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Bambini di Praga
"- Ursula kisasszony, mi illúziókat árulunk az embereknek. Nyugdíjat. Az iparosok kapnak egy papírt, ők viszont a papírért pénzt adnak nekünk. És ha elhiszik, hogy ez, amit mondunk nekik, igaz, akkor boldog jövőjük van - magyarázta Viktor úr, és mélyen a vízirózsás lány szemébe nézett." - Maga reményt árul? - kérdezte a lány. - Igen - bólintott Vikor úr -, akárcsak Krisztus urunk, amikor kereskedelmi ügynök korában felkereste a klienseket a Genezáreti-tó környékén a "Hit, Remény, Szeretet" cikkel... hát mi is pontosan úgy..." Négyen járják 1947-ben a kisvárosokat az Aggkori Segély ügynökeként, képviselőjeként, hogy összeírják mindazokat, akik nyugdíjat akarnak." A miniszter úrnak az volt a kívánsága, hogy ezt az akciót kizárólag rendes emberek csinálják." Négyük közül három igazi szélhámos, a negyedik azonban csak beépült közéjük: ügynök ő is, csak éppen a Hatóság embere, aki csak arra vár, hogy a megfelelő időben letartóztassa őket. Egy hentesboltban kezdődik a történet, s egy elmegyógyintézet holdfényben fürdő kertjében végződik - bilincskattanással. Közben azonban lezajlik egy feledhetetlen utazás Bohumil Hrabal irányításával: állomásról állomásra érkezünk, betérünk egy hentesüzletbe, nem maradunk kívül a drogista ajtaján, kukkolóként leshetjük, mi történik, mi hangzik el egy olyan tánciskolában, ahol "elaggott iparosok, tintanyalók meg néhány bolond és kivénhedt agglegény" gyakorolja egymás közt a valcert és az illemtant. Valóságos világban járunk, de Hrabal elementáris erővel nagyszabású cirkusszá, karnevállá, szürreális látomássá rajzolja esendő, kisszerű figuráinak minden gesztusát, minden mondatát, egész életét. Bohózatot játszat, s közben haláltáncot járat velük. Az elbeszélő optikáján át a reménytelenség, a kegyetlenség nagy bábjátékát láthatjuk, s közben - micsoda varázslat - nevetünk, nevetünk és nevetünk, s a főszereplőkhöz hasonlóan koccintani támad kedvünk:"- Arra, hogy mindannyian elmegyógyintézetben vagyunk. - A foltokra, amelyeket nem lehet eltávolítani az anyag megsértése nélkül." A Bambini di Praga 1964-ben jelent meg csehül, magyarul pedig először 1965-ben.
- GenresCzech LiteratureFiction
161 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
4 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Bohumil Hrabal
186 books1,321 followersBorn in Brno-Židenice, Moravia, he lived briefly in Polná, but was raised in the Nymburk brewery as the manager's stepson.
Hrabal received a Law degree from Prague's Charles University, and lived in the city from the late 1940s on.
He worked as a manual laborer alongside Vladimír Boudník in the Kladno ironworks in the 1950s, an experience which inspired the "hyper-realist" texts he was writing at the time.
His best known novels were Closely Watched Trains (1965) and I Served the King of England. In 1965 he bought a cottage in Kersko, which he used to visit till the end of his life, and where he kept cats ("kočenky").
He was a great storyteller; his popular pub was At the Golden Tiger (U zlatého tygra) on Husova Street in Prague, where he met the Czech President Václav Havel, the American President Bill Clinton and the then-US ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright on January 11th, 1994.
Several of his works were not published in Czechoslovakia due to the objections of the authorities, including The Little Town Where Time Stood Still (Městečko, kde se zastavil čas) and I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále).
He died when he fell from a fifth floor hospital where he was apparently trying to feed pigeons. It was noted that Hrabal lived on the fifth floor of his apartment building and that suicides by leaping from a fifth-floor window were mentioned in several of his books.
He was buried in a family grave in the cemetery in Hradištko. In the same grave his mother "Maryška", step father "Francin", uncle "Pepin", wife "Pipsi" and brother "Slávek" were buried.
He wrote with an expressive, highly visual style, often using long sentences; in fact his work Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age (1964) (Taneční hodiny pro starší a pokročilé) is made up of just one sentence. Many of Hrabal's characters are portrayed as "wise fools" - simpletons with occasional or inadvertent profound thoughts - who are also given to coarse humour, lewdness, and a determination to survive and enjoy oneself despite harsh circumstances. Political quandaries and their concomitant moral ambiguities are also a recurrent theme.
Along with Jaroslav Hašek, Karel Čapek, and Milan Kundera - who were also imaginative and amusing satirists - he is considered one of the greatest Czech writers of the 20th century. His works have been translated into 27 languages.
Hrabal received a Law degree from Prague's Charles University, and lived in the city from the late 1940s on.
He worked as a manual laborer alongside Vladimír Boudník in the Kladno ironworks in the 1950s, an experience which inspired the "hyper-realist" texts he was writing at the time.
His best known novels were Closely Watched Trains (1965) and I Served the King of England. In 1965 he bought a cottage in Kersko, which he used to visit till the end of his life, and where he kept cats ("kočenky").
He was a great storyteller; his popular pub was At the Golden Tiger (U zlatého tygra) on Husova Street in Prague, where he met the Czech President Václav Havel, the American President Bill Clinton and the then-US ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright on January 11th, 1994.
Several of his works were not published in Czechoslovakia due to the objections of the authorities, including The Little Town Where Time Stood Still (Městečko, kde se zastavil čas) and I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále).
He died when he fell from a fifth floor hospital where he was apparently trying to feed pigeons. It was noted that Hrabal lived on the fifth floor of his apartment building and that suicides by leaping from a fifth-floor window were mentioned in several of his books.
He was buried in a family grave in the cemetery in Hradištko. In the same grave his mother "Maryška", step father "Francin", uncle "Pepin", wife "Pipsi" and brother "Slávek" were buried.
He wrote with an expressive, highly visual style, often using long sentences; in fact his work Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age (1964) (Taneční hodiny pro starší a pokročilé) is made up of just one sentence. Many of Hrabal's characters are portrayed as "wise fools" - simpletons with occasional or inadvertent profound thoughts - who are also given to coarse humour, lewdness, and a determination to survive and enjoy oneself despite harsh circumstances. Political quandaries and their concomitant moral ambiguities are also a recurrent theme.
Along with Jaroslav Hašek, Karel Čapek, and Milan Kundera - who were also imaginative and amusing satirists - he is considered one of the greatest Czech writers of the 20th century. His works have been translated into 27 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 31, 2017
Umor absurd, umor negru, umor trist marca Hrabal. Ridi, pagliaccio...
January 31, 2016
Spicuiri din recenzia finala care se gaseste pe blogul meu
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Comis voiajorii care în numele societății fictive Sprijin la bătrânețe fac bani grei de pe urma credulilor care-și doresc pensie privată pentru o bătrânețe liniștită sunt precum praghezii care s-au rugat la statuia micului Iisus la momentul asediului suedez. Ideea că nația cehoslovacă este una credulă care a fost la cheremul marilor puteri și care și-a pierdut și regăsit identitatea și libertatea de-a lungul istoriei este o temă pe care Hrabal o abordează constant în scrierile sale însă de data aceasta cu maximum de ironie și cu o puternică tușă absurdă în genul lui Kafka.
Personajele din Bambini di Praga parcă sunt scoase direct de pe șevaletul fantastic al lui Boris Vian, iar dialogurile și situațiile în care se pun concurează cu piesele de teatru ale lui Eugen Ionescu, totul frumos potrivit și minuțios construit în stilul James Joyce – mai ales acele momente aberante din birtul în care Tonda și compania o întâlnesc pe doamna care trece în revistă progeniturile unui oarecare Prinț (nu am reușit să-mi dau seama despre care prinț e vorba).
Scriitura este specifică lui Hrabal, condimentată din plin cu aluzii și săgeți sarcastice, cu informații picante și interesante despre istoria neamului ceh, melancolic exact cât și unde trebuie pentru a sensibila cititorul și cu o narațiune alertă care te face să te bucuri de fiecare pagină citită.
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..........................................
Comis voiajorii care în numele societății fictive Sprijin la bătrânețe fac bani grei de pe urma credulilor care-și doresc pensie privată pentru o bătrânețe liniștită sunt precum praghezii care s-au rugat la statuia micului Iisus la momentul asediului suedez. Ideea că nația cehoslovacă este una credulă care a fost la cheremul marilor puteri și care și-a pierdut și regăsit identitatea și libertatea de-a lungul istoriei este o temă pe care Hrabal o abordează constant în scrierile sale însă de data aceasta cu maximum de ironie și cu o puternică tușă absurdă în genul lui Kafka.
Personajele din Bambini di Praga parcă sunt scoase direct de pe șevaletul fantastic al lui Boris Vian, iar dialogurile și situațiile în care se pun concurează cu piesele de teatru ale lui Eugen Ionescu, totul frumos potrivit și minuțios construit în stilul James Joyce – mai ales acele momente aberante din birtul în care Tonda și compania o întâlnesc pe doamna care trece în revistă progeniturile unui oarecare Prinț (nu am reușit să-mi dau seama despre care prinț e vorba).
Scriitura este specifică lui Hrabal, condimentată din plin cu aluzii și săgeți sarcastice, cu informații picante și interesante despre istoria neamului ceh, melancolic exact cât și unde trebuie pentru a sensibila cititorul și cu o narațiune alertă care te face să te bucuri de fiecare pagină citită.
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January 26, 2017
I really enjoyed this book because of its easy style, the simple story that hides its depth among the ordinary things, and the definitely out of ordinary sense of humor, which makes you laugh, but then makes you question the severity behind it.
Likable characters, flowing plot, and dialogues that make you question the sanity of all the speakers; definitely worth a read.
Likable characters, flowing plot, and dialogues that make you question the sanity of all the speakers; definitely worth a read.
May 26, 2014
Местами очень Грабал, а местами, к сожалению, еще нет.
May 26, 2016
Cu Hrabal se întâmplă să nu mai pricepi dacă râde sau plânge... Le face concomitent, pe semne, dar în alte romane îi ieșeau mai bine gogoșile.
April 7, 2021
Vždy, když tak močím, myslím na lidstvo.
April 12, 2024
Een eigenaardig Tjechisch boek: dit is een soort schelmenroman met een tegelijk tragische en absurdistische toon, nu ongeveer 80 jaar oud want geschreven in 1946, al verscheen het pas voor het eerst in 1964: de na de tweede wereldoorlog verse heersers van het land, de Russen, hadden blijkbaar eerst 20 jaar de behoefte de zaken iets serieuezer te nemen.
Een groepje verzekeringsagenten trekt door de Tjechie, en verkoopt pensioenverzekeringen waar de lezer al vrij snel van begrijpt dat met het innen van de eerste premie de relatie met de klant praktisch al weer voorbij is. Op hun reizen ontmoeten ze menig kleurrijk type, en het loppt verrsassend af, maar dat zal ik hier voor me houden, want het boek is zeker de moeite van het aanschaffen waard: ik heb dan de idee, dat wie zoiets leest, zich weer eens kan realiseren hoe wezensvreemd de sfeer en de geschiedenis en de volksaard kan zijn in een land nog geen halve dag sturen verderop. Ter adstructie, twee citaten:
"Dat is Hulphovenier Jiroosek, fluisterde de rayonchef. "Tijdens 't eeerste lesuur had ik hem als dame. [men krijgt dansles, maar er zijn te weinig vrouwen, noot van de reviewer] Maar zodra we met de polka begonnen, rukte hij zich van me los ging in z'n eentje dansen. 'n Individualistisch type. Hij had twee zwakzinnige zonen die hij op op hun vijftiende nog steeds niet had leren klokkijken, dan zette hij de wijzers van wekker in alle mogelijke standen of sloeg ze met die wekker op hun hoofd.. Nu is't al een stuk beter, één zoontje heeft zich verhangen, en als die andere een wekker op kwart over vijf ziet, zegt-ie half zes.. en dan is die hovenier de koning te rijk en zegt dat het al wat beter gaat" (p. 122)
"Dan hebben we nog dat geval van die ene patient , Hloulcal genaamd, die de tien jaar dat-ie hier was keurig zijn bed opmaakte, daarna zijn pet opzette en zo tot 's avnonds naast zijn bed bleef staan, en die patient heeft me een keer lelijk te grazen genomen. De professor komt met 'n sleep studenten langs en vertelt hun wat de patientnen hadden, en toen ze weg waren, ik liep als laatste, toen rukte mijnheer Hloulcal 'n tafeltje los dat in de muur zat vastgeschroefd en sloeg dat op mijn hoofd kapot met de woorden 'Dit stuurt je de aartsengel Gabriel' " (p. 149)
Een groepje verzekeringsagenten trekt door de Tjechie, en verkoopt pensioenverzekeringen waar de lezer al vrij snel van begrijpt dat met het innen van de eerste premie de relatie met de klant praktisch al weer voorbij is. Op hun reizen ontmoeten ze menig kleurrijk type, en het loppt verrsassend af, maar dat zal ik hier voor me houden, want het boek is zeker de moeite van het aanschaffen waard: ik heb dan de idee, dat wie zoiets leest, zich weer eens kan realiseren hoe wezensvreemd de sfeer en de geschiedenis en de volksaard kan zijn in een land nog geen halve dag sturen verderop. Ter adstructie, twee citaten:
"Dat is Hulphovenier Jiroosek, fluisterde de rayonchef. "Tijdens 't eeerste lesuur had ik hem als dame. [men krijgt dansles, maar er zijn te weinig vrouwen, noot van de reviewer] Maar zodra we met de polka begonnen, rukte hij zich van me los ging in z'n eentje dansen. 'n Individualistisch type. Hij had twee zwakzinnige zonen die hij op op hun vijftiende nog steeds niet had leren klokkijken, dan zette hij de wijzers van wekker in alle mogelijke standen of sloeg ze met die wekker op hun hoofd.. Nu is't al een stuk beter, één zoontje heeft zich verhangen, en als die andere een wekker op kwart over vijf ziet, zegt-ie half zes.. en dan is die hovenier de koning te rijk en zegt dat het al wat beter gaat" (p. 122)
"Dan hebben we nog dat geval van die ene patient , Hloulcal genaamd, die de tien jaar dat-ie hier was keurig zijn bed opmaakte, daarna zijn pet opzette en zo tot 's avnonds naast zijn bed bleef staan, en die patient heeft me een keer lelijk te grazen genomen. De professor komt met 'n sleep studenten langs en vertelt hun wat de patientnen hadden, en toen ze weg waren, ik liep als laatste, toen rukte mijnheer Hloulcal 'n tafeltje los dat in de muur zat vastgeschroefd en sloeg dat op mijn hoofd kapot met de woorden 'Dit stuurt je de aartsengel Gabriel' " (p. 149)
January 5, 2021
Nád-her-ně načtená záležitost Oldřichem Kaiserem; žádný div že v roce 2014 dostala ocenění Audiokniha roku, nejlepší interpret.
Píse se rok 1947, kdy narůstá strach z likvidace malých živností, a tak je pro podomní falešné pojišťováky snadné prodávat naději s nálepkou penze. Hrabalovský koktejl tragédie, empatie a gagů je podle všeho inspirován autorovými zážitky z Živnostenského fondu starobního a invalidního, kam v roce 1946 nastoupil. Jestli viděl jen třetinu z toho, co je v knize, tak to byla neskutečná jízda.
Ve srovnání s např. Příliš hlučná samota má Bambini di Praga výrazně pozitivnější nádech, každopádně jde o další hrabalovskou parádu plnou absurdity, humoru a života.
Píse se rok 1947, kdy narůstá strach z likvidace malých živností, a tak je pro podomní falešné pojišťováky snadné prodávat naději s nálepkou penze. Hrabalovský koktejl tragédie, empatie a gagů je podle všeho inspirován autorovými zážitky z Živnostenského fondu starobního a invalidního, kam v roce 1946 nastoupil. Jestli viděl jen třetinu z toho, co je v knize, tak to byla neskutečná jízda.
Ve srovnání s např. Příliš hlučná samota má Bambini di Praga výrazně pozitivnější nádech, každopádně jde o další hrabalovskou parádu plnou absurdity, humoru a života.
May 11, 2024
Negen hilarische verhalen uit Praag, vertaald door Kees Mercks, die worden bijeengehouden door een viertal agenten van Steun van Ouderdom. Onder leiding van de rayonchef proberen Bucifal, Viktor en Tonda de inwoners pensioenpremies aan te smeren. Soms leidt dit tot slapstick zoals de slager uit het eerste verhaal die met de achtervoet van een os de winkel uitvliegt. De situaties zijn beeldend en amusant, maar ook niet meer dan dat.
March 29, 2022
4.25/5
July 28, 2023
3.5 Cartea a fost ca un fever dream
July 30, 2024
lectură foarte light, mici povestioare și nu chiar un roman. nu am regăsit profunzimea scrierii lui Hrabal din alte cărți de-ale lui.
July 27, 2019
Highly reccomended as a very funny book ("I nearly died laughing", I've been told) yet a huge dissapointment. Dark humor poorly written, could not get a single smile out of this book. It was one of the books I really felt waisting my time reading it. Not a book to remember in a good way.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews