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The Good Soldier Svejk

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The Good Soldier Svejk

By: Jaroslav Hasek
Narrated by: David Horovitch
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The Good Soldier Švejk, written shortly after the First World War, is one of the great antiwar satires - and one of the funniest books of the 20th (or any) century. In creating his eponymous hero, Jaroslav Hašek produced an unforgettable character who charms and infuriates and bamboozles his way through the conflagration that tore through the heart of Europe, upending empires and changing social history.

It is the closing period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The assassination at Sarajevo has just occurred, and armies are on the march.

Švejk, a seller of dogs of dubious provenance, ends up in gaol (the first of a number of such occasions) and then in a Czech battalion in the Austrian army. He becomes batman to a chaplain (who likes the bottle) and batman to Lieutenant Lukas, who is swiftly driven to despair; he causes havoc wherever he goes (inexplicably ending up being sentenced to death while wearing a Russian uniform), yet never losing an opportunity tell a story, an anecdote, a history, present an explanation: “Humbly to report, sir...”

And the war rumbles on, with hints of the hideousness and slaughter emerging, sometimes all the more vivid because they appear almost between the lines. Jaroslav Hašek, was, like his subject, often on the sidelines of society - an anarchist, a communist, a vagrant, a humourist and writer; women and the bottle and sleight of hand all played parts in his life, and he died at the early age of 39 in penury and obscurity.

His masterwork was left unfinished - appropriately, in a curious way, because of its episodic and wayward nature. Not that it matters! In this masterly and very funny reading, David Horovitch brings Švejk and his companions and compatriots to life, balancing subtle satire with out and out slapstick as we encounter Czechs, Hungarians, Russians, Italians and more from this potpourri of people and events.

The Good Soldier Švejk is presented in the outstanding translation by Cecil Parrott. And the book closes with Parrott’s own absorbing account of Hašek’s life and writings, and the background to Švejk. It is read by Martyn Swain. It is called ‘Introduction’, and Hašek (and Švejk) would have approved of the fact that it comes at the end!©2019 Jaroslav Hašek (P)2019 Ukemi Productions Ltd Classics Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction War & Military Witty Solider Superhero Fantasy Comedy Russia War Czech History
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I'd always wanted to read Hasek's classic novel, but never quite got around to it. This audio version, beautifully read by David Horovitch, proved to be a good alternative to getting the print version. Horovitch really brings the character to life. Svejk is a cross between Baldrick (of Blackadder Goes Fourth vintage) and Sgt. Bilko, a vulgar, funny, bumptious everyman who stumbles from one fix to another. But beneath the humour there is a serious point. Hasek, as the excellent introduction (sensibly placed at the end of the audio book) points out, was an opponent of the war and of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Consequently the novel is both a classic of European literary comedy and a fierce critique of war, religion, monarchy and the ruling class. I came away from this reading of it wanting to learn more about Hasek, and with a determination to one day tackle the print version, complete with Lada's illustrations. This book is glorious - get it!

Simply wonderful!

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David Horovitch does a fantastic job of narrating a book that can be something of a slog to get through.

It’s basically a Monty Python take on the book and some of the many voices are great, and so much added to the performance.

You will get hooked and end up getting through it.

Takes a while to get through, but really enjoyable

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It's a brilliant account of the stupidity of war and those who wage war. Possibly a bit dated now but very funny. The narration was a bit cloying at first but became excellent as the story unfolded. Stick with it if you're not sure.

Narrator grew on me

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everytime l read, or relisten, there is so much to enjoy and to revel in that the story never tires. David Horovitch's reading and interpretation is magnificent ans makes for such an enjoyable read.

exceptional rendition of an excellent book

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I usually do not favour narration with explicitly different accents or voices for each character, but in this case it was not only fully justified but an actual triumph.

Outstanding Narration

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