How I Came to Know Fish

Books like this make me grateful to Penguin for their Archive series. I can't imagine I'd have discovered this autobiographical tale of a Czech Jew's fishing expeditions any other way, as I certainly wouldn't have gone out looking for a book about a pastime I've never even felt an inkling to try. And yet this is excellent, as the stories are short and characterful and lay down a sense of calm and bucolic happiness that is dramatically interrupted by the Second World War and the Holocaust.

This would be a great and interesting narrative of the author´s childhood in any way, but I feel here you get two perks in one. His writing style has an easy flow to it, he has the gift of drawing you in and you can nearly smell the water and share the sensation of a little boy who discovers the river and his great love for fishing. But as this is a also Czechoslovakia of the late 30s, and the family is half-jewish, between the pikes, eels and the river itself, many interesting personalities that live on the banks of Pavel´s beloved river Berounka and the adventures of his boysterous and wonderful father, there is also the entry of the Germans and all the persecutions that the family is facing during the war.

The narrative of the show more every day life, and the hardships and little victories a jew could have, make this a book that everybody should read, in order to understand better. There are stories such as when the father risks everything in order to provide meat for his older sons before they are to go to concentration camp, or how he empties the pond of all the fish, fish that was meant to go to the Wehrmacht the night before his own transport, where I could hardly breathe and you cannot put the book down at any account before knowing that all will be well.

Pavel is a great example of the great Czech storytellers, next to Čapek and Hrabal, and a joy to read. His love of life, nature and mankind shines through every word, and given what he must have experienced, this is something to admire in deed. show less

A very funny and touching memoir of the author's childhood and his experience up to and during the Second World War. The book is made up of affectionate anecdotes of all the people who influenced his childhood and is told in an asynchronous manner. Wonderfully written.

Nou històries curtes acompanyades d'un epíleg d'un altre autor. Una història tendra que rememora la figura del pare de l'autor, un home alegre i emprenedor que és un apassionat de la pesca i dels animals en general. En general s'apassiona pel que fa i de vegades descuida i perd de vista les prioritats de la vida, sort n'hi ha de la constància de la mare que sempre està disponible a salvar les situacions difícils. En el marc previ i posterior a la Segona Guerra Mundial, el pare és jueu, la mare cristiana, ell és el petit de tres germans. Aquests van a parar als camps de concentració, mentre la família amb el germà petit s'amaga a les muntanyes en una cabana. Però l'autor tot hi recordar i emmarcar l'època històrica en show more guarda un bon record, el record del seu pare i les seves dèries. show less

Un libro di ricordi, dei quadri di vita di una famiglia cecoslovacca, prima e dopo la guerra, con al centro la figura del padre, abilissimo venditore, altrettanto abile pescatore, simpatico guascone, amante delle belle donne, ma al tempo stesso attaccatissimo alla moglie e ai figli. E sullo sfondo la tragedia della guerra e i campi di sterminio. Il narratore è uno dei figli che conserva un sguardo fresco, e rievoca affettuosamente il tempo che fu. Un piccolo libro, con una sua grazia, al quale non sono del tutto certa che la traduzione abbia reso pienamente giustizia.

Declaració d'amor a un pare feta amb histories lluminoses i vitalistes de tràngols familiars durant la Txèquia de la II Guerra Mundial. Un llibre estrany i únic, alegre però trist, que et canvia la perspectiva; m'ha recordat molt al posicionament vital de "La vida es bella".

V svazku nazvaném Jak jsem potkal ryby (1974) Ota Pavel vědomě navázal na úspěšnou sbírku Smrt krásných srnců (1972). Opustil definitivně svět sportovců a sportu a vrátil se opět do krajin svého dětství a mládí – na Buštěhrad, na Berounku, k řekám, potokům a mořím. Hrdiny jeho povídek jsou opět členové jeho rodiny v čele s „povedeným tatínkem“, bratry Jirkou a Hugem, ale prim tu hraje příroda, ryby především, a hlavně pokora a úcta k člověku. Celek mistrovského literárního díla je návratem k pramenům „vody živé“ – a čtenáři odtud mohou spolehlivě čerpat energii a sílu k životu.