Why I Write?: The Early Prose from 1945 to 1952(Modern Czech Classics)

This collection of the earliest prose by one of literature's greatest stylists captures, as scholar Arnault Mar chal put it, "the moment when Hrabal discovered the magic of writing." Taken from the period when Bohumil Hrabal shifted his focus from poetry to prose, these stories--many written in school notebooks, typed and read aloud to friends, or published in samizdat--often showcase raw experiments in style that would define his later works. Others intriguingly utilize forms the author would never pursue again. Featuring the first appearance of key figures from Hrabal's later writings, such as his real-life Uncle Pepin, who would become a character in his later fiction and is credited here as a coauthor of one piece, the book also contains stories that Hrabal would go on to cannibalize for some of his most famous novels. All together, Why I Write? offers readers the chance to explore this important nascent phase of Hrabal's writing. Expertly interpreted by award-winning Hrabal translator David Short, this collection comprises some of the last remaining prose works by Hrabal to be translated into English. A treasure trove for Hrabal devotees, Why I Write? allows us to see clearly why this great prose master was, as described by Czech writer and publisher Josef Skvoreck , "fundamentally a lyrical poet."

About the Author :
Bohumil Hrabal (1914-97) was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and studied law. By his death, he was ranked among the greatest Czech writers of the twentieth century. His novel Closely Watched Trains was turned into an Academy Award-winning film. David Short is a retired teacher of Czech and Slovak, the author of a popular Czech textbook, the coauthor of a number of publications in the field of linguistics, and a prolific translator from Czech. For his work with Czech literature he was awarded the Jir Theiner Prize.

Review :
"Our very best writer today."--Milan Kundera, author of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" "Guardian " "Hrabal's peculiar strength is his ability to entertain the simplest reader and yet be admired by the most intellectual of intellectuals."--Josef Skvoreck , author of "The Engineer of Human Souls" "Arguably the best prose stylist of the twentieth century."--Words Without Borders "One of the great prose stylists of the twentieth century; the scourge of state censors; the gregarious bar hound and lover of gossip, beer, cats and women (in roughly that order). . . . In Hrabal's work beauty, pity, sorrow and high silliness come tightly braided."--Parul Sehgal "New York Times Book Review " "A great writer."--James Wood "London Review of Books "