Humorous, insightful, and imbued with profound humanity, these letters convey a bemused admiration for a country that in the 1920s still lived according to the memory of its greatness. With a light touch and artistic flourish, Capek described the virtues and vices of Europe's oldest democracy for the benefit of the citizens of Europe's newest. Banned by the Nazis and later by the Communists, this new translation offers an opportunity to enjoy the unusual foundations of a national culture.
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Editorial Reviews
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"'They don't make writers like that any more.' - Sunday Telegraph; 'His thoughts and descriptions remain fresh and provocative.' - New Statesman; 'To Capek, the English were odder than they knew. No one could have made a more charming study of their insularity' - Country Life"
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About the Author
Karel Capek was a Czech novelist and playwright of international and enduring fame. Among his other works are The Life of Insects, Hordubal, and Nine Fairy Tales. Geoffrey Newsome is the author of the Czech textbook Correct Those Mistakes. He lives in Gloucestershire, England.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Imagine Mark Twain, horrified at British trends, and laugh,
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This review is from: Letters from England (Hardcover)
.In 1924, Czech novelist-playwright Karel Capek (R.U.R., The War of the Newts) visited England and sent his impressions back to his homeland. Much of what he writes is about the culture shock he experiences, but he describes it so humorously (I think Mark Twain is a reasonable comparison) that it's easy to miss his concerns about the results of modernization. Wit abounds: he desribes block after block of houses that hue to the same fashions as if they were all under a curse, followed by another set of blocks seemingly under a different curse, following another fashion. He expresses amazement at how the bus drivers know where to turn (if you've ever visited London, you'll remember that street signs can be difficult to find), and how streets are not where anything happens, because they are only to -use- in order to rush home. But at the same time, there is a bit of horror about England and its modernization. To us, 75 years later, the horror is not so obviously apparent, but it would have been to a Czech reader in 1925. And to us, even if we -do- look at it with Czech eyes circa 1925, we might drop into complacency, because so much of what Capek has written about still holds true and we might say "gee at least it hasn't gotten worse." But if Capek were to visit today, he might merely write a -longer- book, adding to what's already here. But it -is- an enjoyable book now, and was even then, as it went through several printings. Just, when you read it, try not to get swept up by his wit. This is not The Beverly Hillbillies, but an acerbic commentary on 20th century British life.
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