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Odgoj djevojaka u Češkoj
Odgoj djevojaka u Češkoj sugestivna je priča o životnoj tragediji dvadesetogodišnjakinje u okviru satirična pogleda na novi kapitalizam u Češkoj te njegove refleksije u odgojno-obrazovnom sustavu. To je i "knjiga o pisanj knjiga", ali prije svega dirljiva ljubavna priča.
246 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
13 people are currently reading
439 people want to read
About the author
Michal Viewegh
95 books108 followersMichal Viewegh is one of the most popular contemporary Czech writers and the bestselling one. He writes about romantic relationships of his contemporaries with humour, and variously successful irony and attempts at deeper meaningfulness; he is sometimes compared to Nick Hornby by his fans.
His books, which, since the late 1990s, he publishes every spring, usually sell about 50,000 copies each, bringing him an upper-high-class income unparalleled among Czech writers (by his own boastful admissions, his royalties from a successful book are equal to roughly 8 years of an average Czech salary). His 2004 income was Kč 4 million. Viewegh likes to point out this success with readers, as well as the fact that his books have been translated to several languages and made into films, since he fell out of favor with critics in mid-1990s, which sentiment he heartily reciprocated in his following books.
His books, which, since the late 1990s, he publishes every spring, usually sell about 50,000 copies each, bringing him an upper-high-class income unparalleled among Czech writers (by his own boastful admissions, his royalties from a successful book are equal to roughly 8 years of an average Czech salary). His 2004 income was Kč 4 million. Viewegh likes to point out this success with readers, as well as the fact that his books have been translated to several languages and made into films, since he fell out of favor with critics in mid-1990s, which sentiment he heartily reciprocated in his following books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
February 12, 2018
Реших съвсем умишлено, че ще започна да чета тази книга предубедено. Нарочно. След като бях прочел „Чудесни години – кучета ги яли” си бях втълпил по някакъв странен - подсъзнателен и дрън-дрън... начин, че вероятно ми е била толкова смешна, именно защото съм бил предубеден. Този път реших да приложа "превантивна" мярка (разбира се, безсмислено и глупаво) - внуших си, че няма да ми хареса..
Не търся смешното. Просто си чета. Началото беше обнадеждаващо, особено след като минах дузина неравни абзаци и думи като "резигнирано" и "сплин", които срещах за първи, а най-вероятно и за последен път. Обаче... Коварна работа. Първо се усетих, че от известно време поддържах някаква странно ухилена физиономия, после се чух как се хиля като идиот... Тъпа работа. Книгата отново е страхотна!
Не търся смешното. Просто си чета. Началото беше обнадеждаващо, особено след като минах дузина неравни абзаци и думи като "резигнирано" и "сплин", които срещах за първи, а най-вероятно и за последен път. Обаче... Коварна работа. Първо се усетих, че от известно време поддържах някаква странно ухилена физиономия, после се чух как се хиля като идиот... Тъпа работа. Книгата отново е страхотна!
May 26, 2016
This is my second novel by Michal Viewegh. The first one was Biowife ( that is how I assume it will be translated in English eventually but the original title in Czech is Biomanželka) and I will review that one some other time. I must admit that I actually liked Biomanželka better. Oh, no I have managed to digress even before I started reviewing it! This is not going to motivate you to read this review, is it?
Well, I hope it won’t set you off because I do have some things to say about this novel. The fact that I prefer another of his works doesn't mean I didn't like Bringing Up Girls in Bohemia. Not at all. This novel is brilliantly written. It is also full of sophisticated humour this writer is known for. Moreover, it explains the frustrations of the writing process in an ingenious way. I do think writers will relate to this one.
It is a novel that is just as much about the process of writing as it is about the characters in it. There is something so honest about the way Michal writes. Just a few words on the author himself. Michal Viewegh is a bestselling Czech writer. He also happens to be one of the most popular Czech writers at the moment. Not without reason for he has talent. Nobody can deny him that.
Let's back straight to the point. What is it that I didn't like about this novel? Well, it is quite simple. It did not move me on a personal level. I can admire it only as a work of literature. It definitely is a work of literature; it is not just any book. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I admire it both on intellectual and on philosophical level, but I (personally) found it hard to relate to it on a more personal level. The reason for that I believe lies in the way the story is written.
The concept of this book is fantastic. The way it examines the connection between writing and literature is captivating. However, Beate in one sense becomes a tool and that is when she stops feeling like a real person. What makes this story so intellectually interesting is paradoxically what robs one of its most important characters from its humanity. I wonder if the writer saw this coming. He must have had. Perhaps Beate is sacrificed so that this novel could have its sophisticated narrative and structure? I can see why he needed to do that, but I can't say I like it.
You see, I've grown rather attached to Beate. I don't like the way she is used. I don't like what happens to her. So, maybe I did relate to her on a more personal level? I did. And then she slipped. It is like losing contact with a friend. It pissed me off. Does her ending make sense in the context of the novel? I don't think it does. I think this character is just as much a tool for the writer of this novel as she is for the protagonist of this novel. Now, the problem with turning one of central characters into just a tool is the loss of credibility for the novel. So, my feelings are totally mixed about this one.
Would I recommend reading this novel? Yes, I would. It is a very good novel. For me it wasn't a life changing one, but there is no doubt that it has its literary merits.
Well, I hope it won’t set you off because I do have some things to say about this novel. The fact that I prefer another of his works doesn't mean I didn't like Bringing Up Girls in Bohemia. Not at all. This novel is brilliantly written. It is also full of sophisticated humour this writer is known for. Moreover, it explains the frustrations of the writing process in an ingenious way. I do think writers will relate to this one.
It is a novel that is just as much about the process of writing as it is about the characters in it. There is something so honest about the way Michal writes. Just a few words on the author himself. Michal Viewegh is a bestselling Czech writer. He also happens to be one of the most popular Czech writers at the moment. Not without reason for he has talent. Nobody can deny him that.
Let's back straight to the point. What is it that I didn't like about this novel? Well, it is quite simple. It did not move me on a personal level. I can admire it only as a work of literature. It definitely is a work of literature; it is not just any book. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I admire it both on intellectual and on philosophical level, but I (personally) found it hard to relate to it on a more personal level. The reason for that I believe lies in the way the story is written.
The concept of this book is fantastic. The way it examines the connection between writing and literature is captivating. However, Beate in one sense becomes a tool and that is when she stops feeling like a real person. What makes this story so intellectually interesting is paradoxically what robs one of its most important characters from its humanity. I wonder if the writer saw this coming. He must have had. Perhaps Beate is sacrificed so that this novel could have its sophisticated narrative and structure? I can see why he needed to do that, but I can't say I like it.
You see, I've grown rather attached to Beate. I don't like the way she is used. I don't like what happens to her. So, maybe I did relate to her on a more personal level? I did. And then she slipped. It is like losing contact with a friend. It pissed me off. Does her ending make sense in the context of the novel? I don't think it does. I think this character is just as much a tool for the writer of this novel as she is for the protagonist of this novel. Now, the problem with turning one of central characters into just a tool is the loss of credibility for the novel. So, my feelings are totally mixed about this one.
Would I recommend reading this novel? Yes, I would. It is a very good novel. For me it wasn't a life changing one, but there is no doubt that it has its literary merits.
May 16, 2020
Kratka i slana veza koja je završila životnim množenjem sa nulom. Kao kviki gric.
August 4, 2016
Ova duhovita i satirična, pika i čitljiva knjiga uhvatila me i nisam si mogla pomoći, pročitala sam je kroz nekoliko sati. Neobična struktura knjige, sa puno citata drugih pisaca koji se sjajno uklapaju u samu knjigu, te tragičan kraj djevojke Beate, kojeg pisac otkriva već gotovo na samom početku, ovu knjigu čine posebnom od drugih i daju joj jednu neobičnu dinamiku (koja se istovremeno mnogima i neće svidjeti).
Govori o odnosu učitelja koji se nosi sa krizom srednjih godina i upušta se u romantičnu vezu sa dvadesetogodišnjom djevojkom Beatom, kćerkom jednog tajkuna. Njihov odnos zapravo je metafora, Beata predstavlja postkomunističku Češku sa svim njezinim promjenama i previranjima u tom razdoblju.
Dugo sam razmišljala hoću li je čitati ili ne, mislila sam da je to još samo jedna u nizu plitkih i dosadnjikavih ljubavnih pričica kakvih ima i previše i čiji nisam veliki ljubitelj, ali prevladala je znatiželja i drago mi je zbog toga, jer ovoga puta znatiželja ipak nije ubila mačku :D
Govori o odnosu učitelja koji se nosi sa krizom srednjih godina i upušta se u romantičnu vezu sa dvadesetogodišnjom djevojkom Beatom, kćerkom jednog tajkuna. Njihov odnos zapravo je metafora, Beata predstavlja postkomunističku Češku sa svim njezinim promjenama i previranjima u tom razdoblju.
Dugo sam razmišljala hoću li je čitati ili ne, mislila sam da je to još samo jedna u nizu plitkih i dosadnjikavih ljubavnih pričica kakvih ima i previše i čiji nisam veliki ljubitelj, ali prevladala je znatiželja i drago mi je zbog toga, jer ovoga puta znatiželja ipak nije ubila mačku :D
July 19, 2015
Po první skvělé polovině jsem se docela začínala bát, že Viewegh napsal kromě Báječných let další skvělou knihu. Několikrát jsem se smála nahlas a příběh krásně a zajímavě plynul. V půlce se to ale zvrtlo, protože autorovy vsuvky a poznámky se staly až trapnými a příběh se začal bortit. Citáty od jiných autorů mi rozhodně nevadily, kurzíva za to strašně. Konec úplně postrádal pointu, kterou spisovatel vyzradil prakticky už na začátku - povídka z Playboye na konci knihy už byla jen posledním utrpením.
July 23, 2018
The story is about a teacher-writer hired by a wealthy entrepreneur in order to teach his 20 yo daughter how to write. For me, this was the third book of this Czech author who is also very popular here (in Slovenia). His main thread through all books exposes, in humorous/satirical way, democratic delusions of life in the post-communist state. First book was fun, but in the third he didn’t offer, unfortunately, anything new. Not stylistic, not in the content.
October 3, 2017
Co dodat. Za jeden den jsem přelouskala Výchovu dívek v Čechách a to jsem ze začátku než jsem si knížku přečetla měla obavy, že se mi kniha nebude líbit, ale opak je pravdou. Knížka se mi líbila, ale konec byl takový zvláštní, povídka z play boye pro mě byl trochu utrpěním, proto jsem ji rychle přelouskala, aby to bylo za mnou.
February 21, 2014
autor me svym uzivanim kurzivy privadi k silenstvi
July 15, 2011
This is a slim but dense novel, which mainly concerns the story of a middle-aged teacher who is employed by a local Mafia boss to teach his 20 year old daughter, Beata, creative writing. From the narrator's first visit to the gloomy bedroom of this uncommunicative individual, it is apparent that this is no ordinary task – he is actually expected to bring her out of her depression after the break-up with a former boyfriend, based upon the vague notion that she has previously expressed a wish to write.
All of this sets the book up to be a relatively light read: an impression reinforced by the book’s cover – which, with its bright-pink cover and cartoon image of a pair of lady’s legs - seems to be consciously positioning itself as a lightweight book. Similarly; the blurb on the back, with phrases such as “picaresque romp” lead to expectations of a description of the amiable adventures of a teacher approaching mid-life crisis who is thrown together with the young daughter of the local gangster who, though 20, exhibits the actions of a stroppy teenager. Indeed, given the age difference, certain echoes of Nabokov are distinctly evident here.
However, despite the basic plot, this book is intended by the author as nothing of the sort. His alternative intention is also flagged up on the back cover description which – as well as ascribing the novel with the dual role of being “a serious exploration of the writer in post-communist Europe", also signposts, almost in passing, Beata’s ultimate suicide.
This dichotomy pretty well sums up the book as a whole:– it uses the surface narrative of the aforementioned plot as a platform for the author to explore his thoughts on the nature of writing through a series of post-modern asides. These asides include the author interrupting the narrative – Vonnegut-like – to discuss his writing of this work, as well as the casual frequent references to Beata’s impending suicide which jar with the ongoing narrative of the development of her relationship with the narrator. More annoyingly, the author frequently breaks up the flow of the narrative by italicising certain words or phrases mid-sentence to no particular effect.
As such, in my opinion, this novel falls between two stools:
On one hand: the basic narrative of a middle aged teacher bringing a young pupil out of depression and into a relationship is simply not engaging. The main issue here is characterisation: Beata, on the one hand, is not a sympathetic character – she comes across as spoilt, self-absorbed and shallow – flitting from one new-age fad to another, just as she flits from one lover to another. An obvious metaphor for the transition of the Czech Republic from East to Western influence, but one which does not really work on the literal level. Also, whilst the narrator has an engaging enough voice, it is hard to find sympathy for him in his hypocrisy in starting a sexual relationship with the young Beata whilst eulogising over his wonderful wife and young daughter back home (his wife, incidentally, is obviously upset over her suspicions of the relationship, and he lies to her when confronted with the issue). As such – the ultimate suicide of Beata, who is never portrayed in more than two-dimensions by the author - and the impact upon the narrator, leave sadly little impact upon the reader.
One the other hand, Viewegh’s attempt at presenting this as metafiction – through his matter-of-fact signposting of the key plot point (Beata’s suicide) right from the outset, his interruptions of the novel by the novel’s author, his seemingly random use of italics and his rather heavy-handed use of post-modernist quotes – all fall rather flat. As does his lengthy insertion of a novel-within-a-novel towards the end of the book, which simply serves to break up the narrative even further with no real purpose that I, as the humble reader, could define.
I am aware that I have given this novel a bit of a mauling so far, and must accede that perhaps this is down to my previous academic background as a student of literary theory: I have seen all of these literary devices used before to much better effect; and felt rather frustrated that they seem to be being employed here rather for the sake of it, at the author’s indulgence, rather than for any valid literary purpose.
That said, this book certainly offers some nuggets into the lower-middle class lives of Prague residents - teachers in this instance - as well as its richer inhabitants, who earn their money in rather more dubious ways (i.e. Kral – Beata’s gangster father who, among other enterprises, owns the local brothel). Some of the most entertaining – and enlightening - passages in this work involve the often-hilarious exchanges that take place in the teachers' office at school, with wonderfully depicted characters such as:
a) Stribrny – an 18 year old student teacher terrorised by his students who are a mere four years younger than him;
b) Svetlana Trakarova, whose extreme reaction to liberation from the sexual Puritanism of communism leads to wildly inappropriate discourse of a gynaecological nature and actions such as furnishing her young pre-pubescent students with condoms, and
c) Chvatalova-Sukova – an exponent of classical concerts for students which her fellow teachers despair of – as is shown in a genuinely humorous account of a trip to a classical recital attended by a hoard of disinterested students (complete with Walkmen) and even more disinterested teachers…
Sadly these passages, which are a joy to read, and give a flavour of the everyday life of a teacher in contemporary Prague, are too frequently interspersed with the narrative devices as described above. As such this is a curate’s egg of a novel – good in parts, but ultimately disappointing.
All of this sets the book up to be a relatively light read: an impression reinforced by the book’s cover – which, with its bright-pink cover and cartoon image of a pair of lady’s legs - seems to be consciously positioning itself as a lightweight book. Similarly; the blurb on the back, with phrases such as “picaresque romp” lead to expectations of a description of the amiable adventures of a teacher approaching mid-life crisis who is thrown together with the young daughter of the local gangster who, though 20, exhibits the actions of a stroppy teenager. Indeed, given the age difference, certain echoes of Nabokov are distinctly evident here.
However, despite the basic plot, this book is intended by the author as nothing of the sort. His alternative intention is also flagged up on the back cover description which – as well as ascribing the novel with the dual role of being “a serious exploration of the writer in post-communist Europe", also signposts, almost in passing, Beata’s ultimate suicide.
This dichotomy pretty well sums up the book as a whole:– it uses the surface narrative of the aforementioned plot as a platform for the author to explore his thoughts on the nature of writing through a series of post-modern asides. These asides include the author interrupting the narrative – Vonnegut-like – to discuss his writing of this work, as well as the casual frequent references to Beata’s impending suicide which jar with the ongoing narrative of the development of her relationship with the narrator. More annoyingly, the author frequently breaks up the flow of the narrative by italicising certain words or phrases mid-sentence to no particular effect.
As such, in my opinion, this novel falls between two stools:
On one hand: the basic narrative of a middle aged teacher bringing a young pupil out of depression and into a relationship is simply not engaging. The main issue here is characterisation: Beata, on the one hand, is not a sympathetic character – she comes across as spoilt, self-absorbed and shallow – flitting from one new-age fad to another, just as she flits from one lover to another. An obvious metaphor for the transition of the Czech Republic from East to Western influence, but one which does not really work on the literal level. Also, whilst the narrator has an engaging enough voice, it is hard to find sympathy for him in his hypocrisy in starting a sexual relationship with the young Beata whilst eulogising over his wonderful wife and young daughter back home (his wife, incidentally, is obviously upset over her suspicions of the relationship, and he lies to her when confronted with the issue). As such – the ultimate suicide of Beata, who is never portrayed in more than two-dimensions by the author - and the impact upon the narrator, leave sadly little impact upon the reader.
One the other hand, Viewegh’s attempt at presenting this as metafiction – through his matter-of-fact signposting of the key plot point (Beata’s suicide) right from the outset, his interruptions of the novel by the novel’s author, his seemingly random use of italics and his rather heavy-handed use of post-modernist quotes – all fall rather flat. As does his lengthy insertion of a novel-within-a-novel towards the end of the book, which simply serves to break up the narrative even further with no real purpose that I, as the humble reader, could define.
I am aware that I have given this novel a bit of a mauling so far, and must accede that perhaps this is down to my previous academic background as a student of literary theory: I have seen all of these literary devices used before to much better effect; and felt rather frustrated that they seem to be being employed here rather for the sake of it, at the author’s indulgence, rather than for any valid literary purpose.
That said, this book certainly offers some nuggets into the lower-middle class lives of Prague residents - teachers in this instance - as well as its richer inhabitants, who earn their money in rather more dubious ways (i.e. Kral – Beata’s gangster father who, among other enterprises, owns the local brothel). Some of the most entertaining – and enlightening - passages in this work involve the often-hilarious exchanges that take place in the teachers' office at school, with wonderfully depicted characters such as:
a) Stribrny – an 18 year old student teacher terrorised by his students who are a mere four years younger than him;
b) Svetlana Trakarova, whose extreme reaction to liberation from the sexual Puritanism of communism leads to wildly inappropriate discourse of a gynaecological nature and actions such as furnishing her young pre-pubescent students with condoms, and
c) Chvatalova-Sukova – an exponent of classical concerts for students which her fellow teachers despair of – as is shown in a genuinely humorous account of a trip to a classical recital attended by a hoard of disinterested students (complete with Walkmen) and even more disinterested teachers…
Sadly these passages, which are a joy to read, and give a flavour of the everyday life of a teacher in contemporary Prague, are too frequently interspersed with the narrative devices as described above. As such this is a curate’s egg of a novel – good in parts, but ultimately disappointing.
February 14, 2021
It is a well written book and I loved the humor of the main character. It has its moments, even though at times it falls flat. However it is an interesting take and it is worth your while.
June 26, 2009
A few years after the Velvet Revolution, a Czech entrepreneur - well, shady "businessman", really, or brothel owner, if truth be told - asks a teacher to give his depressed daughter a course in creative writing, and hilarity ensues.
No spoilers, but this is a very funny book, not least because of Viewegh's linguistic virtuosity.
No spoilers, but this is a very funny book, not least because of Viewegh's linguistic virtuosity.
November 11, 2022
În miercurea aceea, la ora la care m-am întors cu fetiţa de la şcoală, conţinutul cutiei de scrisori se revărsa în adevăratul sens al cuvântului: pe lângă cotidianele Ştiri populare, se mai găseau acolo un plic mare, maroniu, cu manuscrisul şi corectura romanului meu, un alt plic, alb, adresat tot mie, şi, în fine, un eşantion de publicitate dintr-un anumit produs al firmei Procter & Gamble, în punguţa albastră din celofan care pe vremea aceea a provocat atâtea discuţii2. În timp ce încuiam cutia poştală, am observat că eticheta de hârtie cu numele meu era barată de o zgârietură apăsată, produsă, cel mai probabil, de cheia vreunui tânăr inamic al cadrelor didactice.
În plicul alb se afla o scurtă scrisoare de la Král3, milionarul local; îmi oferea „o muncă foarte bine plătită şi care nu avea să-mi consume mult timp”.
Cu alte cuvinte, începutul acestei poveşti nu zace într-o masă informă, în mijlocul unui vid desăvârşit, ci în ziua de marţi, 16 iunie 1992, într-un plic alb din cutia noastră de scrisori.
— Ne-a venit ceva la poştă? ţinu nevastă-mea să ştie.
— Pentru mine, corectura romanului şi „o ofertă de muncă foarte bine plătită”, îi spusei. Iar pentru tine, tampoane.
Le salut din inimă pe feministele cehoaice. Mai târziu am citit scrisoarea cu mai multă atenţie. Am presupus, în mod logic, că e vorba de a o medita pe Agáta. Dar m-a frapat un pic convingerea lui Král, neformulată ca atare, dar perceptibilă şi evidentă, că îi voi accepta oferta; asta se vedea şi din faptul că stabilise o singură dată pentru întâlnirea noastră. Involuntar îmi veni în minte un citat din
Fitzgerald: „A presupus, cu dispreţ, că duminică n-aveam nimic mai bun de făcut.”
În plicul alb se afla o scurtă scrisoare de la Král3, milionarul local; îmi oferea „o muncă foarte bine plătită şi care nu avea să-mi consume mult timp”.
Cu alte cuvinte, începutul acestei poveşti nu zace într-o masă informă, în mijlocul unui vid desăvârşit, ci în ziua de marţi, 16 iunie 1992, într-un plic alb din cutia noastră de scrisori.
— Ne-a venit ceva la poştă? ţinu nevastă-mea să ştie.
— Pentru mine, corectura romanului şi „o ofertă de muncă foarte bine plătită”, îi spusei. Iar pentru tine, tampoane.
Le salut din inimă pe feministele cehoaice. Mai târziu am citit scrisoarea cu mai multă atenţie. Am presupus, în mod logic, că e vorba de a o medita pe Agáta. Dar m-a frapat un pic convingerea lui Král, neformulată ca atare, dar perceptibilă şi evidentă, că îi voi accepta oferta; asta se vedea şi din faptul că stabilise o singură dată pentru întâlnirea noastră. Involuntar îmi veni în minte un citat din
Fitzgerald: „A presupus, cu dispreţ, că duminică n-aveam nimic mai bun de făcut.”
October 9, 2012
Excellent, larded with bitter humor, uninvited sarcasm, parody, parody of parody, delight in the undermining of the parody of the parody, etc., compulsive irony, staged melancholy, sadness undermined by artificiality, and very brief glimpses of actual goals, ambitions, and feelings. An excellent antidote to the continuing North American fascination with Kundera, who comes across here as a pompous aging philosopher.[return][return]Viewegh rewrites much of Czech literary history by entirely & knowingly inappropriate quotations from famous authors, scattered through the text in the most deflating possible contexts. So this is also a novel about writing: its neurotic, restless, terminally insincere and compulsively self-reflexive narrator continuously undermines his own ability to tell any sort of actually affecting or truthful story.[return][return]The only problem is the translation. It's by a pair of translators with long experience in Czech literature, but it just isn't good enough. Viewegh is so sharp that the slightest dullness or infelicity can ruin entire chapters. If only someone as sharp as Viewegh -- say, Nick Hornsby -- had read the translation. Viewegh puts lots of expressions in italics, if he thinks (if his narrator thinks) they are clich�s. The problem is that many other passages that are not in italics are also clich�s, and it's not clear if those passages are intended as unintentional clich�s perpetrated by the narrator but seen by the author, or if they are added by the translators and weren't clich�s at all. The translators seem to think that people can still "ejaculate" with surprise -- I know they're English, but are they also Edwardian? That kind of slip-up is fatal to a book whose strings are pulled as tight as Viewegh's. And at the end, a grammatical error mars one of the book's very rare moments of seriousness: a quotation -- for once, not snide or otherwise suspect -- from Daniela Hodrova: "I write a novel in order to preserve the living but also to lead out of oblivion the past and my own dead, to rescue myself from it." (It? Which "it"?)[return][return]I hope that Viewegh's next book in English will be luckier with its translators: he deserves to be famous in Anglophile countries.
March 19, 2011
Ik kreeg Bringing up girls in Bohemia ooit van mijn nicht. Het stond al jaren ongelezen in mijn boekenkastje met 'ooit te lezen boeken'. Van de week had ik er ineens zin in. En het bleek een heel bijzonder boekje te zijn!
Het verhaal
het verhaal speelt zich af in 1992, in een buitenwijk van Praag. De ik-persoon, de jonge leraar Tsjechisch aan een middelbare school krijgt het lucratieve aanbod om de dochter van de locale miljonair (Nieuw Geld van na de wende) Kral te helpen bij haar schrijfwerk. Deze Beata is depressief nadat haar vriendje haar verlaten heeft (op sterk aandringen van haar vader, overigens, die met zijn geld de hele wereld naar zijn hand lijkt te kunnen zetten). Het is een aanbod dat de leraar niet af kan slaan, zeker ook omdat het manuscript van zijn eerste roman zojuist geaccepteerd is voor publicatie en hij zichzelf daarmee als schrijver de aangewezen persoon vindt om Beata te helpen.
De lessen verlopen in het begin waardeloos, dat wil zeggen: Beata ligt onder haar dekbed in bed en de ik-persoon praat tegen haar over schrijven, waarbij hij zijn lessen (en het boekje) lardeert met uitspraken van beroemde schrijvers van over de hele wereld. Op een dag echter, weet hij Beata uit haar tent te lokken. Dat is het begin van een snel uit de hand lopende relatie: Beata en de ik-persoon belanden samen in bed.
Halverwege de roman is daar dan ineens de ommekeer: de schrijver meldt dat hij dit verhaal in 1994 opschrijft, het jaar nadat Beata zelfmoord heeft gepleegd. En dat hij door zijn manier van schrijven ('altijd vermakelijk zijn', is zijn credo) moeite heeft om daar naartoe te schrijven. De tweede helft van het boekje vraag je je als lezer dan ook continu af: wanneer en waarom gaat het gebeuren? Heeft de ik-persoon er een handje in? Dat moet haast wel, een getrouwde man die een jong meisje troost dat van liefdesverdriet moet genezen: dat is toch het ideale recept voor nog meer ellende?
Mooi boekje, en de vorm waarin het geschreven is, is goed gekozen. Vier sterren.
Het verhaal
het verhaal speelt zich af in 1992, in een buitenwijk van Praag. De ik-persoon, de jonge leraar Tsjechisch aan een middelbare school krijgt het lucratieve aanbod om de dochter van de locale miljonair (Nieuw Geld van na de wende) Kral te helpen bij haar schrijfwerk. Deze Beata is depressief nadat haar vriendje haar verlaten heeft (op sterk aandringen van haar vader, overigens, die met zijn geld de hele wereld naar zijn hand lijkt te kunnen zetten). Het is een aanbod dat de leraar niet af kan slaan, zeker ook omdat het manuscript van zijn eerste roman zojuist geaccepteerd is voor publicatie en hij zichzelf daarmee als schrijver de aangewezen persoon vindt om Beata te helpen.
De lessen verlopen in het begin waardeloos, dat wil zeggen: Beata ligt onder haar dekbed in bed en de ik-persoon praat tegen haar over schrijven, waarbij hij zijn lessen (en het boekje) lardeert met uitspraken van beroemde schrijvers van over de hele wereld. Op een dag echter, weet hij Beata uit haar tent te lokken. Dat is het begin van een snel uit de hand lopende relatie: Beata en de ik-persoon belanden samen in bed.
Halverwege de roman is daar dan ineens de ommekeer: de schrijver meldt dat hij dit verhaal in 1994 opschrijft, het jaar nadat Beata zelfmoord heeft gepleegd. En dat hij door zijn manier van schrijven ('altijd vermakelijk zijn', is zijn credo) moeite heeft om daar naartoe te schrijven. De tweede helft van het boekje vraag je je als lezer dan ook continu af: wanneer en waarom gaat het gebeuren? Heeft de ik-persoon er een handje in? Dat moet haast wel, een getrouwde man die een jong meisje troost dat van liefdesverdriet moet genezen: dat is toch het ideale recept voor nog meer ellende?
Mooi boekje, en de vorm waarin het geschreven is, is goed gekozen. Vier sterren.
June 5, 2018
In my quest to read a book from every single country in the world within the next 5-ish years, I stumbled across Bringing Up Girls in Bohemia, a book by a popular contemporary Czech author, Michal Viewegh. Without knowing much of the book, I decided to dive in. And boy am I glad I did!
Bringing Up Girls in Bohemia follows a man (told in the foreword of the Finnish edition to basically be a Viewegh himself) as he is invited by a wealthier man, mr. Král, to teach his daughter Beata creative writing. However, soon he discovers that he is less able to teach her creative writing and more focusing on getting a depressed, heartbroken youngster out of her shell and back into the world from isolation in her room.
This book is absolutely hilarious. It is witty, full of poignant remarks about the writing process, lots of direct quotes from authors all over the world, lots of self-insert in the best way possible. I hardly ever laugh out loud at books, but there were several moments in here that made me crack up or chuckle. Viewegh takes himself so seriously, while simultaneously not taking himself seriously at all. It is incredibly refreshing and pleasant to read.
Czech literature is an absolute blindspot to me, but the way Czech society was taken apart and analysed in this book in a humorous, yet hard-hitting way, made me intrigued to read more Czech literature. Whether that'll be reading more Viewegh (assuming more of his stuff is available in a language I can read - I haven't checked), or diving into Kundera, or a name I've never heard of before, I don't know. What I do know is that this book broadened my horizons into a country I had always subconsciously ignored, but can't wait to read more of.
Bringing Up Girls in Bohemia follows a man (told in the foreword of the Finnish edition to basically be a Viewegh himself) as he is invited by a wealthier man, mr. Král, to teach his daughter Beata creative writing. However, soon he discovers that he is less able to teach her creative writing and more focusing on getting a depressed, heartbroken youngster out of her shell and back into the world from isolation in her room.
This book is absolutely hilarious. It is witty, full of poignant remarks about the writing process, lots of direct quotes from authors all over the world, lots of self-insert in the best way possible. I hardly ever laugh out loud at books, but there were several moments in here that made me crack up or chuckle. Viewegh takes himself so seriously, while simultaneously not taking himself seriously at all. It is incredibly refreshing and pleasant to read.
Czech literature is an absolute blindspot to me, but the way Czech society was taken apart and analysed in this book in a humorous, yet hard-hitting way, made me intrigued to read more Czech literature. Whether that'll be reading more Viewegh (assuming more of his stuff is available in a language I can read - I haven't checked), or diving into Kundera, or a name I've never heard of before, I don't know. What I do know is that this book broadened my horizons into a country I had always subconsciously ignored, but can't wait to read more of.
February 17, 2017
Se lee rápido, te entretiene, te hace reír a ratos, y piensas qué puede de tener de sorpresivo el final si te lo cuenta por la mitad (pero al final sí es sorpresivo aunque un poco marrullero). Cuenta la historia de un profesor de instituto checo que es contratado por un mafioso local para darle un cursillo de escritura creativa (o algo así) a su hija, sumida en una depresión por penas de amores. Como es obvio, el profesor se acaba enamorando de su alumna. Beata, que así se llama la muchacha, pasa por varios estadios: de borde insufrible a pija que redecora su cuarto, a intelectualoide, a profesora de instituto, a .... en fin, variadas y múltiples cosas. La novela tiene su punto de humor ácido, me hizo gracia cuando el mafioso se lleva al profesor a su puticlub y él se preocupa únicamente de si llevará o no esos calzoncillos fruto del desteñido a rosa de la última lavadora.
Por otro lado, hay algo molesto a lo largo de toda la novela, que es la profusión de citas de otros autores. Una auténtica plaga, tanto que parece que es puramente para hacer bulto y que la novela ocupe las páginas que ocupa.
Me encanta la hija del profesor, una púber ávida lectora de la revista "Bravo" (algo así como el "Superpop" en España), y su relación con sus padres.
En definitiva, otro de esos libros de leer en la piscina tomando el sol, sin más.
Por cierto, que en mi ejemplar (de la biblioteca) había cuatro hojas sin imprimir cerca del final, en los que el profesor contaba un cuento que había publicado en el Playboy y que ponía a parir al álter-ego de Beata.
Por otro lado, hay algo molesto a lo largo de toda la novela, que es la profusión de citas de otros autores. Una auténtica plaga, tanto que parece que es puramente para hacer bulto y que la novela ocupe las páginas que ocupa.
Me encanta la hija del profesor, una púber ávida lectora de la revista "Bravo" (algo así como el "Superpop" en España), y su relación con sus padres.
En definitiva, otro de esos libros de leer en la piscina tomando el sol, sin más.
Por cierto, que en mi ejemplar (de la biblioteca) había cuatro hojas sin imprimir cerca del final, en los que el profesor contaba un cuento que había publicado en el Playboy y que ponía a parir al álter-ego de Beata.
April 17, 2015
Michal Viewegh este al şaselea autor ceh pe care îl citesc după Jaroslav Hašek, Kafka, Karl Josef Bones, Milan Kundera şi Jiří Marek. Mi-am dorit să parcurg volumul Cum se educă fetele în Boemia pentru că se anunţa a fi un roman de dragoste în context modern şi pentru că literatura cehă nu m-a dezamăgit niciodată, fiind un amalgam interesant de scrieri obscure, mistice, romantice, filosofice sau umoristice, pe teme ce variază de la opresiunea istorică la satira societăţii.
Deşi este un roman scurt ca număr de pagini, structura narativă este foarte densă şi inedită. Capitolele sunt împărţite în paragrafe numerotate (de la 1-10) şi ai senzaţia că autorul expune o teză, fiecare paragraf reprezentând un nou argument în demonstrarea ideilor expuse. Persoana întâi narativă se adresează în mod direct cititorului, ca un actor pe scenă în faţa publicului, iar prezenţa numeroaselor elemente autobiografice (opere publicate, critici primite, joburi, etc.) sporeşte şi mai mult senzaţia de relaţionare autor-cititor. Un element inovator al scriiturii acestui roman îl constituie inserţia unei povestiri apărute în Playboy, cât şi abundenţa de citate din diverşi autori, presărată pe alocuri cu aluzii sau referinţe directe la oameni de litere, conturându-se astfel ca o lecţie deschisă sau un dicţionar ambulant de personalităţi marcante din spaţiul cultural ceh. Continuarea aici www.bookishstyle.ro/cum-se-educa-fete...
Deşi este un roman scurt ca număr de pagini, structura narativă este foarte densă şi inedită. Capitolele sunt împărţite în paragrafe numerotate (de la 1-10) şi ai senzaţia că autorul expune o teză, fiecare paragraf reprezentând un nou argument în demonstrarea ideilor expuse. Persoana întâi narativă se adresează în mod direct cititorului, ca un actor pe scenă în faţa publicului, iar prezenţa numeroaselor elemente autobiografice (opere publicate, critici primite, joburi, etc.) sporeşte şi mai mult senzaţia de relaţionare autor-cititor. Un element inovator al scriiturii acestui roman îl constituie inserţia unei povestiri apărute în Playboy, cât şi abundenţa de citate din diverşi autori, presărată pe alocuri cu aluzii sau referinţe directe la oameni de litere, conturându-se astfel ca o lecţie deschisă sau un dicţionar ambulant de personalităţi marcante din spaţiul cultural ceh. Continuarea aici www.bookishstyle.ro/cum-se-educa-fete...
October 5, 2018
I’m going to call this review “lost in translation.” It could be my lack of knowledge regarding pre- or post- communist Czech culture and education, or the actual translating from its original language, but I didn’t get it. It addresses affairs and suicide but I’m not sure where the suicide was and what motive the characters had for having an affair together. I did appreciate the writing style as the author addressed developing the story within the story.
December 26, 2020
Tak první Viewegh. Mno. Četlo se to dobře, lehce, hlavně první polovina. Zábavné byly především jeho kantorské historky ze školy. Postupně ale začala převládat zoufalá snaha napsat postmoderní román. Výsledkem této snahy pak bylo vyzrazení zápletky dopředu a neustálé bezúčelné boření zdi mezi časoprostorem psaní a časoprostorem příběhu. Přesto 2,5/5. 2 dávám proto, že autorova práce s kurzívou byla nesnesitelně iritující.
January 24, 2022
This book is just plain terrible. It’s fiction written as a memoir. There’s a lot of stream of consciousness drivel with random quotes thrown in that usually have no discernable purpose but to pad out the rather short book to make it longer. The book is mostly about an older, married teacher having an affair with a 20-year-old. He never feels remorse, never finds it inappropriate. He’s only upset when she ends it. This is definitely one to skip.
January 17, 2013
Viewegh caught my attention and made me eager to read more from the Czech literature.
The story of he writer and Beata is simple and in the same time fascinating offering the reader an insight into life after communism (and into extra-marital relationships).
The story of he writer and Beata is simple and in the same time fascinating offering the reader an insight into life after communism (and into extra-marital relationships).
April 2, 2014
Prilično zanimljiv roman, koji iako se lako čita nije tek laki ljubavni romančić.
Puno citata koji prekidaju ionako isprekidanu radnju i rana najava tragičnog kraja - sve to čini roman malo drugačijim ...
Puno citata koji prekidaju ionako isprekidanu radnju i rana najava tragičnog kraja - sve to čini roman malo drugačijim ...
October 14, 2014
První půlku se děj neuvěřitelně táhne, ale pořád máte pocit, že se to pořádně rozjede. Pak se to překlopí a události jdou až moc rychle. Nelíbil se mi ani autorův styl. Knížka mě neoslovila. Čekala jsem od ní víc, takže pro mě byla zklamáním. Ale ještě dám příběhu šanci v podobě filmu.
April 21, 2015
Jedna z mejch nejoblíbenějších knížek vůbec. Viewegha mám fakt ráda, ale Báječná léta a Účastníci jsou už moc zmedializovaný. Tohle je skvělá knížka, nemohla jsem se od ní odtrhnout, i když jsem jí četla už několikrát.
July 6, 2018
Although the story is very indulgent and purposely shocking, Viewegh's style is still very involving and unusual, often much more humorous than expected and definitely warrants a 2nd go at another novel of his.
September 14, 2007
Loved it! Another forced read.
Read
May 30, 2008A shout out to the homeland! Actually, it's agreat book.
September 21, 2015
Good book, but little bit confusing. I got lost in his rambling and overly analysed philosophy. But love his teacher perspective of the human school institution.
June 25, 2010
Първо прочетох "Народна топка", но повече се впечатлих от тази книга. Интересна житейска история, психологизмът на която е описан по начин, който докосва. Определно харесвам Вивег.
August 26, 2011
Great book, nice to read. Love the way Michal writes. Also read his other books
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