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Kafka, Čapek, Kundera and Havel, these are all world renowned names, but what about all the others? How well are Czech authors actually known abroad? Can you find a bookshop in Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Paris or New York that aside from classics such as The Good Soldier Švejk also sell the works of contemporary Czech […]
I was happy to get the perfect birthday gift this year—Vladislav Vančura’s The End of the Old Times (Konec starých časů). I have been looking for a copy to call my own since I read the book about 4½ years ago. My comments on the book are here. It’s a wonderful novel, enjoyable at both […]
It will be a little bit before I write on Marketa Lazarová by Vladislav Vančura, but I wanted to share something I stumbled across yesterday. Someone (I’m assuming Stefano Leone, who posted it) paired Joy Division’s “Shadowplay” with scenes from Marketa Lazarová, a stunning combination. The scenes are as haunting as the song. Speaking of […]
The End of the Old Times by Vladislav Vančura Translated by Edith Pargeter Artia Pocket Books (Prague: 1965) Something I get the feeling that when I say a book is a delight to read people seem to think I mean “lightweight” and “popular,” or possibly “frivolous.” I guess I’m sensitive because what’s available by Vladislav […]
Public Seminar has Andrei Platonov’s short story “Antisexus”, a provisional translation by Anna Kalashyan of an occasional piece by Platonov. In ‘Antisexus’ (1925-26), Platonov writes in a parodic vein about what Béatriz Préciado calls the sex-gender industrial complex. The production of gendered and sexualized bodies via technologies of the image and the orgasm appears here […]
Continuing with my sort-of-biweekly foreign movie posts for this year… For more foreign movies, check out Caroline’s World Cinema Series 2012 and Richard’s monthly Foreign Film Festival round-up. Jiří Menzel’s movie based on Vladislav Vančura’s Summer of Caprice highlights the “cinema ready” nature of Vančura’s novel. Menzel changed little, following much of the book. From […]
Summer of Caprice by Vladislav Vančura Translated by Mark Corner Karolinum Press, Charles University, 201 pages, Hardcover ISBN: 80-246-1195-3 Following up on yesterday’s introductory post on Summer of Caprice by Vladislav Vančura… Vančura’s novel appealed to me because of the playful descriptions in a meandering story, combining the normal and ridiculous while highlighting the very […]
Summer of Caprice by Vladislav Vančura Translated by Mark Corner Karolinum Press, Charles University, 201 pages, Hardcover ISBN: 80-246-1195-3 On the remarkable River Orsh there lies a town of good reputation and good water. The water bubbles up in shady places and the nine most powerful springs, secured in nine wells, have been designated with […]