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Novela zachycuje proměnu spořádaného a neškodného, třebaže trochu podivínského otce rodiny, v udavače a vraha pod vlivem fašistické ideologie. Na jeho konkrétním zpodobení, díky dokonale promyšlené kompozici a mistrovskému použití všech zvolených tvůrčích prostředků, vybudoval autor fascinující a zároveň děsivý obraz okupační doby a zároveň i typu měšťáka, který se díky své přizpůsobivosti dá zmanipulovat až k nejtěžším zločinům.
144 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1967
166 people are currently reading
3386 people want to read
About the author
Ladislav Fuks
25 books57 followersLadislav Fuks byl český prozaik, autor především psychologické prózy s tématem úzkosti člověka ohrožovaného nesvobodou a násilím. Jako symbol tohoto tématu si pak zvolil druhou světovou válku a holokaust. Většina jeho díla je autobiografická, často skrytě - téměř všemi jeho knihami prochází figura senzitivního, slabého hocha, žijícího ve svém vnitřním světě a toužícího po citovém přátelství. Právě tato stále se vracející postava trpícího a mučeného chlapce má silnou míru autobiografičnosti. Fuksovo dílo je někdy také autobiografickou travestií – např. Vévodkyně a kuchařka. Fuks je ve svém díle též mistrem masky, jinotajů a náznaků, k čemuž byl jako homosexuál přirozeně donucen dobou, v níž žil a tvořil. Ve svých knihách se také často dopouští jen těžko odhalitelných žertů a se svými čtenáři nejednou hraje rafinovanou hru, která mnohým z nich zůstane neodhalena.
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November 24, 2018
A young friend of mine encouraged me to finally read this novel. Her school had invited her class to a theater production of the book at the prestigious Stavovské Divadlo (National Scene) in Prague. She was impressed with the performance, but expressed the following assessment of the play itself: “It was psychopathic and it gave me nightmares.”
Like many people outside of the Czech and Slovak Republics, I was familiar with Ladislav Fuks’ short novel through its film adaptation by Juraj Herz. The book (and the film) is considered a modern classic, and it was amongst the first East European films to see distribution on DVD back in the early naughts (in USA through Facets, and in UK on the Second Run imprint). While the film (also scripted by Fuks) follows the book fairly closely in terms of plot, the character of Mr. Kopfrkingl (the cremator of the title) is developed very differently in the book.
Opening in the late thirties, Kopfrkingl is initially portrayed as a fairly typical burgher of Prague. He is married to a raven-haired beauty, whom he adores above all else on earth. He has two teenaged children, a good position at the crematorium, and a nice apartment close to the center of the city. He is a normal person on the simple side, who does not ask the big questions. He wants what the vast spectrum of humanity wants – to belong and feel loved, to be accepted and even respected, to have security, and to prosper and provide for his family. He is naïve, even willfully naïve; using his simplicity as a shield against any threat to his sense of safety and equilibrium.
Hence, he experiences the Jewish people he interacts with through work and as neighbors as kind and friendly, and although he does have “a drop of German blood” in his veins, it is not something he gives much thought, because he naturally sees himself as Czech before anything else. He is not oblivious to the changes that are taking place in the world around him, but, he feigns ignorance, and he picks up on bits and pieces of news and conversation that he makes his own vernacular, brushing off any sense of threat with repeated clichés, such as “…we live in a civilized world…” and “…people do not tolerate violence…”
However, in the background of the story, the world is changing rapidly. The German Nation is making claims on the Sudetenland, and gradually Kopfrkingl is literally made to understand that he is not an island. Moreover, it is made clear to him that a man with “a drop of German blood” in his veins, and with expertise and ability can advance in society, provided that he is adaptable in his world view. Given Kopfrkingl’s character it is not difficult to imagine that he will find ways to bend his sense of reality ever so slightly to conform to these changes around him, and how slowly, as the world becomes more and more insane, we end up with a man that is a monster. Here is not an evil man, not even an overly opportunistic man, simply a man, who does his best to fit in and adapt.
The tone of Fuks’ book is very darkly humorous, and his portrayal of Kopfrkingl is grotesque to the point where he almost sabotages the intent of his novel. Few books have probably come closer to answering the question of how people managed to perform unspeakable acts during the last world war, or during any other time in history. However, the character of Kopfrkingl is perhaps just a touch too pathetic and intrinsically weak to make most readers able to identify with him, and accept that the slow change from a good, decent person to a demonic arbiter of all that is base and evil is not unique to this man, his time or his place.
Like many people outside of the Czech and Slovak Republics, I was familiar with Ladislav Fuks’ short novel through its film adaptation by Juraj Herz. The book (and the film) is considered a modern classic, and it was amongst the first East European films to see distribution on DVD back in the early naughts (in USA through Facets, and in UK on the Second Run imprint). While the film (also scripted by Fuks) follows the book fairly closely in terms of plot, the character of Mr. Kopfrkingl (the cremator of the title) is developed very differently in the book.
Opening in the late thirties, Kopfrkingl is initially portrayed as a fairly typical burgher of Prague. He is married to a raven-haired beauty, whom he adores above all else on earth. He has two teenaged children, a good position at the crematorium, and a nice apartment close to the center of the city. He is a normal person on the simple side, who does not ask the big questions. He wants what the vast spectrum of humanity wants – to belong and feel loved, to be accepted and even respected, to have security, and to prosper and provide for his family. He is naïve, even willfully naïve; using his simplicity as a shield against any threat to his sense of safety and equilibrium.
Hence, he experiences the Jewish people he interacts with through work and as neighbors as kind and friendly, and although he does have “a drop of German blood” in his veins, it is not something he gives much thought, because he naturally sees himself as Czech before anything else. He is not oblivious to the changes that are taking place in the world around him, but, he feigns ignorance, and he picks up on bits and pieces of news and conversation that he makes his own vernacular, brushing off any sense of threat with repeated clichés, such as “…we live in a civilized world…” and “…people do not tolerate violence…”
However, in the background of the story, the world is changing rapidly. The German Nation is making claims on the Sudetenland, and gradually Kopfrkingl is literally made to understand that he is not an island. Moreover, it is made clear to him that a man with “a drop of German blood” in his veins, and with expertise and ability can advance in society, provided that he is adaptable in his world view. Given Kopfrkingl’s character it is not difficult to imagine that he will find ways to bend his sense of reality ever so slightly to conform to these changes around him, and how slowly, as the world becomes more and more insane, we end up with a man that is a monster. Here is not an evil man, not even an overly opportunistic man, simply a man, who does his best to fit in and adapt.
The tone of Fuks’ book is very darkly humorous, and his portrayal of Kopfrkingl is grotesque to the point where he almost sabotages the intent of his novel. Few books have probably come closer to answering the question of how people managed to perform unspeakable acts during the last world war, or during any other time in history. However, the character of Kopfrkingl is perhaps just a touch too pathetic and intrinsically weak to make most readers able to identify with him, and accept that the slow change from a good, decent person to a demonic arbiter of all that is base and evil is not unique to this man, his time or his place.
May 24, 2014
Co kdybych tě oběsil? Jedna z knih z oné "povinné" četby, po které stojí za to sáhnout, i když máte školní léta za sebou. Doporučuji také výborný film s Rudolfem Hrušínským. :-)
May 16, 2023
Ladislav Fuks je češki Miodrag Bulatović, ni više, ni manje. Ne postoji bolji opis ovog dela. Groteskno, gadno, odvratno, tužno, gde crni humor pomalja svoju glavu s vremena na vreme, a najkrupnije promene prolaze ispod radara.
Po naslovu i saznanju da ima veze sa Drugim svetskim ratom, prvo sam mislio da će biti možda priče o nekom nemačkom vojniku u logoru ili nečemu sličnom, što se nije ispostavilo da je slučaj. Čitajući, opet nisam mislio da će otići u smeru u kom je otišlo i onda se desila tragedija. Sređujući Goodreads izdanja sam naleteo na rasplet i zbog toga nije bilo reakcije kod mene koju je inače trebalo i koju bi sigurno proizvelo ovo delo. Čak me je i udavilo.
Razvoj glavnog lika je fenomenalan, od naivnog, porodičnog čoveka do manijaka zadojenog nacističkom ideologijom. I sve to zbog par kapi nemačke krvi, da iskoristim njegove reči.
Ovo izdanje zapravo sadrži 2 Fuksova dela, ali će Put u obećanu zemlju morati da sačeka još neko vreme.
Po naslovu i saznanju da ima veze sa Drugim svetskim ratom, prvo sam mislio da će biti možda priče o nekom nemačkom vojniku u logoru ili nečemu sličnom, što se nije ispostavilo da je slučaj. Čitajući, opet nisam mislio da će otići u smeru u kom je otišlo i onda se desila tragedija. Sređujući Goodreads izdanja sam naleteo na rasplet i zbog toga nije bilo reakcije kod mene koju je inače trebalo i koju bi sigurno proizvelo ovo delo. Čak me je i udavilo.
Razvoj glavnog lika je fenomenalan, od naivnog, porodičnog čoveka do manijaka zadojenog nacističkom ideologijom. I sve to zbog par kapi nemačke krvi, da iskoristim njegove reči.
Ovo izdanje zapravo sadrži 2 Fuksova dela, ali će Put u obećanu zemlju morati da sačeka još neko vreme.
September 4, 2020
Забележителен роман, който прилича на сюрреалистично стихотворение, на музика, на кино и на страшна детска песничка, в която се римуват ужасни предчувствия. Това е портрет на един от онези хора, които в мирни обстоятелства са естествено градиво на обществото, разбрани, мили и вписани в общата картина, но са толкова привързани към тази си вписаност, че ако картината се превърне в уродлив шарж на всичко човешко, те ще продължат да правят каквото могат, за да бъдат част от нея. С цената на всичко.
Много, много обичам книги, в които стилът води повествованието толкова, колкото и то – него, а „Крематорът“ е превъзходен образец за това. Изключително ми бяха забавни ритмичните появи на емоционалната дама с гердана и перото и нейния сърдит съпруг, впечатлиха ме всички „розоволики девойки в черни рокли“, както и постоянните траурни символи, героите с имена на композитори, героите с имена на животни (нещо, което може би няма да се разбере напълно от българските читатели, защото не са адаптирани в превода – аз покрай руски се сещам, че Беран е Овен например, но можеше да се направи достъпно за всички)...
Преводът е чудесен.
Издателството леко ме изненада с недоизпипани детайли от типа на грешно изписани или непреведени думи/фрази на немски (в част от случаите са правилно изписани и са преведени под линия или в текста, затова и се набива на очи, че в друга част не са) или това: "The translation has subsidized by the Ministry of Culture of the Chezh Republic" (благодарността към субсидиралите изданието, в която е объркано името на държавата!). На с. 69 долу не е г-н Пеликан, а г-н Копферкингел; на с. 76 два пъти е написано Мили вместо Мила (двама различни герои); на с. 180 Мадлен е вероятно Марлен.
----------------------
„Нежна моя – обърна се господин Копферкингел към красивата си чернокоса съпруга пред прага на павилиона с хищниците и лекият пролетен ветрец развя косите му, – ето ни отново тук.“
„всеки човек се нуждае от любов, дори и полицаите, които се борят с проституцията“
„Миливой, който също беше чернокос и красив, но все още с глуповато и изплашено изражение“
„Името не ми говори нищо. Щраусите не са евреи. Щраусът е птица.“
„Момъкът пред нас – посочи тя младежа зад жената в кацата – е баняджия и теляк, и бръснар, и знахар, и градски тръбач.“
„го насадиха сред тях като роза сред тръни“
„Погледни, надоблачна моя...“
Много, много обичам книги, в които стилът води повествованието толкова, колкото и то – него, а „Крематорът“ е превъзходен образец за това. Изключително ми бяха забавни ритмичните появи на емоционалната дама с гердана и перото и нейния сърдит съпруг, впечатлиха ме всички „розоволики девойки в черни рокли“, както и постоянните траурни символи, героите с имена на композитори, героите с имена на животни (нещо, което може би няма да се разбере напълно от българските читатели, защото не са адаптирани в превода – аз покрай руски се сещам, че Беран е Овен например, но можеше да се направи достъпно за всички)...
Преводът е чудесен.
Издателството леко ме изненада с недоизпипани детайли от типа на грешно изписани или непреведени думи/фрази на немски (в част от случаите са правилно изписани и са преведени под линия или в текста, затова и се набива на очи, че в друга част не са) или това: "The translation has subsidized by the Ministry of Culture of the Chezh Republic" (благодарността към субсидиралите изданието, в която е объркано името на държавата!). На с. 69 долу не е г-н Пеликан, а г-н Копферкингел; на с. 76 два пъти е написано Мили вместо Мила (двама различни герои); на с. 180 Мадлен е вероятно Марлен.
----------------------
„Нежна моя – обърна се господин Копферкингел към красивата си чернокоса съпруга пред прага на павилиона с хищниците и лекият пролетен ветрец развя косите му, – ето ни отново тук.“
„всеки човек се нуждае от любов, дори и полицаите, които се борят с проституцията“
„Миливой, който също беше чернокос и красив, но все още с глуповато и изплашено изражение“
„Името не ми говори нищо. Щраусите не са евреи. Щраусът е птица.“
„Момъкът пред нас – посочи тя младежа зад жената в кацата – е баняджия и теляк, и бръснар, и знахар, и градски тръбач.“
„го насадиха сред тях като роза сред тръни“
„Погледни, надоблачна моя...“
October 5, 2020
Il signor Kopfrkingl, protagonista del romanzo dal nome impronunciabile, è un uomo al limite del patologico che tende a reprimere alcuni suoi caratteri e a esaltarne altri in modo altrettanto patologico e forzato. È un piccolo borghese che si occupa in modo colloso della famiglia, in modo maniacale della casa, in modo represso delle donne e che di mestiere fa l’addetto alla cremazione in quello che egli stesso definisce il Tempio della morte, mestiere che esalta ad arte e ragione di vita e igiene sociale, ”viviamo in un buon paese civile, che costruisce e mette in opera dei crematori… per che cosa? Solo così per fare, perché la gente vada a visitarli, come musei? Ma l’uomo, prima tornai polvere, prima giunge alla sua liberazione, trasformazione, illuminazione e reincarnazione, e anche gli animali del resto, ci sono paesi signor Strauss, dove usano bruciare anche gli animali dopo la morte, come in Tibet. Quel mio libro giallo sul Tibet è formidabile.”
Il signor Kopfrkingl è quasi l’unica voce parlante e si manifesta con monologhi dalle frasi reiterate, si rivolge alle donne della sua famiglia con toni sdolcinati e irritanti e usando continuamente appellativi come incantevole o celeste o ineffabile; è un vaso vuoto che si riempie dei concetti espressi da altri facendoli suoi un po’ come il Babbitt di Sinclair Lewis, e ripete fino alla nausea ”sono astemio, non bevo, non fumo”; mostra di adorare la consorte, ma non disdegna di occhieggiare altre donne e non è chiaro se le frequenti, ma si fa spesso analizzare il sangue dal suo amico medico per verificare di non aver contratto malattie veneree, ”Se mi rendessi conto di aver contagiato mia moglie, mi sparerei. Lo faccio per avere la coscienza tranquilla.”
Siamo nella Praga della fine degli anni Trenta, il signor Kopfrkingl è fondamentalmente un uomo debole e non è ancora attratto dal nazismo, anzi lo teme, ”’… dicono che a Norimberga si sia tenuto il congresso dei nazionalsocialisti, dove ha parlato Hitler, pare abbia parlato in modo aggressivo, contro di noi… chi lo sa, che accadrà. Dottore, sono preoccupato…’ soggiunse e tra sé e sé pensò: sono preoccupato come il nostro signor Zajic e ne ho quasi paura. Per molte persone può diventare un inferno.”
È l’incontro ravvicinato con l’esaltazione ideologica del nazismo impersonificata dal suo conoscente Willi, ceco di origine tedesca, a tentare e plagiare il signor Kopfrkingl portandolo alla progressiva trasformazione, alla liberazione del suo Io disturbato, alle manifestazioni ostentate di atti di forza, alla messa a disposizione della sua professionalità al servizio dell’igiene del mondo. E per emergere, per aspirare alla nuova purezza, il rinnovato signor Kopfrkingl deve fare piazza pulita del suo presente, arrivando a pronunciare il risolutivo "E se ti impiccassi, cara?".
La metamorfosi del signor Kopfrkingl è completata dalla commistione con il misticismo tibetano e non può che sovrapporsi all’inarrestabile ascesa del nazismo e all’esaltazione della sua impresa salvifica sino al manifestarsi della sua immane follia.
Il bruciacadaveri è una lettura che cattura senza essere lineare e scontata; l’impianto narrativo è disseminato di ambiguità, di non detti e il finale non è così netto. Sicuramente è un libro che fa pensare e che si presta a una lettura più universale, in fondo, la nascita del buon nazista della porta accanto non è poi tanto dissimile da quella del buon razzista o del buon giustizialista.
Il signor Kopfrkingl è quasi l’unica voce parlante e si manifesta con monologhi dalle frasi reiterate, si rivolge alle donne della sua famiglia con toni sdolcinati e irritanti e usando continuamente appellativi come incantevole o celeste o ineffabile; è un vaso vuoto che si riempie dei concetti espressi da altri facendoli suoi un po’ come il Babbitt di Sinclair Lewis, e ripete fino alla nausea ”sono astemio, non bevo, non fumo”; mostra di adorare la consorte, ma non disdegna di occhieggiare altre donne e non è chiaro se le frequenti, ma si fa spesso analizzare il sangue dal suo amico medico per verificare di non aver contratto malattie veneree, ”Se mi rendessi conto di aver contagiato mia moglie, mi sparerei. Lo faccio per avere la coscienza tranquilla.”
Siamo nella Praga della fine degli anni Trenta, il signor Kopfrkingl è fondamentalmente un uomo debole e non è ancora attratto dal nazismo, anzi lo teme, ”’… dicono che a Norimberga si sia tenuto il congresso dei nazionalsocialisti, dove ha parlato Hitler, pare abbia parlato in modo aggressivo, contro di noi… chi lo sa, che accadrà. Dottore, sono preoccupato…’ soggiunse e tra sé e sé pensò: sono preoccupato come il nostro signor Zajic e ne ho quasi paura. Per molte persone può diventare un inferno.”
È l’incontro ravvicinato con l’esaltazione ideologica del nazismo impersonificata dal suo conoscente Willi, ceco di origine tedesca, a tentare e plagiare il signor Kopfrkingl portandolo alla progressiva trasformazione, alla liberazione del suo Io disturbato, alle manifestazioni ostentate di atti di forza, alla messa a disposizione della sua professionalità al servizio dell’igiene del mondo. E per emergere, per aspirare alla nuova purezza, il rinnovato signor Kopfrkingl deve fare piazza pulita del suo presente, arrivando a pronunciare il risolutivo "E se ti impiccassi, cara?".
La metamorfosi del signor Kopfrkingl è completata dalla commistione con il misticismo tibetano e non può che sovrapporsi all’inarrestabile ascesa del nazismo e all’esaltazione della sua impresa salvifica sino al manifestarsi della sua immane follia.
Il bruciacadaveri è una lettura che cattura senza essere lineare e scontata; l’impianto narrativo è disseminato di ambiguità, di non detti e il finale non è così netto. Sicuramente è un libro che fa pensare e che si presta a una lettura più universale, in fondo, la nascita del buon nazista della porta accanto non è poi tanto dissimile da quella del buon razzista o del buon giustizialista.
June 26, 2020
...the sooner man returns to dust, the sooner he’ll be liberated, transformed, enlightened, be reincarnated.
The person who opts for cremation will be absolutely certain for the rest of his life that there’s nothing to worry about...
‘It seems rather hard [...] what the Gestapo has done. But there was probably nothing else to be done about it, nothing at all. After all, the happiness of millions of people is at stake.
This is such a strange read. This book is very funny, even laugh out loud funny at times. But what starts out rather lighthearted gradually turns incredibly dark and grim. We get hints early on, around the edges; we hear of poverty, starvation, suicides, and a woman selling skinned cats for money. But most of all, the Germans on the border who are preparing to invade Prague and the growing fear.
The protagonist works in the city crematorium and is a sort of naive fool, giving prim little speeches, mostly reciting what he soaks up from other people like a sponge. His wife and children smile and nod. He often ruminates aloud on death, as a relief from the sufferings of life. One of his friends is continually attempting to indoctrinate him into a fascistic worldview. This is a character study about how average people go along with the tide, and fall into nihilism and violence all while justifying it to themselves, every step along the way.
Then we get chilling little phrases like, "Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen to them, why should anything happen to them? They’ll just transfer them to another place of work." Or, when remarking on a Jewish acquaintance, "He was also sorry for the others, Dr. Bettelheim and his family for example, who no longer had either his car or his surgery."
What works so well here is the odd narration style, it's simple, repetitive and often quite funny. Always thinking of death, coffins and cremation, he remarks at a party:
Young ladies,’ he turned to Lenka and the fattish Lála, ‘you’re not eating either, or perhaps you’re slimming...’ and inwardly he thought: Slimming, that’s a good thing. One can at least save on the wood.
Or:
Our marriage, thought Mr. Kopfrkingl and glanced at the wedding ring on his finger, is as pure as the sky over the Temple of Death just at the moment when nobody is being cremated.
There are several scenes with effective humor all while the disturbing undercurrent rumbles ever louder in the background. It makes for a strange, uncomfortable reading experience, and yet gives you a feeling that this is how banal evil really operates, all with a bland, petty bourgeoisie civility and politeness.
The person who opts for cremation will be absolutely certain for the rest of his life that there’s nothing to worry about...
‘It seems rather hard [...] what the Gestapo has done. But there was probably nothing else to be done about it, nothing at all. After all, the happiness of millions of people is at stake.
This is such a strange read. This book is very funny, even laugh out loud funny at times. But what starts out rather lighthearted gradually turns incredibly dark and grim. We get hints early on, around the edges; we hear of poverty, starvation, suicides, and a woman selling skinned cats for money. But most of all, the Germans on the border who are preparing to invade Prague and the growing fear.
The protagonist works in the city crematorium and is a sort of naive fool, giving prim little speeches, mostly reciting what he soaks up from other people like a sponge. His wife and children smile and nod. He often ruminates aloud on death, as a relief from the sufferings of life. One of his friends is continually attempting to indoctrinate him into a fascistic worldview. This is a character study about how average people go along with the tide, and fall into nihilism and violence all while justifying it to themselves, every step along the way.
Then we get chilling little phrases like, "Don’t worry, nothing’s going to happen to them, why should anything happen to them? They’ll just transfer them to another place of work." Or, when remarking on a Jewish acquaintance, "He was also sorry for the others, Dr. Bettelheim and his family for example, who no longer had either his car or his surgery."
What works so well here is the odd narration style, it's simple, repetitive and often quite funny. Always thinking of death, coffins and cremation, he remarks at a party:
Young ladies,’ he turned to Lenka and the fattish Lála, ‘you’re not eating either, or perhaps you’re slimming...’ and inwardly he thought: Slimming, that’s a good thing. One can at least save on the wood.
Or:
Our marriage, thought Mr. Kopfrkingl and glanced at the wedding ring on his finger, is as pure as the sky over the Temple of Death just at the moment when nobody is being cremated.
There are several scenes with effective humor all while the disturbing undercurrent rumbles ever louder in the background. It makes for a strange, uncomfortable reading experience, and yet gives you a feeling that this is how banal evil really operates, all with a bland, petty bourgeoisie civility and politeness.
March 5, 2017
Opět stejně jako u jiných klasik, které jsem nedávno četl - prvně jsem si říkal, proč je to tak vychvalované, co je na tom tak úžasné. A ve druhé polovině to přišlo. Absurdní situace střídaly další absurdní situace se šibeničním humorem (doslova) a vpíjel jsem se do jednotlivých slov, co to šlo. Kompletní přeměna psychiky člověka na několika desítkách stránek, která vám vyrazí dech.
December 28, 2022
počkat ale mě to reálně bavilo? a jakože fakt dost
May 11, 2021
"Because cremation is more automatic and mechanical, it accelerates the return to dust from which man has come, and, in fact, assists God."
From the title alone, you can see where this is going, but you likely don't realize you will have to endure what is virtually a horror story to find out. Or maybe you do.
The titular funeral home worker, Karl Kopfrkingel is proud of his work, his yellow book on Tibet and his "best one", his wife, and their two wonderful children. When Hitler gains the Sudetenland, Karl's friend Willi reassures him that their German blood will ensure both their status and eventual triumph, no matter what happens. Karl isn't worried. He is abstemious, loves his wife, and has cordial relations with Jewish people in his building. But as the Czech authorities collapse and the country is given over to Nazi rule, Karl comes to discover that his wife's Jewish mother might endanger his career as a cremator.
I'll leave it there, for the horror's sake, the horror. Fuks was one of the major Czech writers to address the collaboration of his compatriots with the Nazi regime, but he does so in a curious way, by making the collaborator a genial, kindly main character while at the same time being an insidious monster. Scathing genius!
For Fuks' sake, read it!
From the title alone, you can see where this is going, but you likely don't realize you will have to endure what is virtually a horror story to find out. Or maybe you do.
The titular funeral home worker, Karl Kopfrkingel is proud of his work, his yellow book on Tibet and his "best one", his wife, and their two wonderful children. When Hitler gains the Sudetenland, Karl's friend Willi reassures him that their German blood will ensure both their status and eventual triumph, no matter what happens. Karl isn't worried. He is abstemious, loves his wife, and has cordial relations with Jewish people in his building. But as the Czech authorities collapse and the country is given over to Nazi rule, Karl comes to discover that his wife's Jewish mother might endanger his career as a cremator.
I'll leave it there, for the horror's sake, the horror. Fuks was one of the major Czech writers to address the collaboration of his compatriots with the Nazi regime, but he does so in a curious way, by making the collaborator a genial, kindly main character while at the same time being an insidious monster. Scathing genius!
For Fuks' sake, read it!
March 4, 2022
Uf...no, to byla síla. Poslouchala jsem jako audioknihu, skvělé hudební výplně mezi jednotlivými kapitolami, hlas Lukáše Hlavici se k příběhu hodil. Drsný konec. Uf.
Jsem vážně zvědavá na filmovou adaptaci z roku 1969 s Rudolfem Hrušínským.
Jsem vážně zvědavá na filmovou adaptaci z roku 1969 s Rudolfem Hrušínským.
January 8, 2021
I read in the reviews of the Hungarian edition of this novel about Fuks' use of over-sweetened, sentimental language, and I immediately knew I wanted to read this in the original, just to make all that sentimentality even more repulsive. I thought: if this sounds sentimental in Hungarian, I can't even imagine how it would sound in Czech, which, based on my less than scientific observations, is a decidedly non-sentimental language. (I secretly think that if Czech were such a widespread language as English, then it would be even more famous than English for its tendency for pragmatic understatement.)
(As an illustration: I remember a little poem from the wedding invitation of an acquaintance, which talked about how the parties are getting married because they like each other quite well enough - there was no talk about everlasting, passionate love, nor was there any talk about how the parties plan to spend the rest of their days in eternal, heavenly bliss, underscored by the song of a party of angels.)
And yes, the language of this books sounds truly awful. But of course: Fuks must know the immense pragmatic nature of his own language, so by giving such a sweet and sticky language into the mouth of his protagonist, he makes Mr. K. extremely repulsive in about two seconds. For god's sake, there's no Czech person on earth who would speak like this! And if there is, then that person is a psychopath.
And as it is, Mr. K. happens to be a psychopath, even if we don't consider the artistic pleasure he takes in cremating bodies, and even if we don't consider his unique ways of taking advantage of the drop of German blood that's flowing in his veins.
So well before we reach the point of turning Mr. K. drop of German blood to five liters of pure German blood, I was already thoroughly unsettled by Mr. K.'s simultaneously oppressive and totally weightless, impersonal niceties: the eternal hair-stroking, the tender smiles, and his constant patronizing herding and bullying of his family. (If I were a teenage kid and my father would constantly shame me in front of everyone by outlining my cute, childish theory about cars with different colors - well, I'd probably have a strong urge to do something violent.)
I don't even know what else to say. This novel is so full of images and symbols that I'm sure there's a lot I didn't even understand. But still, besides its very intricate language, it's extremely flowing and gripping, too, so I had to keep reading just one more chapter (it's really not a long book, yet, I've never finished a book in Czech so fast as this one). And moreover: it even has humor - and that's something I also wasn't expecting. Oh yes, it's dark as hell - but it's there. And I'm glad it is.
(As an illustration: I remember a little poem from the wedding invitation of an acquaintance, which talked about how the parties are getting married because they like each other quite well enough - there was no talk about everlasting, passionate love, nor was there any talk about how the parties plan to spend the rest of their days in eternal, heavenly bliss, underscored by the song of a party of angels.)
And yes, the language of this books sounds truly awful. But of course: Fuks must know the immense pragmatic nature of his own language, so by giving such a sweet and sticky language into the mouth of his protagonist, he makes Mr. K. extremely repulsive in about two seconds. For god's sake, there's no Czech person on earth who would speak like this! And if there is, then that person is a psychopath.
And as it is, Mr. K. happens to be a psychopath, even if we don't consider the artistic pleasure he takes in cremating bodies, and even if we don't consider his unique ways of taking advantage of the drop of German blood that's flowing in his veins.
So well before we reach the point of turning Mr. K. drop of German blood to five liters of pure German blood, I was already thoroughly unsettled by Mr. K.'s simultaneously oppressive and totally weightless, impersonal niceties: the eternal hair-stroking, the tender smiles, and his constant patronizing herding and bullying of his family. (If I were a teenage kid and my father would constantly shame me in front of everyone by outlining my cute, childish theory about cars with different colors - well, I'd probably have a strong urge to do something violent.)
I don't even know what else to say. This novel is so full of images and symbols that I'm sure there's a lot I didn't even understand. But still, besides its very intricate language, it's extremely flowing and gripping, too, so I had to keep reading just one more chapter (it's really not a long book, yet, I've never finished a book in Czech so fast as this one). And moreover: it even has humor - and that's something I also wasn't expecting. Oh yes, it's dark as hell - but it's there. And I'm glad it is.
May 29, 2023
říkám, kdyby všechno šestkrát neopakoval tak je ta kniha poloviční a možná i ještě kratší
no thanks
no thanks
September 14, 2025
The first half was mundane and kinda a slog to get through but by the end, everything came together and I’m left speechless to say the least
February 6, 2025
Spalovač mrtvol je první knihou, která mě vyloženě zklamala. Asi jako mnoho čtenářů jsem viděl první film s Hrušínským v hlavní roli. Ačkoliv v mém případě tomu bylo už před mnoha lety a skoro vše z děje jsem úspěšně zapomněl, tak mi v paměti utkvěla temná atmosféra a špičkové herecké výkony. Hrušínský výborně ztvárnil hlavní postavu pana Kopfrkingla, kterého pozorujeme na cestě k šílenství, jehož myšlenky,úvahy a jejich postupné změny jsou hlavním tématem a náplní.
Autor knižního originálu pan Fuks měl však zcela jiné představy a cíle pro své dílo. Jeho cílem bylo jednoduše ukázat, jak myšlenky nacismu zcela změní pohled normálních lidí na své blízké a doženou je postupně k úplnému sebezapření. K tomu by stačila jakákoliv normální postava běžného člověka , ale on proto vytvořil komplexní postavu pana Kopfrkingla. Tento “normální člověk pracuje v krematoriu, čte knihu o buddhismu, kterým je fascinován. Dále neustále rozvíjí zarážející a znepokojující myšlenky o smrti a kremaci, o které se nebojí nahlas podělit v jakékoliv rozhovoru třeba i s vlastními dětmi. V neposlední řadě neustále všechny oslovuje v superlativech a dává jim jiná jména. Tomuto temnému charakteru, který by si zasloužil vlastní rozsáhlý psychologický román je věnováno asi 150 stran a jeho jediným účelem je se zbláznit vlivem nacismu. Z toho, co jsem napsal, je patrné, že takový člověk by došel svého zbláznění tak či tak a zcela nezapadá mezi ty “normální” lidi, kteří se nechali nacismem zcela zmanipulovat.
Autorova kreativita se evidentně vyčerpala na nevyužitém potenciálu pana Kopfrkingla a zcela chyběla při tvoření jiných postav. Ten se během knihy několikrát vypraví do společnosti, kde zcela nesmyslně naráží na ty stejné a dějově absolutně nepodstatné postavy, které vedou neustále stejné a nedůležité dialogy. Tento jev jsem nebyl schopen pochopit. Jelikož tato kniha měla pouze jednu myšlenku, která musela být sdělena, tak zničehonic končí s narychlo udělaným koncem, který by myšlenku měl, ale cesta k němu je příliš uspěchaná.
Nevyužitý potenciál je to, co mě vždy rozesmutní. Autor vytvořil zcela disproporčně zajímavou a komplexní postavu pro sdělení jedné myšlenky v krátké knížečce. Pokud stojíte o psychologický a ponurý román, tak tady ho nehledejte.
Autor knižního originálu pan Fuks měl však zcela jiné představy a cíle pro své dílo. Jeho cílem bylo jednoduše ukázat, jak myšlenky nacismu zcela změní pohled normálních lidí na své blízké a doženou je postupně k úplnému sebezapření. K tomu by stačila jakákoliv normální postava běžného člověka , ale on proto vytvořil komplexní postavu pana Kopfrkingla. Tento “normální člověk pracuje v krematoriu, čte knihu o buddhismu, kterým je fascinován. Dále neustále rozvíjí zarážející a znepokojující myšlenky o smrti a kremaci, o které se nebojí nahlas podělit v jakékoliv rozhovoru třeba i s vlastními dětmi. V neposlední řadě neustále všechny oslovuje v superlativech a dává jim jiná jména. Tomuto temnému charakteru, který by si zasloužil vlastní rozsáhlý psychologický román je věnováno asi 150 stran a jeho jediným účelem je se zbláznit vlivem nacismu. Z toho, co jsem napsal, je patrné, že takový člověk by došel svého zbláznění tak či tak a zcela nezapadá mezi ty “normální” lidi, kteří se nechali nacismem zcela zmanipulovat.
Autorova kreativita se evidentně vyčerpala na nevyužitém potenciálu pana Kopfrkingla a zcela chyběla při tvoření jiných postav. Ten se během knihy několikrát vypraví do společnosti, kde zcela nesmyslně naráží na ty stejné a dějově absolutně nepodstatné postavy, které vedou neustále stejné a nedůležité dialogy. Tento jev jsem nebyl schopen pochopit. Jelikož tato kniha měla pouze jednu myšlenku, která musela být sdělena, tak zničehonic končí s narychlo udělaným koncem, který by myšlenku měl, ale cesta k němu je příliš uspěchaná.
Nevyužitý potenciál je to, co mě vždy rozesmutní. Autor vytvořil zcela disproporčně zajímavou a komplexní postavu pro sdělení jedné myšlenky v krátké knížečce. Pokud stojíte o psychologický a ponurý román, tak tady ho nehledejte.
April 23, 2018
Well, The Cremator was certainly an interesting read. Mr Kopfrkingl is an interesting character, not wholly unlikeable to begin with, wanting the best for his family and is troubled by the cruelty that exists in the world. He works in a crematorium and views his job as way of relieving people’s suffering and allowing them eternal peace, as there is no suffering once your body has returned to ashes. However, as time progresses he succumbs to the Nazi ideology of his friend, and a cremator is the perfect occupation to dispose of those who do not fit with his new way of thinking.
Fuks has such a unique narration style, I’m not even sure I could describe it, so I’m going to go with the blurbs description – it’s tragicomic (manifesting both tragic and comic aspects). This is a horror novel, but horror in an almost satirical fashion. Out of context, I would say this novel gives food-for-thought on one man’s decent into madness. It was only once I’d read the ‘Afterword’ at the end of the novel, and placed what I’d just read in its proper historical context, was I able to appreciate fully what Fuks has created. I was able to match the characters and ideas present in this novel to the historical and political time in which it’s set, and while this novel was still one man’s descent into madness, it became so much more than that.
I enjoyed this novel, particularly because I really liked the narration style; I have no illusions that it will appeal to everyone, especially as the narration can be very repetitive at times. The plot itself is lucid, showing in a simple manner how Mr Kopfrkingl succumbed to the Nazi regime. Disturbing in its simplicity, The Cremator is a horror novel unlike none I’ve read before – a good and quick read, made even more powerful by the ‘Afterword.’
Fuks has such a unique narration style, I’m not even sure I could describe it, so I’m going to go with the blurbs description – it’s tragicomic (manifesting both tragic and comic aspects). This is a horror novel, but horror in an almost satirical fashion. Out of context, I would say this novel gives food-for-thought on one man’s decent into madness. It was only once I’d read the ‘Afterword’ at the end of the novel, and placed what I’d just read in its proper historical context, was I able to appreciate fully what Fuks has created. I was able to match the characters and ideas present in this novel to the historical and political time in which it’s set, and while this novel was still one man’s descent into madness, it became so much more than that.
I enjoyed this novel, particularly because I really liked the narration style; I have no illusions that it will appeal to everyone, especially as the narration can be very repetitive at times. The plot itself is lucid, showing in a simple manner how Mr Kopfrkingl succumbed to the Nazi regime. Disturbing in its simplicity, The Cremator is a horror novel unlike none I’ve read before – a good and quick read, made even more powerful by the ‘Afterword.’
September 25, 2016
I really like the idea of several characters appearing repeatedly as the story continues, I believe that it helepd to create a confined but ironic mood. Karl Kopfrkingl is one of the most unique, significant (and scary) heroes of all time. The way the author catured his behaviour and his inner psychology is stunning.
October 23, 2015
Stejně jako film geniální. Kopfkringl předešel dobu se svoji vlezlou a stále se opakující informaci, že je abstinent. Aniž by byl tázán to furt někomu cpe a slouží tak jako vzor dnešním veganům. Krom odfláknutýho konce, kdy mi přišlo, jakoby to už Fuksu moc nebavilo a chtěl bejt hotovej, splendid.
March 6, 2023
Jako první jsem viděla film, takže ta knížka nebyla tak hrozná na čtení, i když jsem chvilkama chtěla přeskočit pár stránek. Pan Kopfrkingl řekl víc slov za 154 stran než já za celý život.
January 22, 2020
Po początkowym zniechęceniu książka okazała się ciekawą pozycją. Zapiszę sobie nazwisko autora.
December 11, 2024
Českých autorov už čítam len tých preložených do angličtiny.
January 11, 2022
“Násilí se nikomu nevyplácí. S tím se může vystačit jen krátkou dobu, ale dějiny se jím psát nedají. Žijeme v civilizovaném světě, v Evropě, ve dvacátém století."
"Because you enjoyed Nejšťastnější muž na zemi you may also like Spalovač mrtvol." Že by programátoři do poslední aktualizace goodreads recommendations zvládli implementovat i ironii a černý humor? Každopádně díky, k tomuhle klenotu české literatury už jsem se chtěla vrátit dlouho a v kontextu s čerstvými dojmy z Nejšťastnějšího muže na zemi získává Spalovač ještě o něco hlubší rozměr. Zároveň je v pandemické realitě o něco děsivější číst o tom, jak moc můžou různé názory rozdělovat lidi, a taky jak snadno se při slepém následování špatných myšlenek člověk dostane na scestí...
"Because you enjoyed Nejšťastnější muž na zemi you may also like Spalovač mrtvol." Že by programátoři do poslední aktualizace goodreads recommendations zvládli implementovat i ironii a černý humor? Každopádně díky, k tomuhle klenotu české literatury už jsem se chtěla vrátit dlouho a v kontextu s čerstvými dojmy z Nejšťastnějšího muže na zemi získává Spalovač ještě o něco hlubší rozměr. Zároveň je v pandemické realitě o něco děsivější číst o tom, jak moc můžou různé názory rozdělovat lidi, a taky jak snadno se při slepém následování špatných myšlenek člověk dostane na scestí...
May 30, 2017
фукс пише в зовсім особливій тональності. його історії, дивні й сюрреалістичні, звучать як притчі, розказані в дзеркальному коридорі.
ця – про прихід нацизму в одну окрему душу. про перетворення "людини з краплинкою німецької крові" на "чистокровного арійця" (хоча, звісно, назва ідеології тут особливого значення не має, інакше чого б фільм, знятий за "крематором" 1969 року, заборонили для прокату). про обітницю щасливого нового світу, в якому місця для всіх точно не виявиться, тож найкраще, що можна зробити для потенційних відкинутих, – профілактично їх убити.
ця – про прихід нацизму в одну окрему душу. про перетворення "людини з краплинкою німецької крові" на "чистокровного арійця" (хоча, звісно, назва ідеології тут особливого значення не має, інакше чого б фільм, знятий за "крематором" 1969 року, заборонили для прокату). про обітницю щасливого нового світу, в якому місця для всіх точно не виявиться, тож найкраще, що можна зробити для потенційних відкинутих, – профілактично їх убити.
December 28, 2022
A classic of Czech literature, which also has a film that I need too see after this. This can easily be called a horror story, anytime your subject matter is world war 2 and the Nazis, you don't really have to say much more. The way it's written just adds to the creepyness~ blocks of text, metaphors, repetitions, propaganda, it's you the reader watching our main character being inched into the madness of this way of thinking. My last book of the year. I would recommend it to people that like the work of Laszlo Krasznahrkai, Franz Kafka and Witold Gombrowicz.
January 28, 2021
Moja srdcovka. Ako film, tak i kniha. Absolútne famózny desivo, melancholicko, psychologický počin. Škoda len, že pri jej čítaní neviem vypnúť čiernobiele premietanie Hrušínského. 🖤
December 31, 2020
Kniha rovnako výborná ako film, ktorý parádne vykresľuje jej atmosféru. Dlhšia recenzia by asi vyspoilovala dej a je celkom zážitok bez potuchy sledovať, ako sa vyvíja charakter vo vlastnom svete žijúceho a niekedy až smiešne pôsobiaceho pána Kopfrkingla s jeho večným: "Děkuji, alkohol nepiji. Ani nekouřím. Jsem abstinent..." Tak len krátky dodatok o tom, že som si znova uvedomila, ako sa dajú ideológiou obhájiť činy proti druhému človeku ako vyššie dobro a vyšší cieľ.
Povzbudivé citáty na záver:
"Prohlašení za mrtvou je ten nejodpovědnější, ale i nevznešenější úřední akt, který se na tomto světe koná."
"Tabulky se pane Dvořák, nebojte, je to jakýsi časový řád, jakýsi jízdní řád smrti. Vždyť je to vlastně ten nejvznešenější jízdní řád, který na tomto světe je. Jízdní řád, kterému nikdo neujde."
Povzbudivé citáty na záver:
"Prohlašení za mrtvou je ten nejodpovědnější, ale i nevznešenější úřední akt, který se na tomto světe koná."
"Tabulky se pane Dvořák, nebojte, je to jakýsi časový řád, jakýsi jízdní řád smrti. Vždyť je to vlastně ten nejvznešenější jízdní řád, který na tomto světe je. Jízdní řád, kterému nikdo neujde."
August 17, 2024
Okay,hodně zajímavý. Přišlo mi to ze začátku trochu pomalý a nevěděla jsem co čekat, ale potom to začalo být víc propletený a složitý a už se něco dělo. Ta atmosféra byla děsivá a celý to bylo dost zvláštní, ale to je ta pointa :D Ten konec mě teda úplně dostal!
March 25, 2014
Nejznámnější české (kanonické) novely mají ve svých hrdinech povětšinou modely, ne tolik osoby jako znaky nebo klíče k dešifrování světa. Pan Kopfrkingl je jedním z nich, podobně jako Švejk, Josef K. nebo Dr. Galén. Tyto postavy popisují a rozkrývají mechanismy stojící za nechvalnými lapsy dějin, obecně jsou většinou ohniskem nějaké širší společenské viny či prostě lidského zla. Fuksova diagnostika je i v tomto samozřejmě také dobová - odráží se v ní patolízalství a kolaborantství případně jenom naivita a sugestibilita nemalé části českého národa, kteréžto usnadnili výkon moci nacistické obludě. Především se však kniha zabývá patologickou ideologií zaslíbeného ráje, která je na první pohled možná přitažlivá, nutně však vede k násilí a opuštění rozumu, vždy končí rozdělením lidstva na vyvolené a zatracené, vždy vede k nevinným obětem na oltáři "společného prospěchu". Tyto zrůdné ráje mají podobu aranžovaných rodinných portrétů a sterilních konvencí na místě opravdových vztahů, stejně jako je reprezentuje německé Casino - vybraný bordel předstírající panteon lidských polobohů. Na "metafyzické" úrovni jsou pověšeny na háky prostoduché víry v blahobyt a ne-utrpení. Sem patří jak Kopfrkinglova posedlost žehem (osvobozuje účinně duše) stejně jako úcta před jakýmkoli zákonem, byť by měl posvětit sebezrůdnější genocidu (legalizovaný rasismus a Šoa jako cesta k "nové Evropě"). Abych se nevyjadřoval příliš intelektuálsky - jak se říká: cesta do pekel je dlážděna samými dobrými skutky. Ovšem to je rčení popisující situaci z "objektivní" pozice, kdy vidíme, že dobré úmysly mohou vést do pekel, aniž by toto peklo bylo cílem jednání. Cílem je naopak "nebe" a k jeho dosažení je z hlediska "dobrodinců" možné přinášet krvavé oběti. Schody do "nebe" jsou tak postaveny z mrtvol těch, kteří nechtějí být spaseni. A kdo je hoden a kdo nechce určuje hlasatel spásy. Ve Fuksově próze je to trefně vyjádřeno Reinkeovým "eufemismem", že Židé jsou národ tolik starý a proto sklerotický, neschopný vidět dobrodinní, které chystá Hitler světu. Zrůda zahalená v pozlátko soucitu. Konečně v tom je Fuks právě geniální, jelikož neodhaluje samotný nacismus - který konečně zase tolik nepředstíral a dával jasně najevo, co je jeho cílem - skrze jakoby naivního nebo bezcharakterního spalovače mrtvol ukazuje nebezpečí psychopatů, kteří to s námi myslí dobře, respektive nebezpečí spasitelských idejí obecně, jelikož ten kdo chce spasit, dělá si vždy absolutní nárok na svobodu a svědomí každého z nás, aniž by mu to kdykoli mohlo patřit. Spasitelé chtějí rozhodovat za člověka. Spása vyžaduje totalizaci dobra a tak vede ke zlu. Kopfrkingl tak není obraz užitečného idiota, je zrcadlem lidské slabosti věřit prorokům (demagogům).
V tom je tato novela tak silná myšlenkově. Styl kterým je napsána je perfektním dokladem toho, jak podpořit formou obsah. Dokonalá odtažitost obklopující hrdinu nejdříve nafouknutá samými cukrbliky mezi kterými se brzy začnou hemžit chorobné zárodky spasitelství, se teprve v samém závěru (možná zbytečně) odhalí jako projev šílenství - do té doby se s objektivní pečlivostí skládají všechny i nepatrné projevy ve skoro logickou cestu rostoucí "dobroty". Mě osobně se líbí opakující se motivy v pozadí: reklama na záclony, domácí reprodukce a zejména všudypřítomnost okrajových postav. Zvláště až karikaturní páreček hromotluka a hysterky dodává celému dílu zvláštní příchuť grotesky. Ostatně sám Kopfrkingl působí v mnoha ohledech komicky (což tak dokonale dokázal ztvárnit Hrušínský ve stejnojmeném filmu). Tento podprahový tragikomický rys nezvykle novele přidává na ostrosti a mrazivosti, pro kterou si čtenář neveselé memento podrží v mysli snad napořád.
V tom je tato novela tak silná myšlenkově. Styl kterým je napsána je perfektním dokladem toho, jak podpořit formou obsah. Dokonalá odtažitost obklopující hrdinu nejdříve nafouknutá samými cukrbliky mezi kterými se brzy začnou hemžit chorobné zárodky spasitelství, se teprve v samém závěru (možná zbytečně) odhalí jako projev šílenství - do té doby se s objektivní pečlivostí skládají všechny i nepatrné projevy ve skoro logickou cestu rostoucí "dobroty". Mě osobně se líbí opakující se motivy v pozadí: reklama na záclony, domácí reprodukce a zejména všudypřítomnost okrajových postav. Zvláště až karikaturní páreček hromotluka a hysterky dodává celému dílu zvláštní příchuť grotesky. Ostatně sám Kopfrkingl působí v mnoha ohledech komicky (což tak dokonale dokázal ztvárnit Hrušínský ve stejnojmeném filmu). Tento podprahový tragikomický rys nezvykle novele přidává na ostrosti a mrazivosti, pro kterou si čtenář neveselé memento podrží v mysli snad napořád.
June 8, 2022
The Cremator is a strange, but funny read—funny in a very dark and twisted sense (but I feel like this should not come as a surprise with me by now). Mr. Kopfrkingl is probably one of the most memorable characters I’ve read recently, up there with Bernhard’s Reger from Old Masters. At the beginning he is the undertaker at a crematorium and a husband and father who just wants the best for his family, troubled the poverty and suffering in the world, dabbles in Tibetan Buddhism and decorating his apartment.
“Our marriage, thought Mr. Kopfrkingl and glanced at the wedding ring on his finger, is as pure as the sky over the Temple of Death just at the moment when nobody is being cremated.”
… that is until Hitler gains the Sudetenland and Kopfrkingl is seduced by Nazi propaganda. Then hfs(!!!) do things take a turn, without spoiling anything, of course.
Ladislav Fuks has created an excellent psychological/ satirical horror story, with a narration style--simple, repetitive--and atmosphere--including small characters constantly reappearing--that evoke the encroaching terrors as Hitler gains the Sudetenland and the impending madness of Kopfrkingl. I enjoyed it quite a lot, maybe too much, and recommend it as well as the film adaptation, which I maybe enjoyed even more.
"It's terrible indeed what people went through in those days. They were helpless against the plague, but those were the Middle Ages."
"Middle Ages, my dear Roman," said Lakmé when they had stepped out onto the street. "People suffer nowadays too. Once they suffered from the plague, today from something else."
“Our marriage, thought Mr. Kopfrkingl and glanced at the wedding ring on his finger, is as pure as the sky over the Temple of Death just at the moment when nobody is being cremated.”
… that is until Hitler gains the Sudetenland and Kopfrkingl is seduced by Nazi propaganda. Then hfs(!!!) do things take a turn, without spoiling anything, of course.
Ladislav Fuks has created an excellent psychological/ satirical horror story, with a narration style--simple, repetitive--and atmosphere--including small characters constantly reappearing--that evoke the encroaching terrors as Hitler gains the Sudetenland and the impending madness of Kopfrkingl. I enjoyed it quite a lot, maybe too much, and recommend it as well as the film adaptation, which I maybe enjoyed even more.
"It's terrible indeed what people went through in those days. They were helpless against the plague, but those were the Middle Ages."
"Middle Ages, my dear Roman," said Lakmé when they had stepped out onto the street. "People suffer nowadays too. Once they suffered from the plague, today from something else."
April 1, 2013
Absolutely brillinat and horrific story. I have read it in the Czech language and appreciate surrealism and poetic expressions.
I was moved by the internal conflict of Karl Kopfrkingl in between the drop of german blood he clamed and his loyalty to whife and two children with jewish backround. Fuks described extraordinary way Karl's journey where he transforms from a family orientated loving husband to a cremator/murder of many innocent lives. It is suprising and shocking to exept Karl's way of thinking. How he does justy his actions to him self, family and his nazi friends. How he gets manipulated by his nazi friends in combination of influence from Budhism in his favorite yellow book about Tibet and his passion for the work in creamatorium.
His thinking is that he helps these innocent spirits by turning them in a couple of hours into a pure ash and send then to Universe to help them escape from suffering here in Hitler's Empire.
I question Karl's way of thinking and interacting with the outside world from the beginning. When he acts like an dictator in his house and his family has to do anything he sais. His view on life and death as well as love for art and music seems to be part of some kind of ideology.
I was moved by the internal conflict of Karl Kopfrkingl in between the drop of german blood he clamed and his loyalty to whife and two children with jewish backround. Fuks described extraordinary way Karl's journey where he transforms from a family orientated loving husband to a cremator/murder of many innocent lives. It is suprising and shocking to exept Karl's way of thinking. How he does justy his actions to him self, family and his nazi friends. How he gets manipulated by his nazi friends in combination of influence from Budhism in his favorite yellow book about Tibet and his passion for the work in creamatorium.
His thinking is that he helps these innocent spirits by turning them in a couple of hours into a pure ash and send then to Universe to help them escape from suffering here in Hitler's Empire.
I question Karl's way of thinking and interacting with the outside world from the beginning. When he acts like an dictator in his house and his family has to do anything he sais. His view on life and death as well as love for art and music seems to be part of some kind of ideology.
December 2, 2015
Mr. Kopfrkingl lives in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and works as an undertaker in a crematorium. He hates war and violence, and is enchanted by Tibetan Buddhism. He is a loving father and husband, and the perfect citizen. Seemingly. He keeps repeating what seems to be his goal in life – to reduce other people’s suffering. But is it, really? He seems to be more interested in material gifts his friend, Willi, is getting out of growing closer to the Fascist elements in the country, and to the Germans who are about to take over the country. Mr. Kopfrkingl plays with words and names, music and art, through which he tries to beautify the world. He is using all kinds of rationalizations to try and “beautify” the horrible things he is willing to do to fit in with the new ideology, and to get what he can out of it. And it is amazing how easy it is to convince yourself that you are working for the good of humanity and to stay good in your own eyes, while at the same time, becoming a monster. Full of dark and morbid humor, this is a disquieting and painful satire that is well worth reading.
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