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A superb writer Julian Barnes A poignant, humorous tale NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW One of the most authentic incarnations of magical Prague; an incredible union of earthy humour and baroque imagination ... What is unique about Hrabal is his capacity for joy MILAN KUNDERA
Review
A superb writer (Julian Barnes )
A poignant, humorous tale (NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW )
One of the most authentic incarnations of magical Prague; an incredible union of earthy humour and baroque imagination ... What is unique about Hrabal is his capacity for joy (MILAN KUNDERA )
A poignant, humorous tale (NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW )
One of the most authentic incarnations of magical Prague; an incredible union of earthy humour and baroque imagination ... What is unique about Hrabal is his capacity for joy (MILAN KUNDERA )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In spite of their brevity, I think that Bohumil Hrabal's books are deeply beautiful. There are numerous reasons for this relating to the clear, concise and almost poetic nature of his prose, but I think that the main reason is that his books reflect an outlook or an attitude towards life that revels in the simple and profound beauty of human idiosyncracy.
I've heard it said that some believe Hrabal's books to be untranslatable - so I can only imagine what it must be like reading them in Czech!
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It is hard to think of anywhere in literature where there is a hero more astonishing- or more innocent- than Milos Hrma. In a world where innocent pleasures are set against a backdrop of appalling brutality, young Milos survives- albeit reluctantly- by the purity with which he lives. While his employer, Station Master Lansky, an apparently comic figure, rings the necks of his Nuremburg doves in response to German massacres of the Poles, Milos drifts through several profound rites of passage without even noticing them. This is Hrabal at his best: capturing the universal through the specific, showing the terrible with great innocence. A book that leaves you feeling you've lived a life.
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Bohumil Hrabal's Closely Observed Trains is a beautiful book whose lingering impact on the reader is greater than one would suspect from looking at its slight length. It is the story of a young man, Milos Hrma, an apprentice signalman in a Czech village railway station during WWII. The term closely "watched trains" refers to German military (soldiers, prisoners, and munitions) trains that must be watched, tracked closely to ensure a smooth passage. Failure results in close (and often deadly) scrutiny by the Gestapo. As the story it unfolds that young Milos had recently attempted suicide after his first sexual experience ends disastrously. The scars on his wrist reflect the internal scars and humiliation suffered as a result of his sexual failure. The rest of the book focuses on his desire to achieve manhood, by means of a successful sexual conquest or through some "other" means. Milos' quest is ultimately successful yet with tragic consequences. An act of simple heroism marks the story's climax. Along the way Milos has a near fatal encounter with a Gestapo officer after an incident involving a closely watched train. The understated description of this encounter is a brilliant piece of writing as the officer and Milos closely watch each other's scars before the officer decides to spare his life. The above summary does not do justice to the concise, sparse tone of Hrabal's prose that conveys great depths of meaning in the course of the story's simple narrative.
This is a beautiful story, beautifully told.
This is a beautiful story, beautifully told.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A fine piece of writing and a brave one
Hrabal's short novella "Closely Observed Trains" is set in a railway station in a small town in Czechoslovakia in the winter of 1945. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J C E Hitchcock
Hrabal Closely Observed Trains
This is a laconic piece - a must for Hrabal enthusiasts - if you've seen the film, or if you haven't!
Published 18 months ago by Mike
Closely Observed Trains
This book was a Round the World Book Group Selection. I didn't try to define Hrabal as being either Czech or Slovak since the book was written before they went their separate ways,... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. A. Mcinnes
leavesyou desperate to see the film and read more of his books.
Closely Observed Trains written by Bohumil Hrabal is considered one of the greatest Czech and European writers of the 20th century. His books are translated into 27 languages. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2008 by John
A Surrey Reader
I can't quite remember how this book ended up in my shopping basket, but I can recall the dismay I felt when I unpacked the flimsy volume. £5 seemed a lot to pay for 90 pages. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2003
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