Povídky: Short Stories by Czech Women (Short Stories by Women from Around the World)

Young women drift through Prague wondering about unplanned pregnancies, a child's reflections on the Christian concept of sinfulnesslead to resolve to sin only 'just a little bit', drunken men banter over interminable card games, and a woman's salvation comes in the unexpected form of pickled buttocks. Bringing together authors of different generations, styles and backgrounds - including for the first time in English translation, two stories by Czech Roma - this collection expresses women's meultiple perspectives on social and intimate issues with by turns caustic and sensitive insight into human nature. 'Full of humour, acuity and inventiveness' -- Maya Jaggi, Guardian 'Wonderfully diverse, energetic and entertaining.' -- Bernie Higgins, One Eye Open This collection brings together authors of different generations, styles and backgrounds. A lyrical, mysterious tour through Prague mixes history with legend and everyday reality. A child's philosophical reflections on the Christian concept of sinfulness lead him to resolve to sin 'just a little bit'. A witty style informs stories of drunken men bantering over interminable card games, teenage girls smoking in school toilets, and a woman whose salvation comes in the unexpected form of pickled men's buttocks. For the first time in an anthology of translated Czech literature, this book also features two short stories written by Czech Roma. These Czech women express their multiple perspectives on social and intimate issues with sometimes biting, sometimes gentle, insight into human nature. Nancy Hawker is reading Languages and Cultures at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Raised in France and the Czech Republic, in the course of her studies she has absorbed English, French, Czech, Hebrew and Arabic literature. For the compilation of Povdky , she explored every obscure literary cafe of her home town, Prague. A lyrical, mysterious tour through Prague mixes history and legend with everyday reality, a child's reflections on the Christian concept of sinfulness lead him to resolve to sin "just a little bit," drunken men banter over interminable card games, and a woman's salvation comes in the unexpected form of pickled buttocks. B Bringing together authors of different generations, styles, and backgrounds-including, for the first time in English, two stories by Czech Roma-this collection expresses women's multiple perspectives on social and intimate issues with by turns caustic and sensitive insight into human nature Brings together authors of different generations, styles, and backgrounds. This collection explores the drama of marital and extra-marital relationships, mother-daughter conflicts, and child abuse, set in the rough terrain of a Moravian mountain village, in the deprived Sudetenland, and in an unnamed smoky bar.