The good soldier Švejk and his fortunes in the World War
- 784 pages
- 28 hours of reading
Translates the iconoclastic Czech's classic satire depicting the adventures of a soldier during the First World War
Josef Lada Books
December 17, 1887 – December 14, 1957
Josef Lada was a Czech painter and writer who developed a distinctive style as an illustrator and caricaturist. His work, often imbued with humor and satire, captures life and characters with a unique visual language. Lada became particularly renowned for his illustrations of satirical works, critically depicting the power structures of his time. Beyond this, his art also explores landscapes and traditional Czech life, leaving an indelible mark on Czech art and literature.
Good-natured and garrulous, Svejk becomes the Austrian army's most loyal Czech soldier when he is called up on the outbreak of World War I - although his bumbling attempts to get to the front serve only to prevent him from reaching it. Playing cards and getting drunk, he uses all his cunning and genial subterfuge to deal with the police, clergy, and officers who chivy him toward battle. Cecil Parrott's vibrant translation conveys the brilliant irreverence of this classic about a hapless Everyman caught in a vast bureaucratic machine.
Folk Tales
- 118 pages
- 5 hours of reading
Traditional Czech folk tales collected and written by Bozena Nemcova and Karel Jaromir Erben. Illustrated by Josef Lada.
Nesmrtelná knížka, kterou si zamiluje každý, kdo přečte prvních pár stránek. Jen málokdo z vás neslyšel o Mikešovi. Černý kocourek žil v Hrusicích u Ševců a nejvíc si s ním rozuměl Pepík. Spolu se navyváděli mnoho veselých kousků a taškařic, při nichž nikdy nechyběli kamarádi Pašík a Bobeš, později i roztomilý Nácíček. Když se Mikeš vypravil do světa, prožil nejedno dobrodružství na cestách a v cirkuse, kde na čas zakotvil. Ale všude dobře, doma nejlíp, a tak se kocourek zase vrátil, aby rozdával radost všem dětem.Kniha obsahuje oba díly Mikeše, tak jak je Lada napsal v roce 1935 a 1936.
