A Boy's Journey Home

Author: Zhang Meini
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The famous Czech writer Jaroslav Ha?ek created the classic satirical masterpiece The Good Soldier ?vejk set against the backdrop of World War I. ?vejk is an ordinary soldier who is discharged from the army after being declared a "idiot" by the military. Later, he is arrested by the police for discussing the assassination of the crown prince in a tavern. After experiencing many hardships, ?vejk returns home, only to find that World War I has already broken out, forcing him to enlist again. Through the experiences of the protagonist ?vejk, an ordinary soldier, from enlisting to being sent to the front during World War I, the author profoundly exposes the cruelty and tyranny of the rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the corruption and decline of its army. The novel gives a detailed and vivid portrayal of the imperialist army's of the people, the absurd relationship of mutual oppression between officers and soldiers, their beastly cruelty toward prisoners, and the stupidity and greed of officers at all levels.