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 century--a period of female
political emancipation and impressive literary development in
Czechoslovakia. Though they'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 Tilschová's "A Sad Time" is written in a
naturalist style, while Růzena Jesenská's "A World Apart" presents
themes and motifs that appealed to the Decadents. Helena Malířová's "The
Sylph" is both diaristic and satirical, whereas Růzena Svobodová's
ironical "A Great Passion," with its rural setting and folklore motifs,
calls to mind the writings of Karel Jaromír Erben. Gabriela Preissová's
short story "Eva" may be read as a celebration of folk culture, and
Bozena Benesová's "Friends" is interesting for its psychological
presentation of a child'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.