Czechs in History Bittersweet prose - a look at the life and work of writer Ota Pavel
'How I Came to Know Fish' - for years I glimpsed this elegant volume of short stories in Prague's English-language bookstores, at times wondering over its greenish cover featuring a fish on a hook. I wondered blankly over the name of its author, without, I admit, inquiring further. Ota Pavel. The name, though known to most Czechs, said nothing to me then, at most I had an inkling the author had been a sports journalist for Czech Radio in the 1950s. Then I caught a glimpse of his photo somewhere - Ota Pavel, writer - the author in his youth, a black and white picture of a dashing figure with a slanted fedora, staring thoughtfully into the lens. I caught a glimpse and when I heard of a film by the director Karel Kachyna based on the author's work, equally suggestive, I began to wonder about his life even more. The story of Ota Pavel, with its twists and final haunting downfall - and 'How I Came to Know Fish' - both looked at in today's Czechs in History.
Ota Pavel (on left) and his brother Hugo
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