Modern Czech Writers

In 1989, the so-called Velvet Revolution took place in Czechoslovakia . Like many important political and social events, it influenced the development of prose and poetry. Czech writers of the late XX century - Milan Kundera, Michal Viveg, Yachim Topol, Patrick Ourjednik. The creative path of these authors is the topic of our article.

Historical background

In November 1989, protests began on the streets of Czechoslovakia. The freedom-loving people wanted to overthrow the communist system. Numerous actions were accompanied by slogans about democracy and rapprochement with Europe. Fortunately, bloodshed did not happen. Therefore, the name of the event was quite peaceful - Velvet Revolution.

In the second half of the 20th century, Czech literature developed, but very slowly. The authors were in the grip of censorship. In the nineties, many new publishers appeared. On the shelves of bookstores you could see creations of previously banned authors. Among them are many well-known Czech writers, whose names are familiar to readers around the world today.

Features of Czech literature

In the culture of each people there are characteristic features. They are formed under the influence of important social and historical features, as well as what is called a national character. The books of the Czech writers are original and original. There is something in them that does not exist in any European literature. Complex philosophical thoughts are strangely combined with joys and sorrows of the common man. The irony goes hand in hand with compassion and sentimentality.

The list of "Modern Czech Writers", as a rule, begins with the name of Milan Kundera. But there are many other in this list, although less well-known to the Russian-speaking reader.

Michal Viveg

This author is one of the most popular in the Czech Republic. The works of Michal Vivega are published in ten languages in huge editions. His novels, as a rule, are autobiographical. Vivega's hero is himself. Solving deep social and philosophical problems through the prism of individual members of society is the main task of this author.

The most famous novel is Vivega - "The best years - a dog by the tail." In addition to this work, published more than twenty, and almost all belong to different genres. Among them there are not only social and psychological novels and action-sensitive detectives, but also creations intended for young readers. Therefore Vivega can be safely attributed to the category "Czech children's writers."

Yachim Topol

In the early eighties among the Czech intelligentsia, this author became famous, first of all, thanks to his dissident activities, and then to active participation in the Velvet Revolution. He was repeatedly brought to criminal responsibility, often changed his place of work. The road to the university for Topol was closed due to the human rights activities of his father, a well-known dramatist at the time.

He began his creative career with poetic works. But in the nineties he moved on to postmodern prose. At this time, several novels and collections of short stories by Jachim Topol were published, which later became famous outside of the Czech Republic thanks to translations into English, French, German and Italian.

Patrick Ourozednik

Many Czech writers were forced to leave their homeland for political reasons. One of them is Patrick Ourzednik. He was born in Prague in an intelligent family. However, in his youth, he took an extremely active part in prohibited public associations and even signed a petition to protect political prisoners. Such actions were able to deprive any citizen of the opportunity to get a decent education, and therefore, doomed to a dubious social situation.

In the eighties, Orujednik, like other famous Czech writers, emigrated to France. There he managed to get an education. Ourjednik listened to the course of French literature, the history of religion, and then even became one of the founders of the Free University, where until 2010 he lectured.

Milan Kundera

When it comes to such a concept as Czech writers, any fan of intellectual prose comes to mind the name of this author. In France Milan Kundera emigrated in 1975. At home until 1952 he read a course in world literature.

However, the early awakened political consciousness prevented him from working quietly in the teaching field . The fact is that in his childhood Kundera survived the German occupation, and therefore any manifestations of fascism were disgusting to him. In the post-war era, the idea of communism seemed to be saving for many young people in the Czech Republic. Kundera joined the party. But quickly was expelled. The reasons are "erroneous views" and "anti-party activities".

Early works of Kundera were still approved by official criticism. However, over the years, he increasingly began to gravitate toward the study of the inner world of a single person. This feature of prose was contrary to the generally accepted settings. When Milan Kundera began to openly criticize any kind of censorship, his social situation was significantly shaken. He was fired. Kundera's works fell into the category of forbidden.

The most famous novels of the Czech writer were first published in France. Among them - "Life is not here", "Unbearable lightness of being." A special place in the work of this writer is occupied by the motives of emigration. In recent years, Milan Kundera mainly writes in French.