Kálmán Mikszáth was a major Hungarian novelist, journalist, and politician. Born in Szklabonya in Upper Hungary, he studied Law at the University of Budapest before becoming involved in journalism, writing for many Hungarian newspapers including the Pesti Hirlap. His early short stories were based on the lives of peasants and artisans, and were not widely read during his time. However, they demonstrated his skill in crafting humorous anecdotes, which would be developed in his later, more popular works. Many of his novels contained social commentary and satire, and towards the end of his life they became increasingly critical of the aristocracy and the burden he believed the latter placed on Hungarian society. On this release, several of his short stories are read in Hungarian by Hungarian actor Sandor Gaspar, who has appeared in more than seventy films since 1978.
