Summer of Caprice

Summer of Caprice, a winning comic novel first published in 1926, is a classic of Czech writing, yet it is little known elsewhere. This may be due to the complexities of the text, which is characterized by a playful narrative, an exceptional mastery of language, and a layered meta-textual context that has only become richer over the decades.

 

Mark Corner has rendered this exceptional work in an English translation that beautifully captures Vladislav Vancura’s experimental style—or, as the author himself called it, “poetism in prose.” This translation is presented alongside the original illustrations and typography, and goes a long way toward deepening our understanding of the Czech spirit, humor, and way of life.