Zsigmond Móricz (1879-1942) was one of the major Hungarian writers of the first half of the 20th century. Born into a family of poor peasants, he became famous overnight in 1908 when his autobiographical story 'Seven Pennies' appeared in the literary periodical Nyugat. His thirteenth novel, Very Merry (Úri muri), first published in 1928, tells the striking tale of the ne'er-do-well, devil-may-care, gentry of rural Hungary who, having lost much of their possessions and influence, spend their time playing cruel tricks on those not of their kind, and drinking and merrymaking. Told with a keen eye for the dark details of everyday life and a lively, at times humorous characterization, Móricz's Very Merry has lost none of its appeal to this day. It was followed in 1932 by Relations, a tale of nepotism and corruption among the Hungarian gentry, also published in English by Corvina (2007).