Newly translated stories by noted Czech author ??apek (1890-1938)
use the mystery form to explore such issues as fate, mortality, and
the nature of justice. Originally published in 1932, the book
contains in its first half, "Tales from One Pocket," traditional
mysteries whose solutions often result from and comment on the
quirks of human nature. In "The Mystery of Handwriting," a man asks
an expert to analyze the script of his wife of 20 years - who is
characterized on that basis as a dishonest, unpleasant, unsavory
person. The husband later lambastes his spouse without explanation,
but when he tells this story expecting sympathy, his listener asks
why the wife's unforgivable flaws weren't apparent earlier. "The
Last Judgement" shows God serving as a witness before a human jury
and judge trying to determine where a dead man will spend eternity.
The omniscient deity knows all the deceased's sins, and the accused
is sent to Hell. The protagonist of "The Poet" gleans the clues
necessary to track down a criminal by analyzing a verse composed at
the crime scene. ??apek waxes more metaphysical and serious in
"Tales from the Other Pocket," the collection's second half. The
narrator of "The Man Who Could Not Sleep" says of his nightly
torment by painful memories, "Sleep...forgives both us and those
who trespass against us." The protagonist of the volume's final
story, "The Last Things of Man," looks at himself in the mirror
while experiencing great pain and sees his suffering as
quintessentially human. Balancing satire with a provocative
exploration of human hypocrisy and conscience, these tales exude a
playful energy similar to that which empowered the Dada and
Surrealist literary movements. ??apek offers both humor and insight
to the reader who looks at the world with a jaundiced eye. (Kirkus
Reviews)
Capek wrote 48 stories that deconstruct the mystery story by
breaking one rule here, three rules there, and yet also make for
wonderful reading. His unique approaches to the mysteries of
justice and truth are full of the ordinary and the extraordinary,
humor and humanism.
General
Imprint: |
Catbird Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
May 1994 |
First published: |
June 1994 |
Authors: |
Karel Capek
|
Dimensions: |
212 x 137 x 27mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
365 |
Edition: |
New edition |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-945774-25-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
|
LSN: |
0-945774-25-7 |
Barcode: |
9780945774259 |
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