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Czech BooksIvan Klíma: a sceptic in the era of entertainment culture
The 78-year-old novelist, Ivan Klíma, is one of the best known and most
widely translated of all Czech writers, with novels like “Love and
Garbage”, “Judge on Trial” or “No Saints or Angels” acclaimed
worldwide. Nearly all Klíma’s work focuses on human relationships, in
particular between men and women, but at the same time he offers far
broader insights into modern Czech society. In a recent interview for Radio
Prague Klíma spoke about his latest book “My Crazy Century” in which
he looks back at the first half of his life including his years in a Nazi
concentration camp and his later flirtation with communism. But when I went
to see Ivan Klíma last week at his house in a leafy suburb of Prague, it
was to talk about the more recent past. I was interested in how he
perceives the years since the fall of communism. The Velvet Revolution came
suddenly, but did it take Ivan Klíma by surprise?
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From the ArchivesGeorge Bush Sr. tolls a bell for Czechoslovakia
On November 17 1990, the first anniversary of the beginning of the Velvet
Revolution, George Bush Sr. became the first American president to visit
Czechoslovakia in the country’s 70-year history. This was a time of
strong pro-American feeling here, and during their brief stay George and
Barbara Bush were welcomed with genuine enthusiasm. Over a hundred
thousand
people gathered on Wenceslas Square to hear the president speak: More
Czech BooksMy Crazy Century: Ivan Klíma reflects on his journey to communism and back
When Ivan Klíma was a little boy, he knew he wanted to be a writer. Today,
he is one of the most respected figures of Czech literature. Ivan
Klíma’s life journey included years in a Nazi concentration camp,
membership in the communist party, and later a life on the fringe of the
society, after he was expelled from the party and joined
Czechoslovakia’s opposition movement. In his latest book, My Crazy
Century, Ivan Klíma
explains what happened that he found himself in the ranks of the communist
party, a totalitarian and criminal organization that ruled his country for
four decades. More
Current AffairsWhat do Czechs expect from America's new president?
This Tuesday Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United
States of America. Mr Obama takes his oath of office in front of a huge
crowd in Washington and millions and millions of people around the rest of
the world. Excitement has been building ahead of the Obama presidency in
Europe as well as the US, with the Czech Republic proving no exception. A
recent STEM poll found Mr Obama Czechs’ favourite foreign politician by a
margin of nearly 20 percent. But when it comes down to it, what do Czechs
actually expect of America’s new leader? We asked a few on the streets of
Prague:
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