“…a bewildering tapestry of myth and lore…” #twistedspoonpress #20BOS26 Book 18

Back in 2017 I discovered the German-Czech author, Johannes Urzidil, when a collection of his short Bohemian fables was published by Pushkin Press. I thoroughly enjoyed these stories, so when the Prague-based indie publisher, Twisted Spoon, kindly offered a copy of a new release by Urzidil, I was delighted to be able to read it. The book is called “Prague Triptych”, translated by David Burnett, and it’s absolutely fascinating. Urzidil is an author who still doesn’t seem to be well-known or translated enough; born in Prague before it was part of Czechoslovakia, he was part of the Prague Circle and a friend of Kafka and Max Brod. Urzidil and his wife fled the country in 1939 when the Nazis invaded, both being of Jewish descent, and they were initially helped to Britain by the author Bryher, before eventually settling in the USA. He continued to write, earning many awards for his writing, and “Triptych” was first published in 1960. From the start, it’s clear that the book is going to be…