Ion Luca Caragiale (1852-1912) was long considered untranslatable due to his deep roots in the Romanian language. Through his explorations of the finest psychological nuances, his immersion in the deepest human lows, and the most remote linguistic environments, Caragiale provided a comprehensive picture of a Romanian society that no longer exists today. Originally from the theater, Caragiale portrayed his fellow humans and their social entanglements in short and very short stories—with more than 60 included in "Humbug and Variations"—with a dazzling display of wit and love for language, precision, and a sense for the revealingly absurd. Even today, one feels they can recognize their own acquaintances and relatives in his characters, as Caragiale has captured their behavioral patterns and speech styles with timeless accuracy. The German translation of.