Authors

Markéta Pilátová first arrived on the Czech literary scene in 2007 when the prestigious publishers Torst brought out her surprisingly mature first novel Žluté oči vedou domů [The Yellow Eyes That Lead Me Home]. Despite the fact that her method of storytelling is quite specific and derives from the comparative narrative tendency in modern world literature, her literary debut can be compared to the novels of other contemporary writers, such as the slightly older Hana Androniková or the slightly younger Petra Hůlová. In all three cases we are witness to a creative attempt at an original portrayal of the modern world, a portrayal permeated by symbolic reflections on distant periods in time, tempered firstly by the gentle emphasis of feminine intuition in the individual stories, and then notably by mosaics of specific, repeated, somewhat epically conceived situations. From a compositional viewpoint the author's first work takes on the form of a novel in letters or in various epistles. These have been sent by four female characters and one more or less central male figure, Jaromír, a former resistance fighter turned double agent. He insinuates himself into the lives of two other protagonists, addressees of the letters which have come about through various historical circumstances. Some of the characters end up in Brazil, and one distinctive, significant strand of the book is presented very naturally, in subtle observations - never explicitly - namely a comparison of Latin-American culture with the culture of Central Europe. At the same time, this comparison touches on ritualised models of behaviour, and to an even greater extent it compares the differences (or in some cases the similarities) in the pyschological make-up of the Brazilian population with the attitude of the post-war European exiles. In the case of the Czech writers, these cultural crossovers gradually blend into one another and together create a striking reflection of the world in its multifarious forms. However, barging its way into the cultural and ethical paradigms of modern civilization is the painful and harrowing historical trauma caused principally by the Second World War, with its associated struggle for survival and subsequent existential crises. Added to this is the brutal pressure of totalitarianism where you were forced to confront the dilemma of whether to go into exile or not. And if you were to leave, how to come to terms with being an exile, how to maintain or build up a network of contacts with your fellow countrymen and your homeland, at least on a personal level. Brazilian society was not immediately affected by the war, but the civilian infrastructure was markedly affected by the fates of individual nations and the waves of emigrants from both opposing camps, amongst whom were pre- and post-war Czech emigrants. These traumas and dilemmas are often tied together with ethical problems in Pilátová’s novel in a manner reminiscent of Graham Greene, to which she adds her own delicate, existential dimension. In order to understand the artistic success of Markéta Pilátová’s first novel it is extremely important to mention the gentle feminine direction of her entire narrative. The author’s philosophy is that people’s fates are predetermined; however, in their private and public lives, most of her characters and attitudes are distinguished by an admirable vitality, a strong will to live directed at a dynamic, purposeful existence. It is this in particular which makes her debut both a persuasive, sensitive, introspective style of prose, as well as an exemplary demonstration of a captivating plot – albeit one with an “epistolary” narrative.

(vn)

This profile was last updated on March 1st 2008

Deutsch Markéta PILÁTOVÁ, Deutsch.doc

En français Markéta PILÁTOVÁ, En français.doc

E kvetiny@yahoo.es

W www.marketapilatova.cz

Agency (foreign rights)

Pluh, www.pluh.org