In Love With the Czarina, and Other Stories

"In Love With the Czarina, and Other Stories" by Mór Jókai is a collection of historical short stories written in the late 19th century. The stories explore themes of love, ambition, and intrigue within the turbulent backdrop of Russian history, featuring complex characters such as Cossack hetman Jemeljan and the infamous Czarina Catherine II. The opening of the first story sets the stage during the reign of Czar Peter III, highlighting a secret society called "The Nameless," where individuals from various societal ranks gather to escape their constraints and revel in equality. Among these characters is a young Cossack hetman enamored with a beautiful woman he learns is the Czarina, igniting a passion that leads him to declare his intent to make her his wife, regardless of the circumstances. As the plot unfolds, the themes of forbidden love and the social dynamics of 18th-century Russia emerge vividly, suggesting that the tales within this collection will intertwine personal desires with the broader historical narrative. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Móricz Jókay of Ásva, known as Mór Jókai, was a Hungarian novelist, dramatist and revolutionary. Outside of Hungary, he was also known as Maurice Jókai or Maurus Jokai or Mauritius Jókai. He was a leader of the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 in Pest. His romantic novels became widely popular among the elite of Victorian England, where he was often compared to Charles Dickens by the press. One of his most famous admirers was Queen Victoria herself.