A collection of short stories by Czech women from the turn of the twentieth century.
A World Apart brings together translations of eight stories by Czech women from the turn of the twentieth centuryedash;a period of female political emancipation and impressive literary development in Czechoslovakia. Though theyesquo;re little known to an English-language public today, all of the writers featured in the book were recognized in their own day and constitute a cross-section of the literary styles of the period. Anna Maria Tilschovátsquo;s rdquo;A Sad Timebdquo; is written in a naturalist style, while R??ena Jesenskáksquo;s dquo;A World Apartydquo; presents themes and motifs that appealed to the Decadents. Helena Malí?ová?squo;s ?dquo;The Sylph?dquo; is both diaristic and satirical, whereas R??ena Svobodová?squo;s ironical ?dquo;A Great Passion,?dquo; with its rural setting and folklore motifs, calls to mind the writings of Karel Jaromír Erben. Gabriela Preissová?squo;s short story ?dquo;Eva?dquo; may be read as a celebration of folk culture, and Bo?ena Bene?caron;ová?squo;s ?dquo;Friends?dquo; is interesting for its psychological presentation of a child?squo;s point of view and its implicit criticism of anti-Semitism. The book is accompanied by the biographies of each author and an introduction by editor and translator Kathleen Hayes.
