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March 28, 2024, 03:52:48 PM

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'The Good Soldier Švejk' - Jaroslav Hasek

Started by Serge, October 24, 2017, 08:53:01 PM

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Serge

Often the answer I give when I'm asked what my favourite book is - well, it's certainly in the top three, but all three change places depending on my mood (the others are 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas' and - oh what a giveaway - 'Krautrocksampler'.) Written by the Czech writer Jaroslav Hasek, originally as a serial, but intended to be compiled into a six-part book, unfortunately, Hasek passed away before he could get much further than halfway through book four.

But what an amazing book it is, even in its truncated state! Definitely the greatest anti-war book ever written, it is sad that Hasek died before he could complete his masterwork, which means it just stops, rather than coming to a conclusion, but that's not as bad as it sounds, given the episodic nature of the narrative, and I'm glad that they've resisted the temptation to have someone else step in and wrap it up.

There is a constant argument about whether Švejk is actually a blithering idiot or actually a very clever man pretending to be a blithering idiot. To me it seems obvious that it's the latter, but I know people who don't see it this way at all. It seems like his main aim throughout the book is to avoid putting himself anywhere near where he could actually have to fight, which reaches its high point during his 'anabasis', where he [cough] accidentally misses all the trains which could take him to České Budějovice, where his unit is based, and tries to make his own way there, during which time he wanders miles in every single direction except the one which would take him to České Budějovice, and gets into several scrapes along the way.

A constant theme during the book is that events always conspire to remind him of something that allegedly happened earlier in his life, which he will recount in detail to his increasingly bored listeners - at one point, I seem to remember he is sparked to memory whilst he's snoozing and starts talking in his sleep.

Around the indefatigable Josef Švejk are woven a cast of classic characters, including his commander, Lukáš, who would like nothing better than to rid himself of the troublesome Švejk, the officious and humourless Lieutenant Dub, and, possibly my favourite, Private Baloun, a huge man who is constantly hungry, who is always snaffling rations meant for whole platoons and scoffing them himself, and crying reproachfully whenever he is discovered.

Something that adds another dimension to the book are the illustrations by Josef Lada, which seem so much a part of the novel that it's odd to find out that they were added long after Hasek's death. Although the original serial had illustrations, also by Lada, they portrayed the characters looking different from the more familiar forms they have in the novel. Possibly this was down to the fact that certain characters were based on people that Hasek (and Lada) knew in real life, and so Lada changed their appearance so as not to get any grief over it. But the blank-eyed, ever-smiling cartoon face of Švejk is a classic comic creation in its own right (and I think even had a spin-off comic strip based on it.)

It has been filmed several times, in Germany, Austria and even Finland, but the best version is meant to be the two-part Czech version from 1956/7, featuring Rudolf Hrušínský as the title character. I've only seen the first part - it's hard to track down, and I had a copy given to me by a friend from Slovakia - but Hrušínský is absolutely perfect as Švejk, capturing his smiling mock-imbecility well.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

What a coincidence, this is the book I really want to read before spending a month in Czechia in March next year!

It's a shame his image is now more synonymous with a gradually declining restaurant franchise:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?source=hp&q=svejk+restaurant&oq=svejk&gs_l=psy-ab.3.1.35i39k1j0i20i263k1l2j0l7.951.2237.0.3722.6.5.0.0.0.0.153.659.0j5.5.0....0...1..64.psy-ab..1.5.656.0..0i131k1.0.iyAyguaSvQY

This is too much to ask, but if you have anything to share, lend, whatever I would be in your debt!

Btw - I'm also interested in the works of Bohoumil Hrabal, whose characters would appear to be up a similar street, ordinary joes who carve out a surreal existence to survive in a world chewing up human life.

ASFTSN

Too tired to type a whole lot about how much I love this book but Serge, you've got excellent taste based on this!

Hodge-podge observations:

This is book is hilarious and I love the concept of Svejk's supposed occupation - if I remember correctly he's described as a seller of 'fake dogs', passing off mongrels as thoroughbreds.

Josef Lada's illustrations are incredible in it. 

I reckon Svejk cannot be anything apart from extremely wily.  The depictions of him assuming an ever blanker expression as he receives yet another bollocking are gut-busting. 

The part when him and whoever he is tagging along with at the time briefly get to the front and survey the aftermath of confict, I remember being quite sad, poignant and eerie for a short period, in contrast to tone throughout the rest of the book.

I need to re-read it.

Not sure if I should post my public identity on the forum so I have PM'd you my goodreads review that I apparently wrote 7 years ago, in case you're interested...

Serge

I've just read it, excellent review! (You could copy & paste it onto here, I suppose, to avoid revealing your real name.) I actually need to re-read it myself, I did all that from memory, so any errors are entirely down to my faulty brain.

Yeah, I think the fact that Švejk is basically conning people with the dog scam at the beginning of the book is another sign that he's cleverer than he lets on.

Shoulders, I didn't know about the restaurant chain! I suppose it's the Czech equivalent of any town in the UK where Charles Dickens ever stopped to have a dump being strewn with 'Old Curiosity Shop's and suchlike.

You can get Svejk reasonably cheap on Amazon. Sadly, I never lend books, as I'm just a bastard like that.

Have never read Hrabal, something else to add to the ever growing list of things I need to get around to.

ASFTSN

Quote from: Serge on October 24, 2017, 10:17:50 PM
I've just read it, excellent review! (You could copy & paste it onto here, I suppose, to avoid revealing your real name.) I actually need to re-read it myself, I did all that from memory, so any errors are entirely down to my faulty brain.

Thanks! 

On the topic of dogs, doesn't he have another scam going with birds later in the book?

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Hit me up with a link, I will keep your identity secret.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_Loud_a_Solitude

This sounds well up your street, Serge.

Serge

It definitely does! Might order a copy when I'm next at work.

jobotic

Quote from: ASFTSN on October 25, 2017, 01:02:42 PM
Thanks! 

On the topic of dogs, doesn't he have another scam going with birds later in the book?

He edits that animal magazine for a bit for his friend, and ends up in trouble because he makes up more and more fantastic animals in order to keep the readership interested. From what I remember Hasek did this in real life.

Wonderful book.


jobotic

Just looked it up - it was Volunteer Marek, not Svejk.

Has anyone read anything else by Hasek?

Serge

To be honest, I didn't know that anything else had been translated into English, but having a quick shufty on Amazon, I see there are at least three collections of short stories - 'Behind the Lines: Bugulma and Other Stories', 'The Bachura Scandal: And Other Stories and Sketches' and 'The Red Commissar: Including Further Adventures of the Good Soldier Svejk and Other Stories' - all of which I have now ordered! I don't know how much crossover there might be between them, or if they were published in this form in the original Czech.

jobotic

I have read The Red Commissar and although I can't remember much about it I remember enjoying it. It's fabulous that he had a political party called "The Party of Moderate Progress within the bounds of the Law"

Serge

That almost sounds a bit Magnus Mills-ish! Looking forward to checking these out now. I can't believe I never looked into his other stuff before - I think it's mainly because I'd somehow got the mistaken idea in my head that 'Svejk' was the only thing that was ever translated into English, but I'm glad I've had my eyes opened on that score.


Serge

My copies of The Red Commissar and The Bachura Scandal have turned up. I was pleased to see that the former includes some Joseph Lada illustrations. The translation is by Cecil Parrott, who traslated 'Švejk', which is also a good sign! Might bump these to the top of the 'to read' pile. I have a feeling that there's going to be some crossover between 'Commissar' and Behind The Lines, which is still on its way to me, so I'll find out then, but I don't think there is between the two I now have.

Serge

I've finished The Red Commissar. Not bad, but I can see why his other stuff isn't held in as high esteem as Švejk.

The run of stories concerning a character called [cough] 'Gasek' in the Russian town of Bugulma are definitely the highlight. They're the closest in tone to Švejk, both in hilarity and in his utter contempt for authority. The character of Yerokhimov is a brilliant invention (or, if the biographical notes are to be believed, not all that much of an invention), a dangerous incompetent who is continually trying to overthrow Gasek from his post as Commissar, and scurrying away in terror when he is discovered in the act. Although it's a fairly corny joke, I laughed the hardest at the notice he posts instructing all illiterate people to learn to read in three days.

The early Švejk stories are entertaining enough, his always-smiling countenance becoming an ever more hilarious concept, though he hasn't quite become the Švejk of the better-known novel yet. A series of stories set in a pharmacy are also pretty good, and I would happily have read a whole book of them, but, like the Bugulma stories, they just peter out without a satisfactory conclusion.

Most of the standalone stories are ok, but were probably more of a riot in their day. The Water-Bailiff stories don't really go anywhere. And the Party Of Moderate Progress Within The Bounds Of The Law section feels like so much padding once you've got past the idea of why the party was created - and the most interesting chapter in that bit isn't even written by Hasek!

There is also another piece written by Hasek's wife, and it makes you wonder why they padded the book out with these pieces when Hasek is reputed to have written over 1200 stories or articles in his lifetime. I've got The Bachura Scandal lined up next, which seems to be entirely made up of standalone stories, and different ones from the ones in 'Commissar', unless they've given them alternative titles, so it's not like they were short of material.

Howj Begg

Thanks for reminding this book exists. Have had it for years. Wouldn't mind if this was a cab book club pick, would be good to do that.

Serge

I've just finished reading The Bachura Scandal, which was a similar mixed bag, though largely merely ok rather than great. Although taking the piss out of bureaucracy and rules is always to be applauded, it does get a bit one-note after a while. Having said that, because the book is structured with the stories in order of when they were written, they do get stronger as the book goes on, and there are glimmers of the same mind that wrote Švejk inthe last 50 pages. But I'm glad I read Švejk first, as if I'd read either of these, I probably wouldn't have gone any further.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

I guess the intensity of oppressive bureaucracy made it a continual avenue for release. It's interesting how some writers are really riffing on the same theme until they combine what they've been doing into the masterwork that renders many of the previous shorter works retrospectively redundant. Even commercially - most of the time when the early work is rediscovered, repackaged and forcibly adored the cunt's long since dead.

Serge

Yeah, fair point. And, of course, these are all stories and articles that would have been published over a period of years in a variety of magazines and newspapers, and not meant to be read one after the other as I've just done.

græskar

I read this book when I was a child, I remember enjoying it but not much else besides. I probably didn't really understand it. I should definitely reread it if you say you like it so much. It's a particularly Czech brand of humour, characteristic also of their comedies.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

With a month off in Prague in March I have just 'located' myself a copy of this and a Hrabal novel to enjoy whilst there. Dipped in at random and I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Laugh out loud funny and as above, some situations you wonder whether Svejk is just an expert dosser, capable of deadpanning his way through every situation and acutely aware of his predicaments. Other times I'm sure it's just the authors penchant for elegance, some of the vignettes are classic comic setups, such as Svejk taking advice from his Lieutenant too literally (in this case a command to do  whatever his mistress desires) and ending up sleeping with her.

Hasek's dissection of the church and the justice system have been great too. Every chapter riven with tales of human fallibility and incompetence and how authority and bureaucracy is a construct merely acting as a fig leaf for that.

I have been in U Bansethu and U Vejvodu reading the book and pretending to be there in that era.