4 comments about Apocryphal Tales.

1. This is terrific!I think Capek is the most underrated writer of the century{at least}.He's comparatively little known,and seldom given credit even for the word "robot" which he "invented".He's got it all-humor,lovely language{it even shines through in a translation},delightful stile,and more... And he's not just a great writer,but a great playwright,too-his "Macropulos Affair" and "R.U.R" are classics.Warmly recommended.



2. This is a collection of short pieces from the Czechoslovakian author of "R.U.R." (the futuristic play in which he coined the term 'robot') who stands out as a calming voice among the chaos of Central Europe in the early 20th Century. The bulk of this volume is comprised of tight, pointed retellings of stories from classical literature: the Greeks, the Bible, and even Shakespeare. By taking a unique slant on some well-known stories, usually with humorous or sardonic overtones, Capek creates modern fables with clearly implied morals that provide practical advice for even the most contemporary readers. Themes range from fear of change, and the importance of the work ethic, to contempt for mob mentality. By placing these tales in the distant past, he is able to present specific political arguments without too openly offending the powers-of-the-moment. With his warm humanism, pointed humor, and continuing sociopolitical relevance, Capek should be a great favorite of fans of such political humorists as Art Buchwald and Jimmy Breslin. With the re-emergence of Eastern/Central Europe from communist domination, it's not too much to hope that Capek's work will soon enjoy the reputation it so richly deserves.



3. Karel Capek was a giant of Czech cultural and political life in the years of the first Czech Republic between WWI and WWII. Èapek rose to fame as the author of RUR, the play that introduced the word robot to the world. He was also the author of the highly acclaimed novel War With the Newts and a newspaper essayist. His life and work during this period was inextricably linked with belief in democracy upon which the First Republic was founded. Capek's devout faith in democracy informed both his world view and his writing. This is particularly evident in his Apocryphal Tales. This edition also contains a group of stories known as the Would Be Tales. Generally, these stories were originally published in Czech newspapers or literary journals.
   
   Apocryphal Tales is a journey through the history of the world. In a series of short stories from the discovery of fire through Napoleon, Capek presents a little vignette with a viewpoint slightly different from our received wisdom. The tales begin with the Punishment of Prometheus, in which Prometheus is sentenced to death for his discovery of fire. The grounds: blasphemy; damaging the property of others; and treason. Next, an old cave man bemoans the audacity and idleness of the younger generation, wasting their time drawing bison and other creatures on cave walls. A solider complains about Achilles' vain striving for glory in doing battle with Troy. Next we come across a letter from Alexander the Great to Aristotle in which he tries to explain to his old teacher that his desire to conquer the world is based purely on the need to more properly defend his small homeland. When one considers that this last piece was written in 1937 the tale is as much a cautionary note as it is a simple story. The Death of Archimedes is also prescient. Written in April, 1938, it shows a conquering Roman soldier trying to convince Archimedes that he would do well to turn his scientific skills to the construction of weapons of mass destruction. Archimedes refuses and the story ends thusly: "It was later reported that the learned Archimedes had met his death through an accident." This last sentence tracked the official language used in reports issued by totalitarian regimes after it had killed one of its so-called enemies.
   
   The Tales include a series of stories involving the life and death of Jesus, each told from a slightly different perspective. The miracle of the loaves and fishes is told from the point of view of a baker whose primary concern is the impact the miracle will have on the price of his bread. After the crucifixion, two Hebrew locals debate the error of Jesus' methods although not his message. In another, Pilate engages in a dialogue with Joseph of Arimathea over the political implications of the crucifixion. Their dialogue on "what is truth" still resonates long after I finished reading it. Èapek also invokes fictional characters, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet in two humorous sagas.
   
   Capek's `would-be' tales are written in a similar style but are written in a contemporary setting. The most compelling of these are the last two, Anonymous Letter and Ten Centavos. In the first, a writer who has produced articles supporting the consumption of cheese is the subject of a hate mail campaign. Ten Centavos involves the horror of an honorable man being publicly besmirched by an avenging state. These stories must surely have had some resonance for Èapek as, as his life neared its end in 1938, he became subject to vicious attacks from some who held him partly responsible for the fate that was about to befall Czechoslovakia.
   
   These are all beautiful stories told in simple narrative form. It has been said of Capek that his deep belief in democracy made him want to present his ideas to be accessible to anyone who could read. I do not know this to be the case but the spirit of Capek's stories shine through readily. These stories would be appreciated by anyone interested in short stories whether or not they have a specific interest in Czech literature. This collection is well worth reading.



4. Capek is a brilliant and creative writer, whose musings are well worth careful translation into English. Sadly, this edition's been insensitively translated, with characters forced into the type of "working-stiff" American English that Isaac Asimov does so badly (and Bruce Springsteen does so well by avoiding a patronising tone). The Damon Runyanesque argot sits uncomfortably with the Central European setting of these tales and for me renders them unreadable. Such a great opportunity missed! Such a terrible thing to do to great literature! PLEASE edit the translation into something resembling English....then I'll buy 3 copies and tell all my friends to get it. As of now....no.

1 comments about English-Czech/Czech-English Dictionary (10th Revised Edition).

1. This is definitely not a stellar dictionary. The grammatical information is sparse and difficult to decipher (on the Czech to English side, at least), and at times secondary or tertiary definitions are not included when they should be. A number of times I encountered entries that were outdated or just plain wrong. Leda publishing puts out a much better dictionary for students of Czech.

5 comments about Singing in Czech.

1. "I recommend Timothy Cheek's book 'Singing in Czech' to anyone interested in singing the works of Smetana, Dvorak, Janacek, and a host of other Czech composers in the original language. After very thorough descriptions of every sound found in the Czech language, Mr. Cheek analyses and gives phonetic representations of the correct sounds in Czech of many famous works, including 'Rusalka,' 'The Bartered Bride,' 'The Diary of One Who Vanished,' and many others. I hope the book will be sutdied by every singer and repetiteur who cares about language and who regards Czech, with its rich musical repertoire, as important as Italian, German, French, or Russian." Sir Charles Mackerras, renowned conductor and writer of the foreword



2. From Catherine Malfitano, soprano; international interpreter of Janacek roles: "At a time when the great Czech masterpieces are moving more and more into mianstream life, along comes an invaluable guide to singing authentically and expressively in this unfamiliar language. Timothy Cheek seems to have tapped into the singer's deepest needs and fears when first faced with these daunting sounds. He demystifies the difficulties and clearly shows the way to linking what we already know, from other more familiar languages, to what we can hope to achieve by assimilating the unique colors of this highly expressive language. I am grateful for his usage of the International Phonetic Alphabet to demonstrate many of these sounds. The recorded examples by the two Czech singers are also very welcome. This book will make the learning of sung Czech much more accessible and enjoyable to all singers."



3. I have recently been coaching young, Australian singers in Czech diction and pronounciation for famous Czech arias and songs. Though I am a 'native' Czech speaker,I have found this book invaluable in explaining simply and efficiently correct Czech singing diction. This book may well dispel many fears of singing in the Czech language and make some of the wonderful repertoire much more accesssible.



4. I am currently writing my Master's thesis on teaching Czech diction to singers, Timothy Cheek's book has been my number one resource. I am also singing Dvorak's "Gypsy songs" for my recital and again, this book was most helpful. I recommend it for anyone who wants to be able to sing in Czech.



5. I ordered this for my son for a Christmas gift, and it was here in three days and in perfect condition.

No comments about Languages of Community: The Jewish Experience in the Czech Lands.

2 comments about The Rough Guide to European Languages Dictionary Phrasebook: Czech, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, & Spanish (Rough Guide Phrasebooks).

1. I purchased this book after looking at several phrase, and travel language books. If you are travelling through several countries, especially by backpack or cycle, it's the only way to go. It has the most complete and useful entries that I have seen so far - - and all in one book!



2. While the idea of trying to compress seven languages into a pocket-sized compendium is an admirable goal, the sheer complexity of the task makes it nearly impossible. And Rough Guide have proven that with this phrasebook/dictionary. They succeeded somewhat with the dictionary but have failed miserably with the phrasebook. Actually, the phrasebook doesn't exist. Well, at least, I still haven't found it. There are a few phrases interpersed in each of the sections, but not enough to cover even the most elementary of circumstances. Luckily, the number of people who speak English in Europe is quite large and expanding all the time. As a matter of fact you would be hard pressed to find a region of western europe where none of the locals can speak english. Unless it's france, where, if you're American they won't speak to you anyway. But in the book's defense: it IS pocket-sized and you can't beat the price. Rough Guide makes many good individual language phrasebooks and I would recommend one of those. But as for this book--emergency only!

1 comments about The Questionnaire: Or Prayer for a Town and a Friend.

1. A very good book. Grusa writes with a very Czech sense of humor and combines it with a Grassian sense of magic. Although I'll try to avoid plot summary, a little is necessary: the protagonist, in his search for a job, is required to fill out a questionnaire with explicit instructions to not leave anything out. With these orders in mind, he then tells the history of his family from the beginning. This is typical of the Czech means of resistance to whatever oppression they face, and you can see it in Hasek's "The Good Soldier Svejk" and Hrabal's "Closely Watched Trains." Overall, it's funny, magical, epic (in its own way) and a lot of fun to read. As I said before, it's definitely worth your while.

No comments about The Deserts of Bohemia: Czech Fiction and Its Social Context.

No comments about Description of Spoken Prague Czech.

No comments about Collins Czech Phrasebook CD Pack: The Right Word in Your Pocket (Collins Gem).

No comments about The Rough Guide to Czech Dictionary Phrasebook (Rough Guide Phrasebooks).