It may or may not surprise you to learn that some of the most important classics of the 20th century were written by Czech authors. of course, when you consider the history of Czech books; that Czech literature dates back to the 14th century and has been culturally valued ever since, is perhaps not so surprising.
after all, it’s thanks to a Czech writer that we have the word robot (it’s not on the list as it doesn’t actually represent the country, so if you’re interested check out the piece r.u.r.by karel Čapek)! in 2014, the capital city prague was even named a unesco city of literature.
You are reading: Books about prague history
Although there are a larger number of Czech writers in translation than most other Central or Eastern European nations, most Czech literature remains untranslated, at least in English.
however, what is available is excellent and diverse. and a lot of that is a little weird. but that’s to be expected when one of your literary superstars has a word meaning surreal and nightmarish named after her (FYI: that word is Kafkaesque).
however, as is often the case with translated fiction, the czech books about prague and the rest of the czech republic that are available belong to the darkest parts of czech history.
Because there are so many amazing and unknown Czech authors, I have chosen not to include Franz Kafka or Milan Kundera in this list. however, you should definitely read them.
although these are books to read before visiting the czech republic, they are mostly books about prague because that is what is predominantly available in english, however these will still provide insight into czech life and culture.
a quick note: czechia has been in use as the short form of czech republic since 1993 and became official in 2013. some prefer the use of czech republic and some czechia, but both are correct (This is similar to simply calling the United States of America the States or the United States).
read more: why should we read more translated literature?
Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968 by Heda Margolius Kovaly
translated by helen epstein
first read heda margolius kovaly’s fictional murder mystery, innocence; or Murder on a Steep Street, which is a book set in a Prague cinema during the 1950s under Soviet rule. While I think I prefer Innocence as a story, Under a Cruel Star is one of the best Czech books about everyday life in Prague during that time, especially for Jews.
Heda’s life leaked into the tragedy, and her account is raw and brutally honest. under a cruel star begins when the tragedy begins: her whole family is uprooted from prague and transported to the Łódź ghetto.
heda survived both the Łódź ghetto and auschwitz-birkenau before escaping to prague during a death march to bergen-belsen. heartbreakingly, this was not the end of their fight.
the golem by gustav meyrink
translated by carlo mainoldi
one of prague’s most enduring legends is that of the golem of prague, protector of the jews. the golem in meyrink’s novel is more metaphysical than monster, but still has a fierce presence throughout.
the golem is as much a book about prague as its protagonist, athanasius pernath, a resident of the prague ghetto in the 1910s. pernath may or may not be hallucinating the golem, a creature that comes to life every 33 years and embodies the pain and suffering of the ghetto.
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a bouquet: from czech folk tales by karel jaromír erben
translated by marcela malek sulak
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This collection of dark fairy tales is one of the best Czech books for lovers of poetry. that’s right, all the creepy and twisted tales in this book are written in verse.
a bouquet was originally published in 1853, this Czech classic is considered one of the best collections of fairy tales available in the region. supposedly it has even been a source of inspiration for many Czech artists, including the composer antonín dvořák.
the book of dirt by bram presser
The Book of Dirt is an autobiographical novel based on Bram Presser’s research on his own grandparents (Jakub Rand and Dasa Roubicek) and their lives during World War II. They were both Czech Jews who survived the Czech Terezín concentration camp (also called by the Austrian name of Theresienstadt in the book) and the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau.
while in theresienstadt, jakub is assigned the task of cataloging jewish books for hitler’s extinct race museum. he painstakingly goes through each document and verifies it…until he finds a book with a hollowed-out center and a mound of dirt.
Part memoir, part mystery, part historical fiction, this is a truly unique book.
hhhh by laurent binet
translated by sam taylor
I would be remiss if I didn’t include any books about Prague that include the period known as Heydrich’s Terror in this list.
reinhard heydrich was one of the cruelest nazi officers, assigned to prague to eliminate the czech resistance. but heyrdrich was killed by members of the czech resistance. It was called Operation Anthropoid and it was the only successful assassination of a high-ranking Nazi official and it changed everything.
hhhh is a fictional account of the assassination of reinhard heydrich by jozef gabčík and jan kubiš, two members of the anthropoid operation. But it’s also the story of Laurent Binet trying to write about the event and agonizing over what liberties should and shouldn’t be taken with the lives, emotions, and conversations of real people.
In case you’re curious about the title, hhhh was a nickname given to Heydrich which means “himmlers hirn heisst heydrich” and translates to “himmler’s brain is called heydrich”.
happiness was in bohemia by michal viewegh
translated by david short
bless was it in bohemia is a surreal game from the 60s to the 90s through the lens of a family. the kvido protagonist and his eccentric family are clearly stand-ins for the vieweghs. laugh and bang your head as they navigate life under communism, get approved for an apartment, and befriend famous Czech literary figures.
if you want to read what czechs read today, check out (sorry) michal viewegh, one of the most popular modern czech writers.
the danny smiřický series by josef Škvorecký
translated by paul wilson
this is a loose series united by a common protagonist: danny smiřický. smiřický is a semi-autobiographical character based on Škvorecký’s experiences in Czechoslovakia before fleeing to Canada in 1968 following the Warsaw Pact invasion.
It’s kind of a cheat to include the entire series, but each story is totally unique and examines a different aspect of life under communism, often in different cities or towns.
Škvorecký’s books are filled with delightful black humor and harsh disparagement of the current regime with thinly veiled versions of real people. for this reason, most of his books were banned by the communist party.
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read more: 12 books to read before visiting the Baltic countries
i served the king of england by bohumil hrabal
translated by paul wilson
hrabal is one of the most famous and beloved authors in the Czech Republic, so you can’t leave him out of a list of Czech books! but it’s not for everyone, he loves absurdity and ridiculously long sentences (one of his books is just one long sentence).
in i served the king of england we meet ditie, a short man and employee of the golden prague hotel whose boss tells him on the first day that he should not see or hear anything, but also see everything and hear everything.
From there, it only escalates when Ditie is called to serve Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, falls in love with a Nazi, and attempts to pass a German purity test. sometimes it feels like a much darker grand budapest hotel, and that’s why it’s so good.
prague noir by pavel mandys (editor)
The stories here delve into the dark side of Prague. Not just Prague’s dark past, like some of the earlier books, but the side that tourists rarely find, one more reminiscent of Kafka’s bureaucratic nightmares (minus the paperwork).
along prague noir you are transported to a prague carnival, on the run from the vietnamese mafia, not knowing if you are being harassed or investigated, trying to unravel the mystery of unexplained disappearances on a bridge, and more!
one of the best things about the akashic black book series is that they tend to feature works by authors that have never been translated [into English] anywhere else. and prague noi is no exception!
read more: review: the honjin murders by seishi yokomizo
all my cats by bohumil hrabal
translated by paul wilson
hrabal died in 1997, falling (at the age of 82) from a hospital window while apparently trying to feed pigeons.
this fact, throughout the cover of all my cats, paints an immediately vivid and colorful picture of the man: a kind, calming and gentle soul filled with great compassion for animals and a duty to ensure their happiness.
And while this is immediately revealed in the book, what the reader will find deep inside is something much darker and harrowing.
Throughout 96 pages and a handful of chapters, readers are invited into the life of an anxiety-ridden man entering his twilight years; a man who has worked the life of a working man until, finally, finding success as a poet and writer.
Now, Hrabal divides his time between a house in Prague and one in Kersko, a rural area where he hopes to have a space to write and have his own peace.
The peace is shattered when his and his wife’s house in Kersko is invaded by five cats. five cats that are quickly named and loved by hrabal. his obsession with these cats is, in fact, all-consuming.
read more: our complete review of all my cats
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