Who am I?

Author: Chen Zi-ren
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: Bohumil Hrabal, this Czech writer is somewhat unfamiliar to us. He didn’t publish his first book until he was 49 years old. He created the Czech-style "Pabitel" figure, won numerous literary awards, and his novels were adapted into many films. This Czech writer is also special, and the very reason for his uniqueness lies in his ordinariness. After obtaining a law degree, he left the polished life we imagined and moved into a slum. He worked as a steel mill worker, warehouse manager, salesman, scrap collector, and stage scenery worker. Hrabal said, "If others can live in a steel mill, why can’t I?" He wrote amidst his heavy work, depicting the forgotten people like workers, small shop owners, drivers, and scavengers, writing about their kindness, simplicity, and vices. "Who Am I" is both the title of one of Hrabal’s books and a question he often reflected on. For someone who was both timid and cynical, humble yet self-critical, and who, frequently asking himself, "Who am I?"—it must be a profound question. In the "Hrabal Collection," this volume titled "Who Am I" is a translation and selection of excerpts from his numerous works, statements, essays, and notes, accompanied by his interview titled "The Handkerchief Knot" and a chronology. We have compiled it as a supplement to the introduction of several of his works, in hopes of pleasing the readers.