The turbulent events of World War II and the subsequent communist regime in Czechoslovakia strongly restricted Czech writers' freedom of expression. Many sought and found literary freedom in exile. As Czech literature was developing in two very different locations and conditions, writers on both sides created diverse, yet extraordinarily interesting and commendable works; all were united in their wish to see their homeland liberated from the totalitarian regime. The suffering and generally adverse conditions of those who stayed at home are reflected in the works written both at home and in exile, especially after the two parties found secret ways of communicating between themselves. Many works abound in wit and humour, despite the difficult circumstances. After the fall of communism had brought the desired freedom of expression for all writers, the recent past still occasionally echoes in Czech literary works, but is written and read from new perspectives. As the dark age now seems to be gradually falling into oblivion, it is important to be reminded that even in the darkest times talented writers were alert to Czech national and literary undertones, and produced works which English-speaking readers would find new, fresh and captivating. While the availability of books in English may be still in a minority, synoptic interpretations of prose writings not yet translated to English provided in this Handbook add integral features that help to complete the picture of life at a time when cultural links between two parts of Europe were painfully severed.
“The leading figures of modern Czech prose writing are certainly here, but Bradbrook also spotlights lesser-known writers worthy of attention. Following a brief biography, she comments on and evaluates one (or more) of the subject’s works with original insights that extend beyond mere description; she finishes with citations of translated works. Sadly, a search of WorldCat produced no English translations for half of the authors represented. Thus, the hope expressed in the preface, ‘that the present work will serve as a guide to potential translators in the future, as well as readers,’ must be endorsed. Recommended.” Choice
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