The Good Soldier Svejk

By: Jaroslav Hasek

Narrated by: David Horovitch

The Good Soldier Švejk, written shortly after the First World War, is one of the great antiwar satires - and one of the funniest books of the 20th (or any) century. In creating his eponymous hero, Jaroslav Hašek produced an unforgettable character who charms and infuriates and bamboozles his way through the conflagration that tore through the heart of Europe, upending empires and changing social history.

It is the closing period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The assassination at Sarajevo has just occurred, and armies are on the march.

Švejk, a seller of dogs of dubious provenance, ends up in gaol (the first of a number of such occasions) and then in a Czech battalion in the Austrian army. He becomes batman to a chaplain (who likes the bottle) and batman to Lieutenant Lukas, who is swiftly driven to despair; he causes havoc wherever he goes (inexplicably ending up being sentenced to death while wearing a Russian uniform), yet never losing an opportunity tell a story, an anecdote, a history, present an explanation: “Humbly to report, sir...”

And the war rumbles on, with hints of the hideousness and slaughter emerging, sometimes all the more vivid because they appear almost between the lines. Jaroslav Hašek, was, like his subject, often on the sidelines of society - an anarchist, a communist, a vagrant, a humourist and writer; women and the bottle and sleight of hand all played parts in his life, and he died at the early age of 39 in penury and obscurity.

His masterwork was left unfinished - appropriately, in a curious way, because of its episodic and wayward nature. Not that it matters! In this masterly and very funny reading, David Horovitch brings Švejk and his companions and compatriots to life, balancing subtle satire with out and out slapstick as we encounter Czechs, Hungarians, Russians, Italians and more from this potpourri of people and events.

The Good Soldier Švejk is presented in the outstanding translation by Cecil Parrott. And the book closes with Parrott’s own absorbing account of Hašek’s life and writings, and the background to Švejk. It is read by Martyn Swain. It is called ‘Introduction’, and Hašek (and Švejk) would have approved of the fact that it comes at the end!

Also included with this recording is a downloadable PDF containing all the main cartoons drawn by Josef Lada which have become an integral part of the enjoyment of the novel throughout the world.

©2019 Jaroslav Hašek (P)2019 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Surprised I never heard of this book!

The story itself is very humourous and I found myself telling people around me some of the funny anecdotes. The writer is so inventive as Svejk tells a meandering side-story at every chance. There must be over 100 funny little character asides in the novel. In fact, that's the essence of the novel: there's no real, big plotline and it's unfinished.
The narration was superb.
Amazing audio book!

I loved it

The story itself was so comical that I had myself laughing outloud while out on a walk. The characters are very memorable and make me think of my own experiences in my disciplined practice. I have recommended this story to a few friends and the ones that have listened to it have had the same response.

Hasek's brilliant assessment of WW1, superbly read

The hypocrisies of church and state served up in a story that's both comedic and horrifying.

Better than catch 22

This book is a monument to the insanity of war and all the bits that lead up to it. Svejk is a humanist in an era all be the end of that era of the dual monarchy. A must read for all.

Great characters and narration

The performance was really well done and I absolutely loved all the characters in this book. it's a shame that the author died so young. I would've love to see a bigger body of work. This is a must for any fan of Joseph Heller's Catch 22.

Funny, smart.

What a great story. Funny, poignant and thoroughly enjoyable. Worth the time and the credit. Going to re-listen to the Otto Prohaska series by Higgins. Who knew the topic of WWI Austrian soldiers could be so funny.

This book is infinite, and still incomplete!

I had no idea what I was embarking on when I started this book... I was visiting the Czech Republic, I always try to read books that take place on location. I'm so glad I listened to this book rather than read a hard copy, because the pronunciations would have been impossible for me. As it was, the narrator did an absolutely excellent job with a wide variety of accents, and also translated from other languages! He infused so much into every character; it was hard to believe there wasn't an entire cast!

The book, however, seemed to go on forever. I think because the subject matter is extremely repetitive (buffoon soldier makes a fool of himself, gets arrested, gets released from jail because he is a kindly buffoon, does something ridiculous, gets arrested again). And technically the book isn't even yet complete as the author passed away before it was finished! However, I think it is an important read to expose the horrors and suffering of war, the torture, the famine, the corruption, the terror of living in a policed country, and having your every word and action be assessed to see if you could possibly be a traitor (and even if not, you end up getting frame for something and thrown in jail anyway). The Good Soldier Svejk is a humorous perspective during an anything but humorous time. For those who have not lived through the kind of suffering caused by war, it is a gentle introduction into the first hand account of soldiers on the ground, and a highly recommended read.

Perfect narration

The story was great fun, of course, and the narration could not have been better.

Worth the read

Although the book has its limitations and can be repetitive it is a classic and for those interested in the WW1 era definitely adds to mood and events of the time.

This is real!

you can read a hundred books full of death and destruction about ww1 ( like E. Junger's stupid cold book 'a storm of steel') but you won't catch a real person in it! Give me this, this is much more honest !