Writers Under Siege: Czech Literature since 1945 - Hardcover

Holy, Jiri; Culik, Jan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1845191900 ISBN 13: 9781845191900

Publisher: Liverpool University Press, 2007

Synopsis

This historical study presents a broad canvas of post-war Czech literary developments within the cultural and political context of the times. Information is provided about the many English language translations from Czech literature, and the circumstances in which these translations came about. Analysis is by way of quoting from original Czech works, especially poetry, with English translations. Writers under Siege also gives biographical and bibliographical details about the most important post-war Czech writers, and links to secondary literature in English. The volume includes a bibliographical list of the most important works in English on Czech history, literary history, and politics, as well as a list of anthologies of Czech post-war literature in English. Originally published in 1998 in Czech language, an updated version of this book was published in German in 2003. This English translation has been entirely re-worked, taking the needs of the English speaking reader and student into consideration.

About this title

About the Author:

Jiri Holy is a professor of Czech literature at Charles University in Prague.

Review:

“This new English translation of Holy’s work offers a comprehensive overview of postwar Czech literature, focusing not just on the best known figures such as Milan Kundera and Vaclav Havel but also including many writers who are completely unfamiliar to international readers. During the communist period, as was the case across the Eastern Bloc, some of the most influential writers were erased from official literary criticism for political and ideological reasons. Since the end of communism, Czech scholars have been able to present a more complete account of their nation’s recent cultural history, and with the publication of Holy’s monograph in English, Western readers now have access to one of the most important Czech literary reference works of the last decade. . . .  Holy’s Writers Under Siege is an essential source for scholars in Slavic and Central European studies, and may become the definitive reference work in English on postwar Czech literature. Hopefully, its appearance (published in the 40th anniversary year of the historic ‘Prague Spring’) will serve as a starting point for the further study and translation of Czech writers whose work has until now remained unknown outside their native language.”  —Europe-Asia Studies

“The curious general educated public will receive a well-rounded picture of Czech literature in the years under consideration. As for specialists, they too will find much to ponder and possibly even come away with a reading list of potentially rewarding works hitherto overlooked.”  —Michael Heim, Slavic and East European Journal

“The appearance of Holy’s book in English fills a long-felt gap, as there has not been an English-language compendium on the subject since Arne Novak’s 1976 Czech Literature (revised edition 1986) which describes what happened up to the Second World War. . . . Holy’s book . . . will remain a standard teaching aid for Czech and Slavonic Studies courses for years to come.”  —Central Europe

About this edition

• Publisher: Liverpool University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1845191900
• ISBN 13: 9781845191900
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 360