Literary fiction

Written between 1995 and 2014, these twenty stories are set in rural South Bohemia. The reader encounters everyday mini-dramas, episodes that mark the canvas of great events of history or that merely capture a mood, and the dominant feelings and experiences of individuals. Hájíček evokes vividly the atmosphere of a landscape as we join the characters in wading through fallen leaves, fingering the stalks of flowering grasses, turning our face to the sun and braving the cold in a shabby overcoat. Tales of Christmas and legends of the village football team have a special place here.

The author makes no attempt to disguise the odour of the region; indeed, he exploits it to spice up his universal human stories. The short—story collection Memories of a Village Dance completes the picture of Jiří Hájíček as a novelist of provincial life, and as such it is a fine addition to the body of prose he has produced.

Information about the original Czech edition

Vzpomínky na jednu vesnickou tancovačku

Other selected published translations (1)

Dann blühen die Gräser German