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"""The History of Light isn't only a biographical novel about Frantisek Drtikol. Němec uses the effect of hindsight--he depicts events whose participants cannot know the significance of what's happening around them, while we are fully aware. Němec is essentially doing something similar to what Florian Illies did in the excellent novel 1913: The Year Before the Storm, where he for example lets Stalin meet Hitler in a Sch�nbrunn Palace garden; but the year is 1913 and none of those strolling through the park realise what atrocities these two men will one day commit.""-- ""Petr A. B�lek, Respekt"" ""I'm certain that Jan Němec's novel The History of Light is unrivalled in current Czech literature. And I'd even argue that it's a beacon which Czech literature has been lacking for a long time.""-- ""Jir� Kratochvil, writer, CT art"" ""Mystery, success and loneliness--these are ingredients for a nutritious literary dish. The author Jan Němec chose photographer Frantisek Drtikol as the hero of his book The History of Light and wrote one of last year's best Czech novels.""-- ""Ales Pal�n, Hospod�rsk� noviny"""

“I’m certain that Jan Němec’s novel The History of Light is unrivalled in current Czech literature. And I’d even argue that it’s a beacon which Czech literature has been lacking for a long time.” * Jirí Kratochvil, writer, CT art * “The History of Light isn’t only a biographical novel about František Drtikol. Němec uses the effect of hindsight—he depicts events whose participants cannot know the significance of what’s happening around them, while we are fully aware. Němec is essentially doing something similar to what Florian Illies did in the excellent novel 1913: The Year Before the Storm, where he for example lets Stalin meet Hitler in a Schönbrunn Palace garden; but the year is 1913 and none of those strolling through the park realise what atrocities these two men will one day commit.” * Petr A. Bílek, Respekt * “Mystery, success and loneliness—these are ingredients for a nutritious literary dish. The author Jan Němec chose photographer František Drtikol as the hero of his book The History of Light and wrote one of last year’s best Czech novels.” * Aleš Palán, Hospodárské noviny *

Author Information

Jan Němec is the author of four books in Czech. He has worked as a journalist and is currently the editor of the literary monthly Host and a freelance contributor to the daily Deník N. He is the author of a collection of short stories, Lilliputin, also published by Seagull Books. David Short is a translator of numerous books from Czech to English.

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