From the book: “
Preface
GREAT times call for great men. There are unknown heroes who are
modest, with none of the historical glamour of a Napoleon. If you
analysed their character you would find that it eclipsed even the glory
of Alexander the Great. Today you can meet in the streets of Prague a
shabbilly dressed man who is not even himself aware of his significance
in the history of the great new era. He goes modestly on his way,
without bothering anyone. Nor is he bothered by journalists asking him
for an interview. If you asked him his na,e he would answer you simply
and unassumingly: ‘I am Svejk…’
And this quiet, unassumming, shabbily dressed man is indeed that
heroic and valiant good old soldier Svejk. In Austrian times his name
was once on the lips of all the cisizens of the Kingdon of Bohemia, and
in the Republic his glory will not fade either.
I am very fond of the good soldier Svejk and in relating his
adventures during the world war I am convinced that this modest
anonymous hero will win the sypathy of all of you. Unlike that stupid
fellow Herostrates he did not set fire to the temple of the Goddess in
Ephesus just to get himself into the newspapers and school books.
And that is enough.
THE AUTHOR”
——————
only noticed when I went to get the book to type this that I had it
only a few books away from Atlas Shrugged, feels like sacrilege somehow
to have such a vibrantly and heart breakingly real book next to such
boorish, turgidly over-worded, rape-apologetic, teen angsty cultism as
Rand…
I think I shall buy some more arrows for my bow (carbon fibre shatters
so easily) and porcupine it so that The Good Soldier may sit there
untainted.
That, I imagine will make me a happy bunny 😀
