Apocryphal Tales: With a Selection of Fables and Would-be Tales (Paperback)

Apocryphal Tales is a journey through the history of the world. In a series of short stories from the discovery of fire through Napoleon, Capek presents a little vignette with a viewpoint slightly different from our received wisdom. The tales begin with the Punishment of Prometheus, in which Prometheus is sentenced to death for his discovery of fire. The grounds: blasphemy; damaging the property of others; and treason. Next, an old cave man bemoans the audacity and idleness of the younger generation, wasting their time drawing bison and other creatures on cave walls. A solider complains about Achilles' vain striving for glory in doing battle with Troy. Next we come across a letter from Alexander the Great to Aristotle in which he tries to explain to his old teacher that his desire to conquer the world is based purely on the need to more properly defend his small homeland. When one considers that this last piece was written in 1937 the tale is as much a cautionary note as it is a simple story. The Death of Archimedes is also prescient. Written in April, 1938, it shows a conquering Roman soldier trying to convince Archimedes that he would do well to turn his scientific skills to the construction of weapons of mass destruction. Archimedes refuses and the story ends thusly: "It was later reported that the learned Archimedes had met his death through an accident." This last sentence tracked the official language used in reports issued by totalitarian regimes after it had killed one of its so-called enemies.

The Tales include a series of stories involving the life and death of Jesus, each told from a slightly different perspective. The miracle of the loaves and fishes is told from the point of view of a baker whose primary concern is the impact the miracle will have on the price of his bread. After the crucifixion, two Hebrew locals debate the error of Jesus' methods although not his message. In another, Pilate engages in a dialogue with Joseph of Arimathea over the political implications of the crucifixion. Their dialogue on "what is truth" still resonates long after I finished reading it. Čapek also invokes fictional characters, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet in two humorous sagas.

Capek's `would-be' tales are written in a similar style but are written in a contemporary setting. The most compelling of these are the last two, Anonymous Letter and Ten Centavos. In the first, a writer who has produced articles supporting the consumption of cheese is the subject of a hate mail campaign. Ten Centavos involves the horror of an honorable man being publicly besmirched by an avenging state. These stories must surely have had some resonance for Čapek as, as his life neared its end in 1938, he became subject to vicious attacks from some who held him partly responsible for the fate that was about to befall Czechoslovakia.

These are all beautiful stories told in simple narrative form. It has been said of Capek that his deep belief in democracy made him want to present his ideas in a manner accessible to anyone who could read. I do not know this to be the case but the spirit of Capek's stories shine through readily. These stories would be appreciated by anyone interested in short stories whether or not they have a specific interest in Czech literature. This collection is well worth reading.

Apocryphal Tales is a journey through the history of the world. In a series of short stories from the discovery of fire through Napoleon, Capek presents a little vignette with a viewpoint slightly different from our received wisdom. The tales begin with the Punishment of Prometheus, in which Prometheus is sentenced to death for his discovery of fire. The grounds: blasphemy; damaging the property of others; and treason. Next, an old cave man bemoans the audacity and idleness of the younger generation, wasting their time drawing bison and other creatures on cave walls. A solider complains about Achilles' vain striving for glory in doing battle with Troy. Next we come across a letter from Alexander the Great to Aristotle in which he tries to explain to his old teacher that his desire to conquer the world is based purely on the need to more properly defend his small homeland. When one considers that this last piece was written in 1937 the tale is as much a cautionary note as it is a simple story. The Death of Archimedes is also prescient. Written in April, 1938, it shows a conquering Roman soldier trying to convince Archimedes that he would do well to turn his scientific skills to the construction of weapons of mass destruction. Archimedes refuses and the story ends thusly: "It was later reported that the learned Archimedes had met his death through an accident." This last sentence tracked the official language used in reports issued by totalitarian regimes after it had killed one of its so-called enemies.

The Tales include a series of stories involving the life and death of Jesus, each told from a slightly different perspective. The miracle of the loaves and fishes is told from the point of view of a baker whose primary concern is the impact the miracle will have on the price of his bread. After the crucifixion, two Hebrew locals debate the error of Jesus' methods although not his message. In another, Pilate engages in a dialogue with Joseph of Arimathea over the political implications of the crucifixion. Their dialogue on "what is truth" still resonates long after I finished reading it. Čapek also invokes fictional characters, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet in two humorous sagas.

Capek's `would-be' tales are written in a similar style but are written in a contemporary setting. The most compelling of these are the last two, Anonymous Letter and Ten Centavos. In the first, a writer who has produced articles supporting the consumption of cheese is the subject of a hate mail campaign. Ten Centavos involves the horror of an honorable man being publicly besmirched by an avenging state. These stories must surely have had some resonance for Čapek as, as his life neared its end in 1938, he became subject to vicious attacks from some who held him partly responsible for the fate that was about to befall Czechoslovakia.

These are all beautiful stories told in simple narrative form. It has been said of Capek that his deep belief in democracy made him want to present his ideas to be accessible to anyone who could read. I do not know this to be the case but the spirit of Capek's stories shine through readily. These stories would be appreciated by anyone interested in short stories whether or not they have a specific interest in Czech literature. This collection is well worth reading.

Capek was a phisophicial writer and all of these tales raise interesting philsophical political questions. Unfortunately I get they feeling that as well as these general issues there is also some link in many of the stories to recent goings on in Czech politics at the time. These refences/links are completely lost on me (as are the links in Swifts Gulivers Travels). For those wanting to give Capek a try they are better starting off with one of his other works. This book is really for the keen Capek fan who has everything that has been translated into English already or for someone who likes the idea of the format.