Novellák

Mór Jókai's collection opens with 'Carinus,' a tale set in ancient Rome where the aged senator Mesembrius lives in quiet disgrace, his family name tarnished by his daughter Glyceria's scandalous life. His other daughter, Sophronia, possesses a different kind of courage: she quietly embraces Christianity in a world rotting from within, as young patricians compete for her hand. Jókai weaves these intimate dramas against the vast backdrop of imperial decay, exploring how personal integrity survives when society has abandoned its own moral foundations. The collection moves through various historical periods, each story a carefully constructed world of love, reputation, and the trials faced by those who insist on virtue amid widespread corruption. Jókai writes with the theatrical flair and emotional intensity that made him Hungary's beloved storyteller, blending romance with sharp social observation. These are stories for readers who crave historical fiction with pulse, where the fate of individuals carries weight against the collapse of civilizations.