“I would bring you the blue from the sky.”
Some of the most classic pieces of literature were written by Czech authors. One of the most vibrant historical and cultural hotbeds in Europe, the history of Czech books stretches back as far as the 14th century. Czechia’s capital city, Prague, was even named a UNESCO City of Literature. Czech books about Prague and the rest of the Czech Republic often tap into the turbulent history of the country and the wider region, exploring the defining moments that have helped shape the culture into what it is today. If you’re looking to sample a taste of this stunning country, join us here at What We Reading for the best books to read before you visit the Czech Republic!
Quick note: ‘Czechia’ has been in use as a shortened version of the ‘Czech Republic’ since the fall of Czechoslovakia in 1992. The Czech government directed the use of ‘Czechia’ in 2016. While some prefer to continue using the longer name for the country, both are correct.
The Book Of Dirt – Bram Presser
First up on our list of Czech books is Bram Presser’s acclaimed 2017 work, The Book of Dirt, a beautifully told historical fiction novel about love, family secrets, and Jewish myths. An autobiographical novel, The Book of Dirt is based on Presser’s own research into his grandparents (Jakub Rand and Dasa Roubicek) and their lives during the Second World War. Both were Jewish Czechs who were imprisoned and survived the concentration camp in the country, Terezin, as well as the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau.
While at Terezin (known in the book as ‘Theresienstadt’), Jakub is tasked with cataloguing books by Jewish authors for Hitler’s ‘Museum of the Extinct Race.’ He chronicles each and every document, verifying the details to the letter, until he comes to a book with a hollowed-out middle, containing a pile of dirt. Part literary fiction, part mystery, The Book of Dirt follows Bram in the present as he embarks on a quest to find the truth behind this prayer book and the legacy of history’s remarkable survivors.
The Joke – Milan Kundera
During the years of the Cold War, Milan Kundera’s The Joke was held as one of the most prominent Czech books on the politics of the day. However, since the fall of the Soviet-imposed Czechoslovak regime, this 1967 classic has been allowed to be revered as the stirring exploration of thwarted love and miscarried revenge tale it is.
Revised for English-language readers to match the original Czech version as closely as possible, The Joke follows the life of Ludvik Jahn, a university student who, as a joke, sends a postcard to his girlfriend one day featuring a sarcastic remark about the Communist party. The authorities don’t take too kindly to this satire, however, and he is expelled from the party. This one trivial event then kicks off a chain reaction of repercussions that soon hit both Ludvik’s personal and professional lives. One of the most stunning explorations of political and social pressures, readers follow multiple perspectives and get a real sense of Communist Czechoslovakian society through the lives and choices of the book’s different characters.
I Served The King Of England – Bohumil Hrabal
Bohumil Hrabal is one of the Czech Republic’s most famous authors, so no list of the best Czech books would be complete without mentioning him! Known for his absurdism and extremely long sentences (one of his books consists entirely of one sentence), he isn’t for every reader. But, his famous 1983 classic I Served the King of England is a must-read for anyone looking to pay homage to one of the all-time classic pieces of humorous Czech literature.
Translated for English readers by Paul Wilson, the book follows Ditie, a hotel waiter who rises to become a millionaire, only to lose it all again. From serving Emperor Haile Selassie to falling in love with a Nazi, this extraordinary tale is set against a backdrop in Prague that maps out everything from the German invasion to the victory of Communism, sweeping through the political and personal narratives that helped shape modern Czech history.
Bliss Was It In Bohemia – Michael Viewegh
Michael Viewegh’s Bliss Was It in Bohemia is another piece of classic Czech literature and takes readers on a tour from the 1960s to the 1990s through the lens of one eccentric family.
Told through the protagonist Kvido and his family, the group is intended to be a stand-in for Viewegh and his loved ones. Told with the sort of dry wit and black humour that is distinctly Czech, readers laugh along as Kvido and co. attempt to navigate their way through Communism, source an apartment, and rub shoulders with some of the all-time famous Czech literary figures. Viewegh remains one of the most popular Czech writers, and Bliss Was It in Bohemia remains one of his best works to date.
Prague Noir – Pavel Mandys
One of the best Prague books, Prague Noir is a series of stories compiled by Pavel Mandys that shed light on the darker sides of Czechia’s capital. The book takes readers on a thrilling journey across the city, from unravelling the mysteries of unexplained disappearances on a local bridge, being hounded by the Vietnamese mafia, to experiencing the Prague carnival, these stories whisk readers into the gritty heart of Czech culture, away from all the tourist traps and trodden paths.
A part of the Akashic Books Noir series, these books have never been translated into English, giving them even more of an authentic voice that anyone looking for the best Czech books shouldn’t miss out on!
A Bouquet Of Czech Folktales – Karel Jaromir Erben
First published in 1853, A Bouquet of Czech Folktales is a compilation of dark stories and fairy tales by Karel Jaromir Erben. Based on his studies of Slavic folklore and songs, it is also one of the best Czech books for poetry lovers as every twisted tale is written in verse.
Often considered one of the best collections of European fairy tales, A Bouquet of Czech Folktales is filled with murder and mayhem, of graves opening and the dead walking the Earth, ogres and monsters of wood and lake, and human transformation akin to something out of The Fly. Not only one of the best books from the region, Erben’s work has gone on to inspire countless other artists, including Antonin Dvorak, who went on to compose a series of his own poems based on those in A Bouquet of Czech Folktales.
The Golem – Gustav Meyrink
One of the enduring legends from Prague is that of the Golem of Prague, protector of the city’s Jewish population. While Meyrink’s The Golem in Gustav Meyrink’s novel is more nuanced than this myth, it remains a dominatingly eerie presence throughout.
Meyrink’s The Golem is much more of a book about Prague, told through the perspective of the main character Athanasius Pernath, a resident of the city’s ghetto in the early twentieth century. This haunting gothic tale of stolen identity and persecution takes readers on a journey through the underbelly of Czech culture of the time. As Athanasius grapples with whether he really has witnessed the Golem or whether the sight is a fragment of his own paranoia, readers get to see the character and spirit of Prague through the book’s array of fantastical and outlandish characters over the centuries.
HHhH – Laurent Binet
On the best books about Prague, we would be remiss to create a list of the best Czech novels without paying homage to the era of history known as the ‘Heydrich Terror.’ Assigned to Prague to eliminate the Czech Resistance, Reinhard Heydrich remains one of history’s most depraved individuals. His assassination by the resistance was the only successful hit on a high-ranking Nazi official, and it is that event and its consequences Laurent Binet taps into in HHhH.
HHhH is a historical fiction account of Heydrich’s assassination by Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubis, two members of the resistance. Awarded the Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman, this fierce and mesmerizing novel about the heroism and loyalty shown by one small community is the perfect combination of actuality, memory, and Binet’s own stunning creative imagination.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
