Opis
Milan Kundera, described as 'Our very best writer today,' presents the tale of Ditie, a diminutive hotel waiter with grand ambitions. Amid pilfering unnoticed change from guests and recalling evenings at a nearby brothel, he indulges in daydreams of vast, albeit fictional, wealth. Surprisingly, Ditie's fanciful aspirations begin to manifest. As his disorderly journey takes him through progressively opulent hotels, the glittering exteriors conceal the relentless march of twentieth-century European history. This captivating narrative combines comedic brilliance with profound storytelling, charting the fortunes of a seemingly insignificant man amidst Europe's ominous historical backdrop. Introduced by Adam Thirlwell, the book has been lauded as 'an extraordinary and subtly tragicomic novel' by the New York Times. Julian Barnes notes Hrabal's style for its buoyant humor and delicate attention to detail, while James Wood describes it as a delightful, adventurous saga reminiscent of Baron Munchausen, culminating in moments of sorrow and isolation.