Handbook of Czech Prose Writings, 1940–2005

This handbook gives brief biographies of 35 Czech writers, synposes of their prose writings which have not yet been translated into English, a brief critique of the writers' work, and listings of publications that are available in English. For anyone teaching Czech and Central European literature, this handbook is essential. Czech literature developed in two very different locations and conditions as many Czech writers found literary freedom in exile during the restrictive communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Writers in both locations created extraordinarily interesting and diverse 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 humor, including Jewish themes, 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, literary, and Jewish 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 are provided in A Handbook of Czech Prose Writings. These interpretations 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.