related to the main plot on a symbolic level. In this book, for example, they always show an intense interaction between human characters and nature (and natural phenomena may even mediate between humankind and transcendence). Those characters who fight nature will also rebel against God and suffer the consequences.
2. Difficult style due to words of foreign origin
(I'll be brief, for this part means almost nothing to a foreign reader.)
Among Hungarian authors, Jókai has the second widest active vocabulary, and yes, at his time our language was full of words of German, French and Latin origin. People of his age were therefore completely capable of understanding his books. The language has changed a lot since then, and today's readers (especially teenagers) sweat blood at the sight of such words. I must confess I wasn't able to understand more than they do as a teenager myself. But I learned very quickly to guess the approximate meaning from the context, ignore what I couldn't understand, and enjoy the style just as it was. Which, by the way, is one of the most important skills to acquire if you want to make it easier for yourself to learn foreign languages.
3. Jókai's characters are not real-life people, because they're either too good or too wicked
The Man with the Golden Touch features characters coming from myths and fairy tales, flung into a down-to-earth world, where playing the role of a mythical or fairy tale character is either impossible or has grave consequences.
Mihály Timár, the protagonist is THE hero. (Which is the main reason why the Danube has to be described for long pages at the beginning of the novel: a hero cannot do without an antagonist. The terrifying force of the river is just what he needs.) He is strong, brave, clever and well educated. He knows every trade, he speaks every language, he fights an epic battle with the elements. When facing human opponents (that is, common everyday corruption), he turns into a chess-player, and triumphs again. In short, he can do anything.
What does he do it for? For the same reason as any decent mythical or fairy tale hero would: JUST BECAUSE. It's his job to love challenges. And, of course, to love the princess, who is called Timéa, and has to be saved several times, always connected somehow to water. Like when she arrives at the house of the Brazovics family, and Brazovics (watch the description) looks exactly like a monster emerging from water. (Which doesn't stop him from being just an everyday merchant of Greco-Serbian origin from Komárom.)
By this time, all the important characters have stepped on stage: a poor woman and her only daughter, two villains craving for revenge, and let's not forget the huge stock of treasure and the moon, "who" are as important as any other character. And that's where the fairy tale gets twisted. The princess fails to fall in love with the hero, but turns out to be a genius at languages and maths. The revengeful villains do not commit anything just for the sake of evil, but have very serious psychological reasons to do so. In contrast, the hero lets himself be seduced by the treasure, and goes through a row of metamorphoses, turning into a nobleman, King Midas, and even a dragon. Think of a hero turning into a dragon, and having the main villain of the book as his mirror image. Now that's something to show you that the world has gone really wrong.
Myths, fairy tales and everyday machinations are extremely closely intertwined in this book. Jókai goes into depths when exploring both the psychological and social reasons of his characters' actions. Corruption is present at every level, reaching from one end of the country to the other, making it frigheningly easy for people to get entangled in it without a chance of disentangling themselves again, except by falling into the grave. What else could be more capable of making one enter this maze than a stock of treasure? That's how the treasure can become a character, gaining a personality and even a voice. Just like the moon does. (It's worth reminding yourself of a certain motif in the Nibelung saga, also used by Tolkien.)
The Man with the Golden Touch is exciting as an adventure story, but equally so as a psychological and social analysis. For me, though, the best kind of reading is seeing its symbolic structure unfold.
Újraolvasás vége.
Hogy hányadik, már régen nem számolom. :)
Igen, tudom, sokaknak mumusa. :) Éppen ezért mindenekelőtt szóljon ez az értékelés arról, hogy mitől és hogyan lehet ez a regény - kevésbé ijesztő. No meg hogy hogyan lehet az olvasás másféle. Mert olvasni bizony nemcsak egyféleképpen lehet, és érdemes néha kipróbálni azt is, ami eltér a megszokottól.
1. Jaj, azok a borzalmas hosszú leírások!
Gyerekként én is nagyon untam az ilyesmit, de - kisdobos becsületszavamra! - Jókaitól soha. (Victor Hugótól, Walter Scott-tól elég gyakran. :P) Jókai leírásai ugyanis DINAMIKUSAK. (Ezt akkor még nem így fogalmaztam meg. :))
Az embert egy regény olvasásakor elsősorban az érdekli, mi történik a főszereplőkkel. Jókai regényei többek között pont a leírásaik miatt kiválóan alkalmasak arra, hogy az ember megtanulja egy kicsit átállítani magát a másfajta olvasásra.
Tehát tekintsd a leírásokat mininovelláknak! Mintha a nagy cselekmény (egy vagy több szála) mellett még tizenöt-húsz kicsi cselekmény is volna a regényben, amelyekben az ember csak mellékszereplő, a főszereplő pedig folyó, sziget, fa vagy virág. Nem olyan nehéz ez az átállás, mert igaz, hogy természeti jelenségekről van szó, mégis úgy viselkednek, mintha emberek volnának: mozdulnak, dolgoznak, harcolnak, ölik vagy támogatják egymást.
Ha így olvasod a leírásokat, életre kelnek. Meglátod, hogy mindegyikben történik valami. Többszöri olvasás után (mert Jókai regényei alkalmasak az újraolvasásra) azt is látni fogod, hogy nem is lógnak ki olyan nagyon a cselekményből - hogy van hozzá közük. Ebben a regényben például különösen intenzív a kapcsolat ember és természet között, ráadásul a természet elég gyakran Isten földi megfelelőjeként viselkedik. Ugyanazok a szereplők, akik a természettel dacolnak, Isten ellen is fellázadnak, aminek aztán következményei lesznek.
2. Jókai regényei tele vannak idegen szavakkal.
Tény és való, a magyar szerzők között neki van a második legbővebb szókincse. Tény és való, az ő idejében a művelt köznyelv tele volt német, francia, latin szavakkal, ezért aztán a korabeli olvasók minden további nélkül értették ezt a stílust, csak hát a művelt köznyelv azóta sokat változott.
Mégis azt állítom, nem kell mindent érteni ahhoz, hogy az ember érteni, sőt élvezni tudja Jókai regényeit. Én sem értettem többet tizennégy évesen, mint más; nem tudtam, mi az a zászpa, a Hofkriegsrath vagy a tunique. De a szövegkörnyezetből felfogtam, hogy a zászpa a vízben van és virágzik, a Hofkriegsrath az államgépezet része, valami hatalmas hivatal, és le kell győzni, a tunique meg valami fehérnemű, oké, haladjunk, több információ nem kell.
Ez a készség ha egyszer kialakult az emberben, onnantól kezdve más szövegek olvasása is könnyebben halad. Például idegen nyelvű szövegeké, amelyekben szintén nem ért az ember minden szót, de nincs is rá szüksége. Érdemes ezt a készséget minél hamarabb elsajátítani. Mondjuk, nem feltétlenül a leghosszabb regényekkel... de vannak Jókainak novellái is ám. :)
3. Jókai szereplői vagy jók, vagy gonoszak; ilyen emberek a valóságban nem léteznek.
Az arany ember szereplői mítoszok, népmesék hősei, behajítva nagyon is hétköznapi körülmények közé, ahol egyáltalán nem tudnak mindig megfelelni mítoszi/mesei szerepüknek. Vagy éppen megfelelnek, és úgy is járnak.
Timár Mihály a regény elején A HŐS. (Többek között azért kell a Dunát olyan félelmetes erőként ábrázolni oldalakon keresztül, hogy legyen ellenfele.) Erős, bátor, okos, művelt, mindenhez ért, mindenféle nyelven beszél, küzdelme az elemekkel (vízzel) eposzba való. Amikor szembesül a társadalmi hatalommal és annak hétköznapi képviselőivel: komoly, ám korrupt kishivatalnokokkal, szintén győztesen kerül ki a küzdelemből, pedig itt már nem hősnek, hanem sakkjátékosnak kell lenni. A kettő nem zárja ki egymást. :)
Minek csinálja ezt? Azért, amiért bármely tisztességes mitikus vagy népmesei hős: CSAK. Szereti a kihívásokat, és hibátlanul megfelel nekik. Meg mert szerelmes lesz a királykisasszonyba, akit Timéának hívnak, és akit több rendben meg köll menteni. Például Brazovicstól, akinek (tessék figyelni a leírást) olyan a szeme és a hangja, mint egy vízi szörnynek. Ami nem zavarja abban, hogy egyúttal hétköznapi szerb-görög származású komáromi kereskedő legyen.
Eddigre már az összes fontos szereplő színre lépett: a szegény asszony és az egyetlen lánya, 2 db bosszúálló gonosz, valamint 1 db kincs, "aki" legalább olyan fontos szereplő, mint a többiek. És itt torzul el a mese. Mert a királykisasszony nem a hősbe lesz szerelmes, ellenben kiderül róla, hogy nyelvtehetség és matekzseni, a bosszúálló gonoszok nem saját gyönyörűségükre gonoszkodnak, hanem nagyon is komoly lélektani okuk van rá, a hős pedig hagyja, hogy a kincs elcsábítsa, majd sorozatos átváltozásokon megy át: lesz belőle nemesember, Midász király, sőt még sárkány is. Ahol pedig egy hős sárkánnyá tud változni, ráadásul pont a főgonosz a tükörképe, ott komoly baj van a hőssel is, a világgal is.
A mesevilág és a hétköznapi világ nagyon szorosan összekapcsolódik itt: a szereplők cselekedeteit lélektani okok motiválják, és a társadalom működését legalább olyan részletesen meg lehet ismerni, mint a Dunát. A regény nagyon pontosan ábrázolja, hogyan működnek az összefonódások az ország egyik végétől a másikig, mi az a korrupció, hogyan mossa egyik kéz a másikat, és mennyire könnyű úgy belebonyolódni, hogy soha többé ki ne találjon belőle az ember, hacsak nem a koporsó fedelén keresztül. Azt, hogy ebbe az útvesztőbe pont egy halom kincs juttatja be az embert, senki nem vonhatja kétségbe akkor sem, ha a bizonyos kincs egyébként minden értelemben mesebeli, sőt akár meg is személyesülhet, a holddal együtt.
SPOILER JÖN! (És valamiért nem engedi a szokásos módon jelezni a program.) Érdemes végiggondolni, mi történik azokkal, akiknek a kezén átmegy a kincs: Ali Csorbadzsi, Timár Mihály - ő az egyetlen, aki lemond róla -, aztán Krisztyán Tódor és Timéa. Aztán érdemes felidézni hozzá azt a bizonyos Nibelung-történetet, amelyet A Gyűrűk Urából is ismerünk - és sok mindenre rájön az ember. Aztán arra is tessék odafigyelni, hogy Krisztyánnak mennyire igaza van, amikor a saját bűneivel Timárt vádolja: más-más történetszálon nagyon hasonló gazemberségek terhelik a lelkiismeretüket, csak Krisztyán elveszi a büntetését mindenért, Timár meg megússza. AZÉRT, mert Krisztyán elveszi a büntetést HELYETTE, mert rosszkor veszi át azt a bizonyos kincset.
Végül némi személyes vélemény: Gyerekként borzasztóan tetszett nekem a senki szigete, nagyon szerettem volna ott lakni (miután a regénybeli lakókat eltüntettem onnan), és persze Noémi meg Timéa párosából az előbbi nyert. Ma sokkal érdekesebbnek találom Timéát: igazi egyéniség, aki ellenáll a királykisasszony-szerepnek, inkább lesz belőle elátkozott lélek, ha meséről van szó, és üzletasszony, ha a XIX. századi Magyarországról van szó. A vége felé ő maga mondja ki, hogy voltaképpen éveken keresztül ő működteti a férje vállalkozását. Arról pedig, hogy Timár Mihálynak kivel kéne összejönnie, egészen eretnek nézeteim vannak: nem fogom fel, hogy Terézát miért kell öregasszonyozni, mikor összesen három évvel idősebb a férfinél. Ők számítanak egy korosztálynak, a lányoknak apja lehetne Timár Mihály. Szóval nem, számomra egyáltalán nem rokonszenves dolog az, ahogyan a főszereplő szerelmes lesz... de ez már nagyon messzire vezetne. SPOILER VÉGE
----
Újraolvasás, 2019, egy saját sztori kellős közepén.
Személyes megjegyzések:
1. Saját magam számára is elképesztő, mennyire mélyen beleépült ez a történet a lelkembe. Még a tudattalanomba is. Kb. semmit nem úgy írnék meg, ahogy Jókai (nem mintha bármi kifogásom lenne az írásmódja ellen, Isten őrizz), viszont pontosan ezeket a figurákat és helyzeteket használnám kiindulópontnak.
2. (A fentiekből következően) IRTÓZATOSAN fölidegesített a könyv. Utazás közben olvastam, és egyszer csak odacsaptam a mellettem levő üléshez, mire a közelben levő kollégáim részvéttel megkérdezték, hogy nagyon unod már így sokadszorra? Mondom, dehogy, csak utálom, hogy megint nem az nyert, akinek szerintem kellett volna. Nagyon röhögtek. Én is.
3. A nagy szembesülés a Balaton jegén még mindig TÖKÉLETES. Azért az egy pillanatért érdemes újraolvasni ötszáz oldalt. Is.
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Nth re-reading completed.
I've seen the English translation only once, and even then I didn't get a chance to compare it with the original. All I know it was heavily cut. And I'm very sorry it was. This review is about the original version, and I can only hope that whoever reads it in translation will be able to participate in the experience.
First and foremost: this is required reading at Hungarian secondary schools, and therefore a source of fright. I loved it as a child, though, and now I'm trying to convince people that it's worth plunging into - you only have to change the way you read. And Jókai teaches you how to.
There are usually three major causes of fright:
1. Lengthy descriptions (probably cut out of the translation - for shame!)
When you read a novel, you're mostly interested in what happens to the main characters. Descriptions of landscapes and buildings are usually skipped. Jókai's descriptions are, however, very different from what you're used to. They are DYNAMIC. They should be read as mini-stories, more or less separate, featuring people as mere extras beside a river, an island, a tree or a flower becoming the protagonist. Even as natural phenomena, though, these rivers or trees are humanised: they move, work, fight, kill or support each other.
Reading descriptions like mini-stories makes them come to life. And if you re-read the book several times, you'll also see how much they are related to the main plot on a symbolic level. In this book, for example, they always show an intense interaction between human characters and nature (and natural phenomena may even mediate between humankind and transcendence). Those characters who fight nature will also rebel against God and suffer the consequences.
2. Difficult style due to words of foreign origin
(I'll be brief, for this part means almost nothing to a foreign reader.)
Among Hungarian authors, Jókai has the second widest active vocabulary, and yes, at his time our language was full of words of German, French and Latin origin. People of his age were therefore completely capable of understanding his books. The language has changed a lot since then, and today's readers (especially teenagers) sweat blood at the sight of such words. I must confess I wasn't able to understand more than they do as a teenager myself. But I learned very quickly to guess the approximate meaning from the context, ignore what I couldn't understand, and enjoy the style just as it was. Which, by the way, is one of the most important skills to acquire if you want to make it easier for yourself to learn foreign languages.
3. Jókai's characters are not real-life people, because they're either too good or too wicked
The Man with the Golden Touch features characters coming from myths and fairy tales, flung into a down-to-earth world, where playing the role of a mythical or fairy tale character is either impossible or has grave consequences.
Mihály Timár, the protagonist is THE hero. (Which is the main reason why the Danube has to be described for long pages at the beginning of the novel: a hero cannot do without an antagonist. The terrifying force of the river is just what he needs.) He is strong, brave, clever and well educated. He knows every trade, he speaks every language, he fights an epic battle with the elements. When facing human opponents (that is, common everyday corruption), he turns into a chess-player, and triumphs again. In short, he can do anything.
What does he do it for? For the same reason as any decent mythical or fairy tale hero would: JUST BECAUSE. It's his job to love challenges. And, of course, to love the princess, who is called Timéa, and has to be saved several times, always connected somehow to water. Like when she arrives at the house of the Brazovics family, and Brazovics (watch the description) looks exactly like a monster emerging from water. (Which doesn't stop him from being just an everyday merchant of Greco-Serbian origin from Komárom.)
By this time, all the important characters have stepped on stage: a poor woman and her only daughter, two villains craving for revenge, and let's not forget the huge stock of treasure and the moon, "who" are as important as any other character. And that's where the fairy tale gets twisted. The princess fails to fall in love with the hero, but turns out to be a genius at languages and maths. The revengeful villains do not commit anything just for the sake of evil, but have very serious psychological reasons to do so. In contrast, the hero lets himself be seduced by the treasure, and goes through a row of metamorphoses, turning into a nobleman, King Midas, and even a dragon. Think of a hero turning into a dragon, and having the main villain of the book as his mirror image. Now that's something to show you that the world has gone really wrong.
Myths, fairy tales and everyday machinations are extremely closely intertwined in this book. Jókai goes into depths when exploring both the psychological and social reasons of his characters' actions. Corruption is present at every level, reaching from one end of the country to the other, making it frigheningly easy for people to get entangled in it without a chance of disentangling themselves again, except by falling into the grave. What else could be more capable of making one enter this maze than a stock of treasure? That's how the treasure can become a character, gaining a personality and even a voice. Just like the moon does. (It's worth reminding yourself of a certain motif in the Nibelung saga, also used by Tolkien.)
The Man with the Golden Touch is exciting as an adventure story, but equally so as a psychological and social analysis. For me, though, the best kind of reading is seeing its symbolic structure unfold.
January 30, 2025
Timar's Two Worlds resides in the literary crossroads between Dumas and Tolstoy, blending adventurous Victorian escapades with breathtaking natural descriptions along the Danube's diverse cultural tapestry. Amidst the clash of Turks, Serbs, and Hungarians, Timar, a multifaceted figure, navigates love troubles, business success, and moral dilemmas, all shrouded in mystery. A chance encounter with a Turkish refugee disguised as a Greek merchant leads Timar to a fortune, a mysterious suicide, a peculiar burial, a riddle that leads to riches, sinister enemies, and a captivating woman before fate intervenes with a shipwreck.
As the narrative unfolds, an uncharted island emerges in the Danube, a utopian refuge governed by women, safeguarded by a loyal dog and a chorus of frogs, offering sanctuary from the societal turmoil depicted in the novel. The dichotomy between admiration and love serves as a central theme, challenging Timar to reevaluate his priorities and ultimately make a sacrifice for the preservation of this idyllic enclave.
Transported to the Victorian era through a first edition (1894 yet again!) borrowed from my library's treasure trove, Mor Jokai's timeless prose captivates with its enduring relevance, despite the passage of over a century. With its riveting pace, intricate plot twists, and philosophical musings, the novel transcends time with its cast of colorful characters and thought-provoking narratives.
As the narrative unfolds, an uncharted island emerges in the Danube, a utopian refuge governed by women, safeguarded by a loyal dog and a chorus of frogs, offering sanctuary from the societal turmoil depicted in the novel. The dichotomy between admiration and love serves as a central theme, challenging Timar to reevaluate his priorities and ultimately make a sacrifice for the preservation of this idyllic enclave.
Transported to the Victorian era through a first edition (1894 yet again!) borrowed from my library's treasure trove, Mor Jokai's timeless prose captivates with its enduring relevance, despite the passage of over a century. With its riveting pace, intricate plot twists, and philosophical musings, the novel transcends time with its cast of colorful characters and thought-provoking narratives.
December 14, 2011
This is a mistake. I have just begun reading the book! This website is not very user friendly. I'm sure that my rating will be much higher than one star, since I am liking the book very much, so far.
I am a little more than halfway through the novel. I am enjoying it. I would not rate this author at the level of a Dickens or an Anthony Trollope, but to compare him to them is comparing apples to oranges, I think. It is an old fashioned story, and melodramatic in many places. Nevertheless, he writes an engaging story, and is obviously gifted. I am sure that the original (if I could read Hungarian) has virtues, such as style and tone, that have been lost in translation.
I am a little more than halfway through the novel. I am enjoying it. I would not rate this author at the level of a Dickens or an Anthony Trollope, but to compare him to them is comparing apples to oranges, I think. It is an old fashioned story, and melodramatic in many places. Nevertheless, he writes an engaging story, and is obviously gifted. I am sure that the original (if I could read Hungarian) has virtues, such as style and tone, that have been lost in translation.
May 7, 2018
"There was once a man who left a world in which he was admired, and created a second world in which he was loved."
Classic Hungarian novel written in 1872. Through a series of lucky circumstances Michael Timar, a cargo ship captain, gains financial and social status in order to marry a rich man's daughter. But his bride, Timea, only marries him out of gratitude (he saved her from three dire situations) and not true love. She loves another, but vows to be a faithful wife to Timar.
Devastated by Timea's lack of affection, Timar puts his energy into his business enterprises. He has the Midas touch, reaping vast amounts of wealth from even the riskiest of business transactions, and uses the wealth to help others. In one instance, he helps a mother and daughter continue to live on an isolated island when someone threatened to evict them. The daughter, Noemi, is grateful but also has true love for Timar. She tells him, not knowing he is married. Timar has finally found someone who loves him - but what of Timea? And so begins a life of lies, lived in two worlds.
This book was very good and quite a compelling read. Lots of schemes in the background by secondary characters trying to thwart Timar's plans in business and in his personal life. Highly recommended.
It can be found in free ebook formats at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31409
Classic Hungarian novel written in 1872. Through a series of lucky circumstances Michael Timar, a cargo ship captain, gains financial and social status in order to marry a rich man's daughter. But his bride, Timea, only marries him out of gratitude (he saved her from three dire situations) and not true love. She loves another, but vows to be a faithful wife to Timar.
Devastated by Timea's lack of affection, Timar puts his energy into his business enterprises. He has the Midas touch, reaping vast amounts of wealth from even the riskiest of business transactions, and uses the wealth to help others. In one instance, he helps a mother and daughter continue to live on an isolated island when someone threatened to evict them. The daughter, Noemi, is grateful but also has true love for Timar. She tells him, not knowing he is married. Timar has finally found someone who loves him - but what of Timea? And so begins a life of lies, lived in two worlds.
This book was very good and quite a compelling read. Lots of schemes in the background by secondary characters trying to thwart Timar's plans in business and in his personal life. Highly recommended.
It can be found in free ebook formats at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31409
November 12, 2024
3,5 stele.
Prima parte a romanului este un adevărat tur de forță, modul în care autorul narează ascensiunea socială a eroului, împănată cu diverse observații de ordin sociologic, fiind de-a dreptul fascinant. Însă, din păcate, partea a doua este deprimant de slabă, povestea amorului bigam al lui Timár Mihály de Levetinczy fiind complet neatractivă din punctul meu de vedere. Iar intervenția celei de-a treia femei, ce joacă un rol malefic deloc convingător, nu a făcut decât să scadă până la cota de avarie gradul de interes al lecturii mele.
Însă, acum doresc să pun accent doar pe punctele tari ale cărții, căci, din fericire există așa ceva și mai puțin pe intriga destul de anostă și de superficial construită. În primul rând, este de menționat că o parte din acțiune se desfășoară pe tărâmul românesc al Dunării, la Galați sau la Orșova, fiind amintită și exploatarea de aur de la Roșia Montană. Desigur, nu în termeni elogioși, viața minerilor fiind un adevărat iad pe pământ: "Iată ce se cheamă mina de aur.
Dar nu vă luaţi după înţelesul figurat al cuvintelor. Nu e mină de aur, ci cetatea foametei. Cei care fărâmiţează stâncile în căutarea aurului umblă zdrenţăroşi, mănâncă mămăligă, locuiesc în colibe de lemn şi mor în floarea vârstei; sunt oamenii cei mai săraci de pe lume!
În altă parte e „mina de aur”!".
Este remarcabilă, pe de altă parte, descrierea modului în care se desfășura navigația pe Dunăre: "În vremea când s-au petrecut cele ce vom istorisi, pe Dunăre nu circulau încă vapoare. De la Galaţi şi până la Canalul Mein, peste nouă mii de cai trudeau de-a lungul malurilor pentru a urca vasele în susul apei. Pe Dunărea turcească se întrebuinţau şi velele; pe cea ungurească nu. În afară de vasele trase de cai, vasele mici ale contrabandiştilor, mânate doar de braţele vâslaşilor, roiau într-un continuu du-te-vino, smălţând apa dintre cele două ţări. Pe atunci era la modă contrabanda de sare. Statul vindea sarea pe malul turcesc cu un forint şi jumătate – preţul ei de acasă fiind de cinci forinţi şi jumătate; contrabandistul o readucea pe malul unguresc unde o vindea cu trei forinţi şi jumătate. În acest fel era în câştig şi statul, şi contrabandistul, şi cumpărătorul".
De asemenea, putem observa că unele lucruri au rămas neschimbate până în ziua de astăzi pe tărâmul mioritic: modul în care funcționarii vamali de la Orșova iau mită, printr-un ulcior de apă, i-ar putea face invidioși pe urmașii lor. Mai mult decât atât, viața marcată de o instabilitate absolută din Imperiul Otoman este punctată cu tușe groase, semn că autorul dorește să facă un portret cât mai fidel al epocii, dar, ceea ce este de apreciat, într-un mod ironic, de care nu scapă nici religia ortodoxă, unde credincioșii nu au nevoie să știe prea multă carte și să aibă cunoștințe vaste, ci este suficient "văzul și auzul". Iar despre ungurul de rând ni se spune că "are obiceiul ca despre oamenii mari pe care îi admiră – ca şi când n-ar ajunge faptele reale – să scornească tot soiul de poveşti crezute chiar de cei care le-au născocit şi ridicate mai târziu de ceilalţi la rangul de certitudine". Probabil că această observație poate fi aplicată multor alte popoare.
În concluzie, un roman bun, pe alocuri foarte bun, dar care, ușor, ușor, se transformă în unul prost. Din păcate. Lectură plăcută!
Prima parte a romanului este un adevărat tur de forță, modul în care autorul narează ascensiunea socială a eroului, împănată cu diverse observații de ordin sociologic, fiind de-a dreptul fascinant. Însă, din păcate, partea a doua este deprimant de slabă, povestea amorului bigam al lui Timár Mihály de Levetinczy fiind complet neatractivă din punctul meu de vedere. Iar intervenția celei de-a treia femei, ce joacă un rol malefic deloc convingător, nu a făcut decât să scadă până la cota de avarie gradul de interes al lecturii mele.
Însă, acum doresc să pun accent doar pe punctele tari ale cărții, căci, din fericire există așa ceva și mai puțin pe intriga destul de anostă și de superficial construită. În primul rând, este de menționat că o parte din acțiune se desfășoară pe tărâmul românesc al Dunării, la Galați sau la Orșova, fiind amintită și exploatarea de aur de la Roșia Montană. Desigur, nu în termeni elogioși, viața minerilor fiind un adevărat iad pe pământ: "Iată ce se cheamă mina de aur.
Dar nu vă luaţi după înţelesul figurat al cuvintelor. Nu e mină de aur, ci cetatea foametei. Cei care fărâmiţează stâncile în căutarea aurului umblă zdrenţăroşi, mănâncă mămăligă, locuiesc în colibe de lemn şi mor în floarea vârstei; sunt oamenii cei mai săraci de pe lume!
În altă parte e „mina de aur”!".
Este remarcabilă, pe de altă parte, descrierea modului în care se desfășura navigația pe Dunăre: "În vremea când s-au petrecut cele ce vom istorisi, pe Dunăre nu circulau încă vapoare. De la Galaţi şi până la Canalul Mein, peste nouă mii de cai trudeau de-a lungul malurilor pentru a urca vasele în susul apei. Pe Dunărea turcească se întrebuinţau şi velele; pe cea ungurească nu. În afară de vasele trase de cai, vasele mici ale contrabandiştilor, mânate doar de braţele vâslaşilor, roiau într-un continuu du-te-vino, smălţând apa dintre cele două ţări. Pe atunci era la modă contrabanda de sare. Statul vindea sarea pe malul turcesc cu un forint şi jumătate – preţul ei de acasă fiind de cinci forinţi şi jumătate; contrabandistul o readucea pe malul unguresc unde o vindea cu trei forinţi şi jumătate. În acest fel era în câştig şi statul, şi contrabandistul, şi cumpărătorul".
De asemenea, putem observa că unele lucruri au rămas neschimbate până în ziua de astăzi pe tărâmul mioritic: modul în care funcționarii vamali de la Orșova iau mită, printr-un ulcior de apă, i-ar putea face invidioși pe urmașii lor. Mai mult decât atât, viața marcată de o instabilitate absolută din Imperiul Otoman este punctată cu tușe groase, semn că autorul dorește să facă un portret cât mai fidel al epocii, dar, ceea ce este de apreciat, într-un mod ironic, de care nu scapă nici religia ortodoxă, unde credincioșii nu au nevoie să știe prea multă carte și să aibă cunoștințe vaste, ci este suficient "văzul și auzul". Iar despre ungurul de rând ni se spune că "are obiceiul ca despre oamenii mari pe care îi admiră – ca şi când n-ar ajunge faptele reale – să scornească tot soiul de poveşti crezute chiar de cei care le-au născocit şi ridicate mai târziu de ceilalţi la rangul de certitudine". Probabil că această observație poate fi aplicată multor alte popoare.
În concluzie, un roman bun, pe alocuri foarte bun, dar care, ușor, ușor, se transformă în unul prost. Din păcate. Lectură plăcută!
August 17, 2013
Nagyon tettszett nekem. Csak azt sajnàltam, hogy nem lehetett mindenki boldog a végén.
Nagyon szépen van megìrva. Némelyik rész nagyon tettszett, példàùl :
"Boldog volt itthon, és szerette volna tudni, mi történik otthon."
és :
"Az òceànban egy meleg folyamàr tòdul fel az egyenlìtôtôl a sarkvidékig, s a sarkvidéktôl jéghegyek üsznak alà az egyenlìtôig : Timàr arra gondolt, hogy nagy ôrültség volt tôle egy ilyen òceànt fogadni be a keblébe."
Mindkét rész Mihàly helyzetérôl szòl, de olyan szépen van megìrva!
Nagyon szépen van megìrva. Némelyik rész nagyon tettszett, példàùl :
"Boldog volt itthon, és szerette volna tudni, mi történik otthon."
és :
"Az òceànban egy meleg folyamàr tòdul fel az egyenlìtôtôl a sarkvidékig, s a sarkvidéktôl jéghegyek üsznak alà az egyenlìtôig : Timàr arra gondolt, hogy nagy ôrültség volt tôle egy ilyen òceànt fogadni be a keblébe."
Mindkét rész Mihàly helyzetérôl szòl, de olyan szépen van megìrva!
October 6, 2024
Tímár egy kétlábon járó red flag🚩🚩
May 30, 2016
The hero of our story was a ship's captain from the Hungarian town of Komárom on the Danube during the early 1800s when my 4th great=grandfather was a sailor from Komárom which is why I bought the book. In the beginning of the story he is navigating up river through the Iron Gate, a long steep river gorge on the border between Romania and Serbia. At the time it was Ottoman occupied Hungary on one side and Ottoman occupied Transylvania on the other side. It was a treacherous passage requiring great navigation skill to maneuver successfully. I have seen pictures of the gorge. It's gorgeous and someday I want to cruise through it. My gggggfather probably did back in the day.
Back to the story. Our hero Mihály Timár started out as a regular working class seaman but came into some money which begat more money until we became a very successful businessman. He wanted to become rich so he could marry this pretty teenage girl Timéa whose father's ill-gotten loot was the original source of Mihály's fortune. He married her but it didn't work out very well since she didn't love him. But then he fell in love with another teenage girl living on a secret island in the middle of the Danube.
Mór Jókai, the author, was the first Hungarian author to be translated into English. He wrote 19th century romances where often the hero is a grown man who falls in love with a teenage girl. I find that kind of creepy but it was pretty common in lots of 19th century romances.
It's not my usual genre but I enjoyed the book. Jókai is a good storyteller and I appreciated getting a sense of what life was like for my ancestor.
Back to the story. Our hero Mihály Timár started out as a regular working class seaman but came into some money which begat more money until we became a very successful businessman. He wanted to become rich so he could marry this pretty teenage girl Timéa whose father's ill-gotten loot was the original source of Mihály's fortune. He married her but it didn't work out very well since she didn't love him. But then he fell in love with another teenage girl living on a secret island in the middle of the Danube.
Mór Jókai, the author, was the first Hungarian author to be translated into English. He wrote 19th century romances where often the hero is a grown man who falls in love with a teenage girl. I find that kind of creepy but it was pretty common in lots of 19th century romances.
It's not my usual genre but I enjoyed the book. Jókai is a good storyteller and I appreciated getting a sense of what life was like for my ancestor.
January 7, 2020
Az a negyven oldalas Vaskapu leírás, azok a vége-hossza nincs kitérők, aprólékos és részletes megfigyelése és lefestése a környezetnek, a szereplők lelki világának, a döntéseket meghatározó morális felelősségnek... Nehéz olvasni, mert nem abban az ütemben halad a cselekmény, mint amihez hozzá van szokva az ember - kiszakít a mai korból és arra kényszerít, hogy lelassuljunk. Ha sikerül a sebességet visszafogni, ragyogó olvasmány. Ha nem, akkor nagyon nyögvenyelős lesz.
February 12, 2014
I never would have thought that I would like this book. Not just like it but be amazed by it! I loved every character so much, I loved reading about their struggles and successes. So awesome, so beautiful, I have to say it's my favorite Hungarian book.
July 3, 2012
I have no words to describe this book. I couldn't put it down, it didn't let me sleep.
November 3, 2023
In cea mai mare parte a timpului, m-am tot dus cu gandul la "Contele de Monte Cristo" si la stilul lui Dumas de a scrie. Ca si acesta, Mor Jokai este un bun povestitor, un maestru al senzationalului si al situatiilor neprevazute, dar pentru mine acest aspect cade pe locul doi, daca scriitorul reuseste sa stapaneasca si arta "frumosului", iar aici nu prea mi s-a parut cazul. Din acest motiv, nu am putut sa ma bucur cu adevarat de lectura, pentru ca nu am putut sa trec cu vederea toate absurditatile si coincidentele, as spune tipic romanelor clasice.
Pe langa acestea, nu m-am simtit deloc confortabil citind despre diferentele de varsta dintre Timar si iubitele lui, peste infidelitatile si usurinta cu care a trecut de la una la alta si peste imoralitatea lui, desi scriitorul vrea sa-l prezinte ca pe un personaj pozitiv.
Pe langa acestea, nu m-am simtit deloc confortabil citind despre diferentele de varsta dintre Timar si iubitele lui, peste infidelitatile si usurinta cu care a trecut de la una la alta si peste imoralitatea lui, desi scriitorul vrea sa-l prezinte ca pe un personaj pozitiv.
February 21, 2013
good, good. not too good, but ok.
2 citate:
In clipa in care ai aflat ca femeia nu te iubeste din cauza unu alt om care sta intre voi, n-ar trebui sa fugi ca un las, ci, dimpotriva, sa te duci la omul acela si sa-I spui: prietene, din tinerete, tovaras de necazuri, unul din noi este de prisos in lumea asta. Imi esti drag, lasa-ma sa te imbratisez, dar acum vino cu mine undeva pe o insula frumoasa si care-i pustie la ceasul asta si-acolo sa ne tintim cu pistoalele pana cand unul din noi va cadea!
Un tanar si o tanara nu trebuie sa stea prea mult timp logoditi pentru ca, zau asa, in loc sa se apropie se indeparteaza si mai mult unul de altul. Incep sa-si decopere reciproc tot felul de cusuri pe care, daca le descopera dupa casatorie, isi zic: Doamne ajuta, ca de acum nu mai am incotro. Te sfatuiesc, amice, daca ti s-o nazari vreodata sa te-nsori, sa nu stai prea mult sa chibzuiesti, pentru ca, daca incepi sa desfaci firul in patru facand tot felul de socoteli, te lasi pagubas.
2 citate:
In clipa in care ai aflat ca femeia nu te iubeste din cauza unu alt om care sta intre voi, n-ar trebui sa fugi ca un las, ci, dimpotriva, sa te duci la omul acela si sa-I spui: prietene, din tinerete, tovaras de necazuri, unul din noi este de prisos in lumea asta. Imi esti drag, lasa-ma sa te imbratisez, dar acum vino cu mine undeva pe o insula frumoasa si care-i pustie la ceasul asta si-acolo sa ne tintim cu pistoalele pana cand unul din noi va cadea!
Un tanar si o tanara nu trebuie sa stea prea mult timp logoditi pentru ca, zau asa, in loc sa se apropie se indeparteaza si mai mult unul de altul. Incep sa-si decopere reciproc tot felul de cusuri pe care, daca le descopera dupa casatorie, isi zic: Doamne ajuta, ca de acum nu mai am incotro. Te sfatuiesc, amice, daca ti s-o nazari vreodata sa te-nsori, sa nu stai prea mult sa chibzuiesti, pentru ca, daca incepi sa desfaci firul in patru facand tot felul de socoteli, te lasi pagubas.
September 2, 2017
Alt scriitor maghiar care m-a cucerit, dupa Agota Kristof si Magda Szabo.
O carte care se citeste usor, naratiunea curge natural, totul este ca o poveste la gura sobei.
O poveste minunata despre iubirea concomitenta pentru doua femei, despre bani si fericirea sau nenorocirea pe care o pot aduce cu ei, despre cinste si ticalosie, in general despre aparente si firul foarte subtire care delimiteaza aparentele de realitatea dureroasa.
5 stele curate si mai urmeaza alte carti ale lui Jokai Mor.
O carte care se citeste usor, naratiunea curge natural, totul este ca o poveste la gura sobei.
O poveste minunata despre iubirea concomitenta pentru doua femei, despre bani si fericirea sau nenorocirea pe care o pot aduce cu ei, despre cinste si ticalosie, in general despre aparente si firul foarte subtire care delimiteaza aparentele de realitatea dureroasa.
5 stele curate si mai urmeaza alte carti ale lui Jokai Mor.
July 30, 2019
Mi-a placut foarte mult aceasta carte. După primele pagini citite nu credeam ca o să ajung să îndrăgesc atât de mult această carte. Nu mă puteam dezlipi de ea. Povestea era unică, stilul în care era scris era unic. Povestea a fost una frumoasă, care m-a atins la suflet. Recomand cu mare drag.
May 30, 2016
"Timar's Two Worlds" is the best title in use for this novel which other publishers have also given the name of "The Man with the Golden Touch" and "The Man with the Midas Touch". The book is not about the acquisition of riches despite the fact that Timar its protagonist does indeed have a marvellous knack for enriching itself. It is about the dilemma of a nice guy being unable to find love in the arms of his wife must find it in the arms of another woman.
Much as I dislike the underlying moral message this tale of a man fails to see before his marriage that his future wife neither loves him nor is even capable of loving him, I have to confess that Mor Jokai does a masterful job of telling his story. Timar the hero is a decent and courageous man capable of great acts of nobility and self sacrifice. His wife seems at first to be a beauty with superficial character develops into a woman of great intelligence and resolve which she puts resolutely in the service of Timar. The only hitch is that she is motivated solely by a sense of duty. She feels no love for Timar and has no means to develop it.
Jokai's novel is filled with many great moments. His descriptions of the relationships that Timar has with his wife, his mistress and the other members of his two households are done with great skill as are the interactions that these characters have with each other.
As well, Jokai merits full marks for the romantic portrait that he presents of the people living on the Danube River in the nineteenth century. His descriptions of the pirates and smugglers operating on the river where it runs between Hungary and Romania are exquisite. Similarly the reader is treated to nefarious Turks, corrupt Austrian officials, despicable tormentors of young virgins and acts of great heroism. I can see how this all adds up to a great read for some but not everyone will be pleased.
A major problem for me is the internal consistency of the work. It starts like Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo then transform itself into a version of Balzac's Cousine Bette before ending in the garden of virtues from Voltaire's Candide where there is no religion, no money and no formalized marriage. Jokai's fans will argue with some justification that all three segments are well done but the questions is whether they belong together in one novel or not. In my opinion, they do not. I invite you to read this curious and in places excellent work to see if you agree with me on this point.
Much as I dislike the underlying moral message this tale of a man fails to see before his marriage that his future wife neither loves him nor is even capable of loving him, I have to confess that Mor Jokai does a masterful job of telling his story. Timar the hero is a decent and courageous man capable of great acts of nobility and self sacrifice. His wife seems at first to be a beauty with superficial character develops into a woman of great intelligence and resolve which she puts resolutely in the service of Timar. The only hitch is that she is motivated solely by a sense of duty. She feels no love for Timar and has no means to develop it.
Jokai's novel is filled with many great moments. His descriptions of the relationships that Timar has with his wife, his mistress and the other members of his two households are done with great skill as are the interactions that these characters have with each other.
As well, Jokai merits full marks for the romantic portrait that he presents of the people living on the Danube River in the nineteenth century. His descriptions of the pirates and smugglers operating on the river where it runs between Hungary and Romania are exquisite. Similarly the reader is treated to nefarious Turks, corrupt Austrian officials, despicable tormentors of young virgins and acts of great heroism. I can see how this all adds up to a great read for some but not everyone will be pleased.
A major problem for me is the internal consistency of the work. It starts like Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo then transform itself into a version of Balzac's Cousine Bette before ending in the garden of virtues from Voltaire's Candide where there is no religion, no money and no formalized marriage. Jokai's fans will argue with some justification that all three segments are well done but the questions is whether they belong together in one novel or not. In my opinion, they do not. I invite you to read this curious and in places excellent work to see if you agree with me on this point.
June 25, 2016
"Melancolicul îşi dezgoleşte pieptul in faţa furtunii şi o înfruntă cu capul gol, doarme cu geamurile larg deschise şi nu încearcă să-şi prelungească viaţa."
January 12, 2019
The Man with the Golden Touch gave me almost as much pleasure as The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins once did, and it did so in very similar ways. The two books were published four years apart, as it turns out, but I have no idea if anything meaningful can be made of it. Other books that I’ve read from the same period – Middlemarch comes to mind – don’t strike exactly the same chord with me, enjoyable as they also were.
While The Man with the Golden Touch is not a detective novel, I found a same general disposition in Jókai as I did in Collins for taking you on an adventure, sparing no effort coming up with clever descriptions of people and places yet never letting a beautiful tale get weighed down by inconsequential details. The book is highly entertaining and everything is suffused with a fundamental, joyful love of life, despite the story making frequent turns towards the dramatic and asking a few serious questions along the way.
To address the matter directly: in spite of its adult public, storytelling takes on an almost cartoonish quality in The Man with the Golden Touch. Not that the characters lack any kind of depth but they are distinctly colorful and lively figures, and while “cartoonish” may not be the ideal word to use here, “candid” wouldn’t quite do justice to Jókai. The man was striving for a certain effect, which he achieved, and in fact his book was written by an obviously well-rounded, talented author, on top of being a bit of a child at heart. There is fast-paced action in there, a memorable cast of characters, enticing renditions of various locations – real or imagined – and the whole story glows with a benevolent kind of brilliance. It sets part of its action on an unknown island in the Danube. It features lost jewels and secret passages. Events branch out to Turkey, or to Brazil. This is a smart book built around a tall tale and the tone it sets is absolutely not what I expected from Hungary in the 1800s.
Shows how much I know, I guess, but this was a lovely, uplifting find, not to mention a bit of an eye-opener historically. A happy read!
While The Man with the Golden Touch is not a detective novel, I found a same general disposition in Jókai as I did in Collins for taking you on an adventure, sparing no effort coming up with clever descriptions of people and places yet never letting a beautiful tale get weighed down by inconsequential details. The book is highly entertaining and everything is suffused with a fundamental, joyful love of life, despite the story making frequent turns towards the dramatic and asking a few serious questions along the way.
To address the matter directly: in spite of its adult public, storytelling takes on an almost cartoonish quality in The Man with the Golden Touch. Not that the characters lack any kind of depth but they are distinctly colorful and lively figures, and while “cartoonish” may not be the ideal word to use here, “candid” wouldn’t quite do justice to Jókai. The man was striving for a certain effect, which he achieved, and in fact his book was written by an obviously well-rounded, talented author, on top of being a bit of a child at heart. There is fast-paced action in there, a memorable cast of characters, enticing renditions of various locations – real or imagined – and the whole story glows with a benevolent kind of brilliance. It sets part of its action on an unknown island in the Danube. It features lost jewels and secret passages. Events branch out to Turkey, or to Brazil. This is a smart book built around a tall tale and the tone it sets is absolutely not what I expected from Hungary in the 1800s.
Shows how much I know, I guess, but this was a lovely, uplifting find, not to mention a bit of an eye-opener historically. A happy read!
January 2, 2020
I was very biased towards this book before even reading it, as I can't stand Jokai's style of writing. However, many friends of mine, whose opinion I value really much, recommended me this book. The writing style did not change, the author still thinks it's a good idea to describe totally unnecessary and unrelated things throughout 2-3 pages, which annoyed me pretty much, but beyond that, I found a great story.
I think the base idea of the book, Timar living two lives, is really interesting, but the delivering of the story is a bit flat and full of cliches. I understand that it is the essence of the book that the guy is always lucky, but the amount of luck was so surreal, that it made the story a bit ridiculous. It also annoyed me, that Timar was presented as super crafty, but after all his ideas are actually pretty simple, so instead of making him look gifted, it just makes every other dude look extremely stupid.
I was not surprised that all the characters were all entirely good or bad, actually I sort of expected it based on other books of the author. For this reason, the complexity of Mihaly's nature was pleasant surprise to me. It was really interesting to watch his inner struggles, and actually, I was honestly super interested in how it's going to end (trust me, it rarely happens with Hungarian classics)
All in all, I think it is a good book, and it's worth reading for the story, but (at least in Hungarian) you have to be prepared for some long and annoying presentation of events.
I think the base idea of the book, Timar living two lives, is really interesting, but the delivering of the story is a bit flat and full of cliches. I understand that it is the essence of the book that the guy is always lucky, but the amount of luck was so surreal, that it made the story a bit ridiculous. It also annoyed me, that Timar was presented as super crafty, but after all his ideas are actually pretty simple, so instead of making him look gifted, it just makes every other dude look extremely stupid.
I was not surprised that all the characters were all entirely good or bad, actually I sort of expected it based on other books of the author. For this reason, the complexity of Mihaly's nature was pleasant surprise to me. It was really interesting to watch his inner struggles, and actually, I was honestly super interested in how it's going to end (trust me, it rarely happens with Hungarian classics)
All in all, I think it is a good book, and it's worth reading for the story, but (at least in Hungarian) you have to be prepared for some long and annoying presentation of events.
September 23, 2024
A true masterpiece of Hungarian literature. Although I read it for the second time, and remembered every major plot point and twist, I just couldn't put it down. Jókai was a very talented writer, flavouring the intricately written plot with just the right amount of detailed descriptions. The theme, seeking happiness and love, and the morals and wisdom of the story are still relevant. The characters will have a special place in my heart, forever 💛
December 20, 2024
Citit de doua ori până acum, cred că va fi curând citit pentru a treia oară. Este o carte deosebită, complexă și cu siguranță unul dintre romanele clasice preferate.
October 28, 2022
Egyik kedvenc kötelező olvasmányom lett. Slay
July 22, 2024
sok méltatlan utálót szerez magának ez a könyv azzal, hogy kötelező olvasmánnyá tették; nem tudom, hogyan lehetne ezt megkerülni, hogy mégis mindenki elolvassa, de ne hagyjon a kötelezősége keserű szájízt. ugyanakkor az is mutatja a regény nagyszerűségét, hogy akivel beszélek, általában azt mondja, ez volt az egyetlen kötelező, amit szeretett (vagy még ezt utálta a legkevésbé). nekem is szép esszéim emlékei fűződnek hozzá, úgyhogy meg is örültem, amikor a kezem ügyébe akadt. ez a regény nem szorul bemutatásra; de most még sokkal jobban tetszett, mint amikor először olvastam, és semmit nem vesz el az értékéből vagy az izgalmából, ha tudja az ember, hogy mi következik. az egyetlen bajom a szereplők korával volt - ilyenkor egyébként mindig nagyon együttérzek azokkal az emberekkel, akiknek nem voltak sorozataik vagy szappanoperáik, csak ezek a regények, és a szalonban együtt olvasták ezeket, és egyszerre akadt el a lélegzetük.
November 4, 2023
4,5⭐
true masterpiece.
Surprisingly I actually really liked it, even if it was an assigned read. The characters are written so amazingly, the story was easy to follow, but it was also so clever, just seeing how everything and everyone connected at the end.
The way he was talking about love was so beautiful and painful at the same time. I almost underlined whole paragraphs because of this.
I really liked what they thought about the moon, that people who throw life away from themselves, move there. The red moon was a big symbol in this book, which I think is just so unique.
true masterpiece.
Surprisingly I actually really liked it, even if it was an assigned read. The characters are written so amazingly, the story was easy to follow, but it was also so clever, just seeing how everything and everyone connected at the end.
The way he was talking about love was so beautiful and painful at the same time. I almost underlined whole paragraphs because of this.
I really liked what they thought about the moon, that people who throw life away from themselves, move there. The red moon was a big symbol in this book, which I think is just so unique.
July 30, 2025
Ebben a könyvben minden van, ami kell: szerelem, árulás, halál, pénz, Duna. Fordulatos (talán kicsit túlságosan is) színes.
Az első fejezetet nyugodtan át lehet ugrani, úgyis a többi a lényeg. Ezzel a könyvvel igazán kitett magáért az öreg, jó kis kalandregényt dobott össze. Mindazonáltal tetten érhető benne a romantikus korra valló túlzás, hatásvadászat is.
Nem baj, kell az inger a mai generációnak.
Az első fejezetet nyugodtan át lehet ugrani, úgyis a többi a lényeg. Ezzel a könyvvel igazán kitett magáért az öreg, jó kis kalandregényt dobott össze. Mindazonáltal tetten érhető benne a romantikus korra valló túlzás, hatásvadászat is.
Nem baj, kell az inger a mai generációnak.
Read
June 9, 2024No rating.
August 7, 2024
I didn't understand half of the book 🥰
August 21, 2024
Kocham literaturę węgierską.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews