Glorious Nemesis by Ladislav Klima
21 Dec 2011 6 Comments
in Czech, EUROPEAN FICTION Tags: 2011, classics, eastern european, twisted spoon press
Glorious Nemesis by Ladislav Klima
Translator Marek Tomin
Czech Fiction
Ladislav Klima grew up in Bohemia in the late part of 1800′s and early part of 1900′s expelled for his views on church and state from his school he lived hand to mouth in the later part of his life making money doing short-term jobssuch as a shoe shiner or in hotels .In fact most of his work was published after his death at the age of 50 in 1928 from tuberculosis .This is the latest to be brought to english by The czech based publisher Twisted spoon .
When I read the pitch for this book from the publisher ,I knew it would be a book I loved ,as I have a great fondness for pre world war two central European fiction from likes of Kafka ,Leppin ,Zweig and so on this book falls firmly into this group of writers where they question life and social standing and what it is to be human .saying that this is a short novella of a 123 pages and also includes a number of special commissioned Illustrations for the book by the Czech artist Pavel Rut ,the whole book is wonderfully package with a striking cover that uses the virgin mary /two sister motif .The book is the story of a young man Sider, he is 28 ,and whilst on a holiday in the Tyrol. He comes across two women on a black cliff these are sisters Errata and Orea .The are dressed in red and blue which happens to be the colours of the Virgin Mary ,he falls in love with these women and this sets the scene for the story ,as he is always returning to the place where he saw them first and he sees echoes of them even after the women have gone and even died .I m remind of other books of the time and think this fits in as we watch Sider descend into madness as he treads a line between the real and unreal ,this book touches many things over its short length philosophy , religion ,love and longing also the Czech tradition of the ordinary turning into the surreal and absurd as Sider see thinks that aren’t there and meets various people .
Finally ,the older women ‘s eyes regarded him .She said something to her companion .Now their conversation became livelier …. and then the younger of the two looked intently at Sider for a long time ,for an almost indecent length of time .He was the first to avert his eyes .
Sider gets a close look at the women as they descend towards him .
I love the quote from the recently departed Vaclav Havel” Klima almost always shocked ” I can see how Klima has influence figures like Havel and Haki also quote it’s that czech thing of walking the line between the everyday and the unusual motifs in both writers work ,and how easy it is too become obsessed and then mad because of obsession. As ever another triumph from Twisted spoon as they continue to unearth the hidden gems of central European fiction for us to read in English .This book can easily sit next to a Zweig or Kafka .Here is Complete reviews take on it
What is your favourite Czech novel ?
Blaugast by Paul Leppin
05 Jun 2010 6 Comments
in books from, Czech Tags: 1930's challenge, classics
paul leppin
NOTES -
Paul Leppin was born in Prague in 1878 he started writing in 1900 and wrote for the next forty years ,he liked to shock the bourgeois with his mischievous songs poems and books .He was part of the Jung Prag (young Prague ) a collection of artists and writers from Prague ,that included Hugo Steiner ,Oskar Weiner and Raine Maria Rilke .Kafka described him as the bard of the painfully disappearing old Prague .he died during the second world war managing to survive as a jew living in occupied Czechoslovakia .till 1944
THE BOOK -
The book follows Blaugast a middling clerk ,with an unhealthy desire for the dark streets and brothels of Prague ,this leads to a slow downward spiral for Blaugast ,he hooks up with a young prostitute Wanda she moves in with him and they begin a strange uneven relationship that throughout the book gets stranger and stranger,there is flash backs to his earlier life where we find he has always had trouble with relationships and not the best childhood ,as the book progress Blaugast health and appearance are falling apart but as this happens his sexual appetite seems to increase .
With Wanda ,though it was different. the wishful thinking of his youth ,his body’s secrets ,seemed to find fulfillment in her.health and abundant energy were found in her store,the infallible defense of a simple creature who combats the rebellions of the flesh with casual ease.It wa the unbroken strength of a pheasant ancestry that could handle such foolhardiness ,arrogantly managing any complication .
the opening of chapter 5 Blaugast singing the virtues of Wanda .
My view -
This was Leppin’s last book was scheduled to be published in 1938 but never saw light of day to a in 1984 ,the english translation by twisted spoon with Cynthia A Klima at helm .the book shows the darker side of the beautiful city of Prague at the eve of world war two ,Blaugast is a weak man who succumbs to easily to temptation and become s drawn in to downhill ride to hell ,Leppin seems to also be saying something about the present situation he was in and maybe how easy it is for a person or country to drift into decline and succumb to the easy options .a gripping book from start to finish one of the best books i ve read set in the pre war era a perfect companion to Isherwood .
the score
a Prague rat
I choose a rat they come out at night, have a lot of sex and have come to simple decay and decline seemed perfect for this story .
Of kids and parent by Emil Hakl
27 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in Czech, EUROPEAN FICTION, favourites Tags: around the world 52, czech
of kids and parents
This was the second book i got from the local libraries translated stand ,Emil Hakl is a czech writer that had a number of manual jobs in the communist era ,but also wrote poetry ,short stories and novels,in the post communist era he work in advertising before becoming a full-time writer ,he has published three novel ,two short stories collection and some poetry .Of kids and parents Follows a fathers and son on a meander round Prague where they visit numerous pubs and pass the sights of the city .They in the course of this journey they discuss many subjects such as ,fighter plane design in the post second world war era ,some family members a memorable aunt and uncle ,a stunning Slovenian women the father eulogies over her body and beauty .They move back and forward in time .The chapters tended to be short and each based on a discussion between the father and son .the description of this book is similar to Ulysses and Harbal .I could see the comparisons ,like Joyce Hakl likes to dart of on angles in the story,the other writer i was deeply reminded of was W G Seblad the style of writing is similar ,not a lot plot wise happens in this book but you discover lives places and history .i think this is a writer i ll read again and would even reads this book again in the future .
we left the pub and walking along the line of the hill ,we reach the governors place .”so where now ?” father asked nonchalantly ,his voice directed toward the battlement-like row of tiny housing block on the horizon.Behind the hill spattered with the tiny white cubes of buildings,an unbroken ridge of clouds was slowly advancing .”i guess the best thing is to go back to Stormovka ,if you don’t mind .
opening of chapter -the world
The book is published by twisted spoon and was translated by Marek Tomin .
Do you have a favourite Czech writer ?
