Jakov Ignjatovic
Encyclopedia
Jakov Ignjatović (1822–1899) was a famous Serbian 19th century novelist and prose
writer from Hungary
. He also wrote in Hungarian.
on 8 December 1822. He finished elementary school in Szentendre and studied at the Gymnasium
in Vác
, Esztergom
and Pest. He enrolled in Law School at Pest, but left the university and joined the hussar
s. Later, he graduated law in Kecskemét
, where he started his law practice in 1847 for a short time, but during the Hungarian revolution of 1848
he joined Hungarian forces in fighting against the Austrians
. The revolution in Hungary let loose elements of discord which culminated in an abortive insurrection, and for a lenghtened period the Serbs in Hungary were prey to more than their wonted symptoms of disaffection and discord. Ignjatović sensed the ugly and shameful future that lay in store for the Serbs and Croats who rose up against Magyars under reactionary leaders. Yet Hungary's own democratic current was chocked off by the oppressive and chauvenistic intolerance of the Magyar leaders and unrestrained mobs. He was briefly arrested when the revolution was suppressed. After the Hungarian defeat, Ignjatović fled to Belgrade
. There he worked as a journalist till 1850, and later, he traveled the world. He returned to Hungary in 1853 and took an active part in the cultural and political life of Serbs in Vojvodina. His efforts to secure equal educational privileges for the Slav and Romanian
nationalities in the Austrian dominions brought him into disfavour with the German element. He was successively editor of Letopis Matice srpske
(Serbian Annals), the Srpske novine (Serbian News), and the Nedeljni list (Weekend Magazine), between 1854 and 1856, and worked as a clerk in Sremski Karlovci
and Novi Sad
. He joined Svetozar Miletić
's People's Party in its political fight against Austria and was member of the Hungarian diet
twice. After the People's Party split with Hungary, he remained loyal to the Hungarian authorities, like Janos Damjanich
and Sebo Vukovics
, and unlike the majority of the Serbs living in Hungarian-occupied Serbian territory. And because of that, Ignjatović was seen as a traitor by his compatriots, and lived in isolation until death. This had a bad influence on his writing career, but he still managed to leave a literary legacy behind him just the same (among the Hungarians and Serbs alike).
Ignjatović turned to novel writing rather late, only in the last decades of his life. Perhaps influenced by the second half of the nineteenth century, then under the domination of science. The scientist was commonly believed to be in possession of the means whereby the riddle of the universe might be explained, and the whole future of humanity shaped. All the important writers of that time were under the irresistible spell of this prestige of science, and Ignjatović was no exception, each sought to utilize as much as possible the facts and theories of science, and to make of the novel or drama an instrument of scientific observation and discussion. The Realists purported to create a school of "applied literature". The ultimate goal of the school was, first, exact and almost photographic delineation of the accidents of modern life, and secondly, non-suppression of the essential features and functions of that life which are usually suppressed. There is no doubt that Jakov Ignjatović and Svetozar Marković
belonged to this school.
Ignjatović was elected a member of the Serbian Royal Academy in 1888. He died like a vagrant
in Novi Sad in 1899.
The plots of Ignjatović's novels are ingenious in conception and skillfully crafted. He has no pretentions to the brilliance of Gogol (with whom he's been often compared), but his amusing dialogue arises naturally out of the situation, and its wit is never strained.
Vasa Rešpekt (1875) opens with a praise of the town of Szentandre, the location in which this story is framed. The hero of the embedded story, Vasa Ognjan, leaves the town early, lives most of his life in perpetual poverty, and gets into conflict with the authorities, but distinguishes himself as somewhat of a daredevil in battles. In 1848, he fights on the Hungarian side, though not out of political conviction, and he asks to be transferred when he is supposed to fight his fellow Serbs.
If Vasa Rešpekt is a romantic story revolving around an identity crisis, Večiti mladoženja (1878) is a humerous story about two generations of Szendendre Serbs. The first describes in great detail the preparation and departure of a well-to-do merchant on a trip to Cracow fair of 1812; the second part is focused on his no-good sons who fight among themselves for the inheritance and finally waste it.
His characters are original, and the unexpected incidents and adventures in which they are mixed up are represented in an irrestably comic manner by a man who thoroughly understood the resources of the theatre as well. The spontaneity and verve with which his adventurous characters are drawn have suggested that in his favourite type he was describing himself and all those he knew around him, however intimately. The code of morals followed by these characters is open to criticism, but they are human and genial in their roguery, and compare far from unfavourably with the cynical creations of contemporary novels.
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
writer from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. He also wrote in Hungarian.
Biography
Jakov Ignjatović was born in SzentendreSzentendre
Szentendre is a riverside town in Pest county, Hungary, near the capital city Budapest. It is known for its museums , galleries, and artists. Due to its picturesque appearance and easy rail and river access, it has become a popular destination for tourists staying in Budapest...
on 8 December 1822. He finished elementary school in Szentendre and studied at the Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Vác
Vác
Vác is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spellings of the name are Vacz and Vacs.-Location:...
, Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
and Pest. He enrolled in Law School at Pest, but left the university and joined the hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
s. Later, he graduated law in Kecskemét
Kecskemét
Kecskemét is a city in the central part of Hungary. It is the 8th largest city of the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun.Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's third-largest city, Szeged, 86 kilometres from both of them and almost equal distance from the two...
, where he started his law practice in 1847 for a short time, but during the Hungarian revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
he joined Hungarian forces in fighting against the Austrians
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
. The revolution in Hungary let loose elements of discord which culminated in an abortive insurrection, and for a lenghtened period the Serbs in Hungary were prey to more than their wonted symptoms of disaffection and discord. Ignjatović sensed the ugly and shameful future that lay in store for the Serbs and Croats who rose up against Magyars under reactionary leaders. Yet Hungary's own democratic current was chocked off by the oppressive and chauvenistic intolerance of the Magyar leaders and unrestrained mobs. He was briefly arrested when the revolution was suppressed. After the Hungarian defeat, Ignjatović fled to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. There he worked as a journalist till 1850, and later, he traveled the world. He returned to Hungary in 1853 and took an active part in the cultural and political life of Serbs in Vojvodina. His efforts to secure equal educational privileges for the Slav and Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
nationalities in the Austrian dominions brought him into disfavour with the German element. He was successively editor of Letopis Matice srpske
Matica srpska
The Matica srpska is the oldest cultural-scientific institution of Serbia. Matica srpska was founded in 1826 in Budapest and moved to Novi Sad in 1864....
(Serbian Annals), the Srpske novine (Serbian News), and the Nedeljni list (Weekend Magazine), between 1854 and 1856, and worked as a clerk in Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci is a town and municipality in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, situated on the bank of the river Danube, 8 km from Novi Sad...
and Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
. He joined Svetozar Miletić
Svetozar Miletic
Svetozar Miletić was an advocate, politician, mayor of Novi Sad, and the political leader of Serbs in Vojvodina. He was the oldest of seven children born to Sima and Teodosija Miletić in the village of Mošorin in Šajkaška, the Serbian Military Frontier, on February 22, 1826...
's People's Party in its political fight against Austria and was member of the Hungarian diet
Diet of Hungary
The Diet of Hungary was a legislative institution in the medieval kingdom of Hungary from the 15th century, and in its successor states, Royal Hungary and the Habsburg kingdom of Hungary throughout the Early Modern period...
twice. After the People's Party split with Hungary, he remained loyal to the Hungarian authorities, like Janos Damjanich
János Damjanich
János Damjanich was a Hungarian general of Serb origin. He is considered a national hero in Hungary.He never lost on the battlefield.-Life:...
and Sebo Vukovics
Sebő Vukovics
Sebő Vukovics was a Hungarian politician of Serbian descent, who served as Minister of Justice in 1849 during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. He was hiding from the authorities at the homes of the Lónyay and Vladár families after the Surrender at Világos. Later he emigrated to the United Kingdom...
, and unlike the majority of the Serbs living in Hungarian-occupied Serbian territory. And because of that, Ignjatović was seen as a traitor by his compatriots, and lived in isolation until death. This had a bad influence on his writing career, but he still managed to leave a literary legacy behind him just the same (among the Hungarians and Serbs alike).
Ignjatović turned to novel writing rather late, only in the last decades of his life. Perhaps influenced by the second half of the nineteenth century, then under the domination of science. The scientist was commonly believed to be in possession of the means whereby the riddle of the universe might be explained, and the whole future of humanity shaped. All the important writers of that time were under the irresistible spell of this prestige of science, and Ignjatović was no exception, each sought to utilize as much as possible the facts and theories of science, and to make of the novel or drama an instrument of scientific observation and discussion. The Realists purported to create a school of "applied literature". The ultimate goal of the school was, first, exact and almost photographic delineation of the accidents of modern life, and secondly, non-suppression of the essential features and functions of that life which are usually suppressed. There is no doubt that Jakov Ignjatović and Svetozar Marković
Svetozar Markovic
Svetozar Marković was an influential Serbian political activist and literary critic. He developed an activistic anthropological philosophy with a definite program of social change.-Early life:...
belonged to this school.
Ignjatović was elected a member of the Serbian Royal Academy in 1888. He died like a vagrant
Vagrancy (people)
A vagrant is a person in poverty, who wanders from place to place without a home or regular employment or income.-Definition:A vagrant is "a person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place and lives by begging;" vagrancy is the condition of such persons.-History:In...
in Novi Sad in 1899.
His Works
Ignjatović did not hesitate to draw largely on his own personal adventures and profess to portray human life, not as a fairy-tale, but as "stuff on which to try the soul's strength." Among Jakov Ignjatović's best novels are Vasa Rešpekt (Basil the Respectable), Večiti Mladoženja (The Eternal Groom), Patnica (A Burdened Woman), Trpen Spašen (The Suffered Saved), and Milan Nerandžić. All these novels form a prominent landmark in the development of Serbian prose fiction.The plots of Ignjatović's novels are ingenious in conception and skillfully crafted. He has no pretentions to the brilliance of Gogol (with whom he's been often compared), but his amusing dialogue arises naturally out of the situation, and its wit is never strained.
Vasa Rešpekt (1875) opens with a praise of the town of Szentandre, the location in which this story is framed. The hero of the embedded story, Vasa Ognjan, leaves the town early, lives most of his life in perpetual poverty, and gets into conflict with the authorities, but distinguishes himself as somewhat of a daredevil in battles. In 1848, he fights on the Hungarian side, though not out of political conviction, and he asks to be transferred when he is supposed to fight his fellow Serbs.
If Vasa Rešpekt is a romantic story revolving around an identity crisis, Večiti mladoženja (1878) is a humerous story about two generations of Szendendre Serbs. The first describes in great detail the preparation and departure of a well-to-do merchant on a trip to Cracow fair of 1812; the second part is focused on his no-good sons who fight among themselves for the inheritance and finally waste it.
His characters are original, and the unexpected incidents and adventures in which they are mixed up are represented in an irrestably comic manner by a man who thoroughly understood the resources of the theatre as well. The spontaneity and verve with which his adventurous characters are drawn have suggested that in his favourite type he was describing himself and all those he knew around him, however intimately. The code of morals followed by these characters is open to criticism, but they are human and genial in their roguery, and compare far from unfavourably with the cynical creations of contemporary novels.
See also
- Serbian literatureSerbian literatureSerbian literature refers to literature written in Serbian and/or in Serbia.The history of Serbian literature begins with theological works from the 10th- and 11th centuries, developing in the 13th century by Saint Sava and his disciples...