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Jaroslav Hašek

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Jaroslav Hašek
Born(1883-04-30)30 April 1883
Prague, Austria-Hungary
Died3 January 1923(1923-01-03) (aged 39)
Lipnice nad Sázavou, Czechoslovakia
OccupationNovelist, humorist
Language
  • Czech
  • Russian
GenreHistorical satire
Literary movementSocial realism[1]
Notable worksThe Good Soldier Švejk

Signature

Jaroslav Hašek (Czech: [ˈjaroslaf ˈɦaʃɛk]; 1883–1923) was a Czech writer, humorist, satirist, journalist, and bohemian. He first believed in anarchy, but then he became a communist. He was also a commissar of the Red Army against the Czechoslovak Legion. He is known for the novel The Fate of the Good Soldier Švejk during the World War. This novel was an unfinished collection stories about a soldier in World War I. It was a satire about how unskilled authority figures can be. The novel has been translated into 58 languages. It is the most translated novel in Czech literature.

At first, Hašek only wrote stories about travel. He published these in magazines. He wrote most of his works while in Prague pubs.[2][3]

His writings were based on his own experiences. However, in some cases, we do not know if some of what he wrote was true or poetic hyperbole.

In his life, he wrote about 1,200 short stories. Most of his short prose is found throughout many different magazines and newspapers. Almost all of his stories have been found and printed into books. Some of his work may be lost, such as "The History of the Ox."[4] There are also many works that Hašek probably wrote, but is not confirmed.

His most famous text by far is the humorous novel The Fate of the Good Soldier Švejk during the World War. It has been translated into 58 languages. It has also been made into a movie or play. The novel is in four parts. Each part has a name: "In the Background (1921)", "At the Front (1922)", "Famous Spanking (1922)" and "Unfinished Continuation of the Famous Spanking" (1923). Hašek did not finish writing the book. Over time, the novel became very popular.

Some of Hašek's works have also been made into theatre performances.

References

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  1. Patrick, Julian (2009). 501 great writers : A comprehensive guide to the giants of literature. Apple. p. 287. ISBN 9781845433109.
  2. "SPŠE Olomouc, Literatura, Jaroslav Hašek". Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  3. "Klub přátel starého Smíchova, Jaroslav Hašek". Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  4. Galík, Josef, ed. (1994). Panorama české literatury (anthology). Olomouc: Rubico. ISBN 80-85839-04-0.

Further reading

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Other websites

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