We Were a Handful by Karel Poláček

Description

A favorite work of Czech humor, We Were a Handful depicts the adventures of five boys from a small Czech town through the diary of Petr Bajza, the grocer's son. Written by Karel Poláček at the height of World War II before his deportation to Auschwitz in 1944, this book draws on the happier years of Poláček's own childhood as inspiration. As we look upon the world through Petr's eyes, we, too, marvel at the incomprehensible world of grownups; join in fights between gangs of neighborhood show more kids; and laugh at the charming language of boys, a major source of the book's humor. This translation at last offers English-language readers the opportunity to share in Petr's (and Poláček's) childhood and reminds us that joy and laughter are possible even in the darkest times. show less

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zelendovi 3 reviews

Autor - satirik českého maloměšťáctví - snažil se v letech prvních předzvěstí nacistických hrůz u nás (zahynul v Osvětimi r. 1944) vyvolat si obraz svého dětství na venkovském městečku, kde jako jeden z pětice nerozlučných kamarádů prožíval vše, co v poklidné idylce bylo událostí, ba sensací. Stylem, mistrně kombinujícím klukovský žargon s "ukázněnými" výrazy školních úloh a s "moudrými promluvami" dospělých, podává obraz života venkovských živnostníčků v průběhu jednoho roku, viděný očima pěti chlapců.

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Hana.Dooren.Richter 38 reviews

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