The Swell Season: A Text on the Most Important Things of Life (Picador Books) [Paperback]

Josef Skvorecky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 1989 | Series: Picador Books

Six tales which trace the libidinous ardours of a young man in wartime Czechoslovakia. His fantasies obstinately refuse to become reality, and in a world of unyielding girls and ruthless Nazi invaders, jazz is his only solace. By the author of "The Bass Saxophone" and "The Engineer of Human Souls".

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Danny Smiricky, already known to Skvorecky's readers, is obsessed with jazz and with girls. His vain pursuit of six provincial beauties is the basis of these stories, set during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. To win over these girls, Danny does their homework, sets up elaborate schemes to be alone with them, even engages in modest anti-Nazi action. But things always go wronga girl's father interferes, the courted girls gang up on him, he is upstaged by a less notorious young manand he is left with only his music as consolation. While Danny's erotic pursuits are at times humorous and his adolescent wistfulness is captured accurately, this is a minor work of the acclaimed Czech emigre author of Engineer of Human Souls ( LJ 7/84). Marie Bednar, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., University Park
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, Czech (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan (February 10, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 033029816X
• ISBN-13: 978-0330298162
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,895,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you like Milan Kundera..., February 20, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The swell season: A text on the most important things in life (International fiction list) (Paperback)

If you like Milan Kundera check out this author. He speaks of human folly with humor honesty and tenderness. He addresses major human issues with incredible specificity and with a little more sensitivity than Kundera. Enjoy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book of loving, January 22, 2010

By 

Merry Jester (Weston, FL) (Weston, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Swell Season: A Text on the Most Important Things in Life (Paperback)

The Swell Season is one of the loveliest books I have ever read. It is the story of a young man searching for intimacy with the lovely young female friends of his small hometown during the Nazi occupation of Chekovslovakia. The young girls listen to his lovely musical overtures, but they never give in. Danny loves them, is fascinated by them, and he never fails to tell them this. But he never seems to be able to convince them to yield to him. But they all want to be loved by him. They revel in his love letters. They are jealous when he seems to favor others. He is there perfect lover...pure...and never to be had.