This was one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read in my life. Literally. It’s the story about a shy, unexciting man in his thirties (he is unnamed in the book but in the miniseries his name is Jiří Oulický) who hires a “Gentleman’s Gentleman” named Saturnin, whose personality is a hilarious combination…
Category: Czech Literature
Guest Review: Pub in the Glade, performed by the Cimrman English Studio at Žižkov Theatre of Jára Cimrman, Štítného 5, Prague 3.
By Tracy A. Burns. English speakers in Prague can get acquainted with the highly praised plays about the fictional character Jára Cimrman, who was chosen the Greatest Czech in a survey in 2005 and who has greatly influenced Czech culture. The Cimrman English Theatre performs three of the Cimrman works in English – The Stand-In (Záskok), Conquest of the…
The Good Soldier Švejk
This month for the Czech Book Club I read the first volume of “The Good Soldier Švejk and his Fortunes in the World War.” The entire book is divided into four volumes (Behind the Lines, At the Front, The Glorious Licking, The Glorious Licking Continued), each of which are some 150-200 pages long, so I…
Rustic Baroque by Jiří Hájíček
Rustic Baroque by Jiří Hájíček [While reading:] “Wait until you work your way through to the old handwritten script they call Kurrent.” This had me laughing out loud. This is very fun to read. I feel like I am there. I’m glad I am reading this after having been there. It’s validating to watch another…
“The Swell Season: A Text on the Most Important Things in Life” by Josef Škvorecký
I love my ancestors, and have always wished that I could go back in time, observe their world, and really know them. The second best thing to a time machine is a good novel. Actually, in some ways, the novel is better; you can usually get inside the head of the characters and really understand…