Behind the Lines

Bugulma and Other Stories

By: Jaroslav Hasek, Mark Corner (Translator)

Write A Review

Paperback | 15 January 2017 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
224 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
1.91 x 1.32 x 0.07

Paperback

RRP $19.95

$18.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $4.69 with

Ships in 5 to 7 business days

Jaroslav HaÅ¡ek is a Czech writer most famous for his wickedly funny, widely read, yet incomplete novel The Good Soldier Schweik, a series of absurdist vignettes about a recalcitrant WWI soldier. HaÅ¡ekâ"in spite of a life of buffoonery and debaucheryâ"was remarkably prolific. He wrote hundreds of short stories that all display both his extraordinary gift for satire and his profound distrust of authority. Behind the Lines presents a series of nine short stories first published in the Prague Tribune and considered to be some of HaÅ¡ekâs best. Based on his experiences as a Red Commissar in the Russian Civil War and his return to Czechoslovakia, Behind the Lines focuses on the Russian town of Bugulma, taking aim, with mordant wit, at the absurdities of a revolution.

Providing important background and insight into The Good Soldier Schweik, this collection by a writer some call the Bolshevik Mark Twain is nevertheless much more than a tool for understanding his better-known novel; it is a significant work in its own right. A hidden gem remarkable for its modern, ribald sense of humor, Behind the Lines is an enjoyable, fast-paced anthology of great literary and historical value.

Industry Reviews

"Behind the Lines is a special book. . . . Hasek tackles the absurdity of the Soviet approach to Marxism, making fun of how quickly the Bolshevik revolution was corrupted by ignorant men thirsty for power and willing to commit unnecessary violence. . . . In Behind the Lines, it's all a fraud, lies and betrayal, with war presented as a charade in which soldiers act out their role merely because they have no other way of earning a living, while civilian lives and precious resources are wasted like water. Although he was writing about an absurd, militarized society in the early twentieth century, Hasek pretty much nails contemporary society right on the head."--Randy Rosenthal "Coffin Factory"
"Prague's ribald raconteur of tavern tales, Hasek, the author not just of Svejk but of the equally pugnacious Behind the Lines."--James Hopkin "Times Literary Supplement"

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.