Czech literature

Author: Li Mei / Yang Chun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-06-01
Features: This book elaborates on the development of Czech literature from the birth of medieval Czech writing to the 1990s. Due to Czech being a non-universal language, there are currently very few readers in China who can read and appreciate classic Czech literary works in the original. However, there are many people in China who are interested in the literature, culture, and national sentiments of the Czech Republic. This land has nurtured many world-renowned literary giants, such as Kafka, the author of "The Good Soldier ?vejk," Jaroslav Seifert, the Nobel Prize-winning poet, and world-famous novelists like Milan Kundera and Václav Havel, among others. To introduce Chinese readers to an overview of the important eras, major writers, and masterpieces of Czech literature, this book presents a colorful literary panorama of the Czech Republic, a nation with a long tradition of national culture and ancient civilization, over several centuries. The development of Czech literature has a very special and unique context. The Czech Republic is a small country located at the center of Europe, sandwiched between the East and the West. Particularly in its modern and contemporary literature, there are three branches: official literature, underground literature, and emigrant literature, which belong to a very complex and fascinating intersection of Eastern and Western intellectual and cultural traditions. The study of Czech literary history ultimately cannot be separated from an understanding and research of the writers, poets, novelists, and their works of each era. Based on the knowledge acquired during the author's long-term study and research at home and abroad, especially during their advanced studies at Charles University in Prague, and with some materials collected over the years, this book provides a concise summary of the learning and research on Czech literature in recent years. It aims to serve as a reference for those interested in Czech literature and scholars of Czech literature.