I Served the King of England

by Bohumil Hrabal

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In a word: hedonistic

In a sentence: All Ditie wants is to become a millionaire hotel owner, but history keeps getting in the way.

Synopsis: The life and times of a Czech hotel waiter during the 20th century for whom the unbelievable repeatedly comes true. This is a historically adjacent allegory for the Czech psyche throughout its various occupations and hardships.

Reactions: Some books are to be devoured, the reader ravenous for the next word and the next. Others are to be savored, words tasted, melting on the tongue. I Served the King of England is of the latter category: a sensuous, emotional read, flavored with just enough surrealism to completely transport the reader into the narrator’s world.

This book was advertised to me as quintessential Czech literature. Knowing relatively little about what that means, I came into the reading with minimal expectations. On its surface, its simply Ditie’s life story. However, what comes across most poignantly are not his various accomplishments or failures, but rather his search for pleasure and its constant dilution by the various regimes under which he lives. Ditie is able to find the true luxury in all things, from financial success to poetry, lovemaking to solitude. Although this novel is laced with melancholy and the particular heartbreak of the Czech people as a result of WWII, it is also a celebration of the very human capacity to seek approval, companionship, and beauty, even in situations of adversity.

Read if: you’re interested in Czech culture or history, or modern surrealist literature.