Frigyes Karinthy

Born in Budapest on June 25, 1887, Frigyes Karinthy became one of Hungary’s most distinctive literary voices. He wrote fiction, plays, poems, essays, and journalism, and he was closely associated with the influential literary journal Nyugat. Readers have especially loved his satirical writing, including That’s How You Write and Please, Sir!, works that show his playful style and sharp eye for human behavior.

Karinthy also translated major authors into Hungarian, including Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain, and his interests ranged far beyond humor alone. He is often noted outside literature for his 1929 short story Chains, which is widely linked to the early idea behind “six degrees of separation.”

He died on August 29, 1938, in Siófok. Even today, he is remembered as a writer who could be funny and deeply intelligent at the same time, using comedy not just to entertain but to think more clearly about modern life.