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The Good Soldier Svejk
- Narrated by: Sam Kelly, Adrian Lukis
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Radio/TV Programme
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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Summary
A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation by Christopher Reason of the satirical Czech novel by Jaroslav Hasek.
This tale charts the exploits during the First World War of ‘European Forrest Gump’ Svejk, in his progress through the ranks of the Austro-Hungarian army. Good-natured and garrulous, Svejk becomes the Austrian army’s most loyal Czech soldier when he is called up on the outbreak of the First World War - although his bumbling attempts to get to the front serve only to prevent him from reaching it.
This story of a ‘little man’ caught in a vast bureaucratic machine combines dazzling wordplay and piercing satire to create a hilariously subversive depiction of the futility of war.
Starring Sam Kelly as Svejk and Adrian Lukis as Lukas. Directed by Gary Brown.
What listeners say about The Good Soldier Svejk
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- MBT Salisbury
- 23-12-12
I'm going to have to read this again!
I enjoyed this immensely when I first heard it on the radio more than 20 years ago, in fact so much that I read the book. So when I found it again here I couldn't wait to listen again, still just as funny and entertaining; some humour would seem to be timeless. I liked the use of English accents which might, on the face of it, seem odd but added to the characterisations.
The odd thing is I could have sworn there was more, an incident with some "iron water". This obviously means I'm going to have to find the book.
2 people found this helpful
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- Bob C.
- 02-09-16
A good soldier, but a great radio comedy.
Enjoyed every minute of this. Sam Kelly is sublime as Svejk. it's like Forest Gump in Eastern Europe.
1 person found this helpful
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- Alice Nant
- 02-07-21
A guide to anti-establishment behavior.
This has been a favorite book of mine since it turned up in my local library 15 years ago. This is an appraised version but captures the anarchic desolate humor. If you listen to this then you will read the book as the illustrations by Josef Lada complete the experience.
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- Victor
- 17-06-19
Very good.
My dad recommended this to me since I'm a fan of history. I didn't expect it to be this good. Sometimes comedy and fiction have a way of presenting tragic events in a way we can more easily process. When seen as a commentary on the senseless nature of The "Great" War, this type of comedy is a good thing. It has the power to bring the message across to a wider public and this is a good thing.
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-02-18
way fun
love this book already, but this is super fun. It cracked me up a bit more than expected.