- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Allen & U (Dec 1941)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0049140221
- ISBN-13: 978-0049140226
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,307,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
"'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"
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Anyone in search of England can do no better than to take up Karel Capek's Letters from England. Humorous, insightful and imbued with a profound humanity, Capek's letters convey a bemused admiration for a country which in the 1920's still lived according to the memory of its greatness. With a light touch and artistic flourish, Capek describes the virtues and vices of Europe's oldest democracy for the benefit of the citizens of Europe's newest. As Czechoslovakia emerged as an independent nation after years of Hapsburg domination, its citizens empathised with the British love of their country and their customs. Letters From England was banned by the Nazi's and later by the Communists. This new translation gives us a rare opportunity to enjoy the unusual foundations of a national culture.
--This text refers to the
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Imagine Mark Twain, horrified at British trends, and laugh
9 Feb 2003
Format: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.
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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