Czech Dreambook

In 1979, Ludvík Vaculík, a Czech writer, has writers block. On the advice of his friend, he begins to keep a diary, which becomes A Czech Dreambook. It is a unique mixture of diary, dream journal, and fiction, featuring the author, his family, mistresses, and the real leaders of the Czech underground. Vaculík himself described it as an amalgam of "hard-boiled documentary" and "magic fiction." The novel has been hailed as the most important work of Czech literature in the past forty years and has never been available in English.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 450 pages
Publication date: 06 December 2019
Publisher: Karolinum,Nakladatelstvi Univerzity Karlovy,Czech Republic

In 1979, amidst the oppressive era of normalization in Communist Czechoslovakia, Ludvík Vaculík found himself grappling with a severe case of writer's block. It had been nearly a decade since he had penned his renowned novel, "The Guinea Pigs," and even longer since he had written his anti-regime manifesto, "Two Thousand Words," which the Soviet Union used as a pretext for invading Czechoslovakia. Seeking guidance from his friend, the poet and surrealist painter Jiří Kolář, Vaculík embarked on a new creative journey. He decided to keep a diary, a book that would encompass a diverse range of subjects, people, and events. This marked the inception of "A Czech Dreambook."

Over the course of fifty-four weeks, Vaculík poured his thoughts and experiences into his diary. What he produced was a remarkable blend of diary entries, dream journals, and pure fiction, all intertwined in an intricate and captivating narrative. This novel, undisputedly the most debated work among the Prague dissident community of the 1980s, is a masterpiece that Vaculík himself described as an amalgamation of "hard-boiled documentary" and "magic fiction." Václav Havel, the former President of Czechoslovakia, hailed it as "a truly profound and perceptive account. . . . A great novel about modern life and the crisis of contemporary humanity."

"A Czech Dreambook" has been celebrated as the most significant work of Czech literature in the past forty years. However, until now, it has remained unavailable in English. Fortunately, Gerald Turner has skillfully translated Vaculík's masterpiece, preserving its brilliance, dry humor, and irony. This translation offers a valuable insight into the lives and desires of the dissidents and post-Communist elites, shedding light on a period of history that remains shrouded in mystery and controversy.

In conclusion, "A Czech Dreambook" is a literary gem that deserves to be discovered by a wider audience. Through its unique blend of genres and its profound exploration of human experiences, this novel offers a captivating glimpse into the lives of those who dared to dream against the odds. Vaculík's masterpiece is a testament to the power of literature to transcend boundaries and ignite the imagination, and it is a privilege to experience his work in English for the first time.

Weight: 948g
Dimension: 159 x 212 x 45 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9788024638522