Waiting for the Dark Waiting for the Lig - Hardcover

Klima, Ivan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0140141014 ISBN 13: 9780140141016

Publisher: Granta Books, 1994

Synopsis

Ivan Klima was in the United States when Russian tanks entered Prague in 1968 but, against the advice of friends, he returned home. He became a dissident, writing books (never published) that were invariably inspired by Czechoslovakia's repressive regime. But what happens to a rebel artist when there is nothing left to rebel against? This question informs Klima's powerful novel, "Waiting for the Dark, Waiting for the Light," which describes life before, during, and after the Velvet Revolution of 1989. It is the story of Pavel, a middle-aged television cameraman working uneasily within the boundaries set by the regime, who dreams of one day making a film—a searing portrait of his times—that the authorities will never allow. But after the collapse of communism, Pavel finds he is unprepared for this new world of unlimited freedoms. He never quite gets around to making that film; his time is taken up instead with lucrative small jobs—a TV spot, a commercial, a porn film. This is a masterful novel that focuses on the most pressing issue confronting the individual in the former Soviet bloc countries how to live one's life when one is truly free.

About this title

About the Author

Ivan Klíma was born in 1931 in Prague, where he lives today. He is the author of plays, stories and novels, all of which were first published outside his own country, where his work was banned until a few years ago. His novels include A Ship Named Hope, My Merry Mornings, My First Loves, Judge on Trial, and Love and Garbage.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Czech

Edition details

• Publisher: Granta Books
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0140141014
• ISBN 13: 9780140141016
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 234