Christmas gift ideas: 5+1 Hungarian books in English for bookworms

Perhaps everyone had been there once in their life when there were only a few days until Christmas, and they still did not know what to buy for their kids, relatives or friends. If you have someone in your family or among your friends who is a bookworm and likes Hungarian literature but does not know the language, then they will surely be over the moon by one (or more) of these books.

1. Zsigmond Móricz – Gold in the Mud: A Hungarian Peasant Novel

Móricz (1879-1942) was one of the most notable writers of the 20th century. He wrote men cult novels (Relations, Very Merry, Be Faithful Unto Death) which are still compulsory or at least recommended reads in Hungarian schools. His novels mainly introduce life in rural Hungary through complex characters and riveting narratives. This time, we recommend one of his early novels, Gold in the Mud: A Hungarian Peasant Novel, from 1910. The story is about Dani Turi, the peasant Don Juan and leader of Kiskara village, who wants to rise from his low social class, and he is willing to do whatever it takes to do so.

Get your copy here.

2. Sándor Petőfy – John The Valiant

Petőfy (1823-1849) was one of the most influential poets and revolutionaries of the 19th century, who wrote almost a thousand poems during his short life. He presumably died during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, although the circumstances of his death are still not clear to this day. He wrote many extraordinary poems like the “Befordultam a konyhára” (“I Turned into the Kitchen”) or the “Nemzeti dal” (“National Song”). However, his most memorable poem is today’s suggestion, “John The Valiant”, known as “János Vitéz” in Hungarian. The plot is about the adventures of the young shepherd, Johnny Grain o’ Corn, who is searching for his true love, Iluska (Nelly). Before finding her, he has to fight his way across land and sea, Turks, bandits, even giants.

Get John The Valiant here.

3. Kálmán Mikszáth – Saint Peter’s Umbrella

Mikszáth (1847-1910) was a Hungarian writer, journalist and editor. He is well-known for his unique narrative, as well as his stories about the life of peasants, also known as Palóc people, in Northern Hungary where he was born as well. The story of A jó palócok (The Good People of Palocz) celebrates the territory and people living there. He wrote as if he were speaking with somebody. Undoubtedly, his most famous book is Szent Péter Esernyője (Saint Peter’s Umbrella, 1895), a novel about Hungarian peasantry also living in the underdeveloped upper region. The novel is set in Glogova, a fictional village in Palóc land, not identical with Glogova in Romania. The story is told through two storylines, one of the priests of Glogova, János Bélyi and his sister, Veronka; and the other about the secret of the red umbrella, Pál Gregorich and his illegitimate son, Gyuri Wibra.