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mr_e_staley's review against another edition
5.0
I grabbed this book off the shelf of a used bookstore not knowing anything before I read this book. I love this book, I really did not expect the amount of enjoyment I’d get out of a ‘short read’. I am still flabbergasted by how much Hrabal put into this book while making it such an easy read.
This book brings to thought how people identify themselves by education and by their work. It also talked tangentially about how even if the career name is the same it may not be generation from generation, there may perhaps be a lost art or lost education that used to be tied to a job; yet the job no longer teaches that lesson.
This book brings to thought how people identify themselves by education and by their work. It also talked tangentially about how even if the career name is the same it may not be generation from generation, there may perhaps be a lost art or lost education that used to be tied to a job; yet the job no longer teaches that lesson.
anhibbert's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book much more than I originally expected. After picking it up from a book exchange with roommates, it was the description of a "translated, intellectual, but out-there" work that made me grab it. I was not expecting to get a prophetic, poignant tale that follows the protagonist's discoveries of life and how knowledge manifests itself within humans, and through consumption of literature. Being such a short read stocked full with nuggets of metaphorical snippets, I found it hard not wanting to grab a pencil and begin marking it up (since it is a borrowed book). It is one of those books that you can pick up at different points in your life and it will speak to you in a new light. And for that reason I am highly considering purchasing my own copy.
bluestarfish's review against another edition
4.0
Haňt'a is a reclusive man who hoards books at home and compacts wastepaper for his job. His job has lead to an unexpected education and love for words as he snatches phrases and books from destruction, but also makes peace with all the knowledge and books that he is destroying in his job. The narrtive meanders along with the old man though Prague and memories and being yelled at by his boss for not doing a good job. This short novel was first published in a samizdat edition and has plenty to make you think about censorship and literacy and how indifference and uncaring are equally effective measures. But even in the underground basement hole where Haňt'a barely sees the light and has lost the will to venture outside much there is light and expansion and travelling and wonder in the mind through the written words. There's also some interesting points about hte worth and meaning of work. Funny and sad.
Translated from the Czech by Michael Henry Heim
Translated from the Czech by Michael Henry Heim
leic01's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
manda2491's review against another edition
3.0
Through repetition and allusion, Hanta outlines and expands on how much he enjoys working as a trash compacter. He has a particular fondness for simplicity, beer, gypsies, and philosophy. Overall, an interesting novel exploring the idea of permanence in a rapidly-changing society.
olicooper's review
4.0
This short novel was a delightful and surreal romp in the mind of the protagonist Hanta-- he has worked for 35 years at a wastepaper plant-- crushing paper and books in a hydraulic press-- all the while, stealing various volumes of books everyday-- saving them in a time of censorship in Prague.
Written in this stream of conscious style and barely enough sentence breaks to give you time to take a breath, I was not sure if I was going to be a fan. But the way the author crafts this story pulled me in. Since it is a short novel, there was not much time to find the stream of conscious style tiresome, then he starts layering in repetitious phrasing quite cleverly, adds some humor, adds eclectic and comprehensive literary references, and some dashes of philosophical whimsy.
It was an enjoyable time and worthy read.
Written in this stream of conscious style and barely enough sentence breaks to give you time to take a breath, I was not sure if I was going to be a fan. But the way the author crafts this story pulled me in. Since it is a short novel, there was not much time to find the stream of conscious style tiresome, then he starts layering in repetitious phrasing quite cleverly, adds some humor, adds eclectic and comprehensive literary references, and some dashes of philosophical whimsy.
It was an enjoyable time and worthy read.
felo's review against another edition
5.0
Pierwszą książką Hrabala, jaką przeczytałam było Auteczko, z polecenia, jako świetna lektura. Czytanie jej, choć króciutka, frustrowało mnie i denerwowało, mimo oczywistego kunsztu literackiego autora. I na dodatek nie lubię kotów. Zbyt Głośna Samotność tkwiła na moim Kindlu już jakiś czas i w niedzielne popołudnie postanowiłam dać Hrabalowi jeszcze jedną szansę, choć on mojej łaski wcale nie potrzebuje, niezaprzeczalnie - był świetnym fachowcem. Wpadłam w potok obrazów, znów trudnych, czasem nieprzyjemnych, czasem tęsknie nawołujących do naszych własnych głębokich pragnień i popłynęłam. Tekst toczy się jakby na jednym wdechu i jest wyśmienity. Bardzo polecam.