Valerie and Her Week of Wonders by Vitezslav Nezval (English) Paperback Book

Description: Valerie and Her Week of Wonders by Vitezslav Nezval, David Short, Kamil Lhotak Written in 1935 at the height of Czech Surrealism but not published until 1945, this book is in essence a parable of menstruation, a bizarre erotic fantasy of a young womans maturation into womanhood. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Fiction. It is translated from the Czech by David Short, with illustrations by Kamil Lhotak. Written in 1935 at the height of Czech Surrealism but not published until 1945, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is in essence a parable of menstruation, a bizarre erotic fantasy of a young womans maturation into womanhood. Drawing on Matthew Lewis The Monk, Marquis de Sades Justine, K.H. Machas May, F. W. Murnaus film Nosferatu, as well as the language of pulp serial novels, Nezval has constructed a lyrical, menacing dream of sexual awakening involving a vampire with a taste for chicken blood, changelings, a lecherous priest, a malicious grandmother desiring her lost youth, and an androgynous merging of brother with sister. This edition is accompanied by the originals six black and white illustrations from Kamil Lhotak, a member of the avant-garde Group 42. Be sure to see Nezvals other books, ANTILYRIC and EDITION 69, both currently available from SPD. Author Biography Vitezslav Nezval (1900-1958) was perhaps the most prolific writer in Prague during the 1920s and 30s. An original member of the avant-garde group of artists Devetsil (Nine Forces), he was a founding figure of the Poetist movement. His output consists of a number of poetry collections, experimental plays and novels, memoirs, essays, and translations. His best work is from the interwar period. Along with Karel Teige, Jindrich Styrsky, and Toyen, Nezval frequently traveled to Paris, engaging with the French surrealists. Forging a friendship with Andre Breton and Paul Eluard, he was instrumental in founding The Surrealist Group of Czechoslovakia in 1934 (the first such group outside of France), serving as editor of the groups journal Surrealismus. Review "Gothic sleazefest, menstrual fantasy, dime-store pulp fiction-Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is a collage of a collage of a collage, a dream of a dream, an important early-century surrealist novel only now translated from its native Czech into English by the able David Short." -- New York Press"Somewhere between the existential fables of Franz Kafka and the macabre animations of Jan Svankmajer lies Va-tAE>zslav Nezval. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders reminded me of a hyperactive Hammer Horror film as directed by Luis Bunuel." -- The Absinthe Literary Review"The book is a tour de force in that Nezval adopts the genre of the pulp novel for his own arch purposes. Have literary historians noticed that it is a precursor of some of our own aesthetic concerns, in other words a sort of pre-postmodern fantasy?" -- John Taylor, The Antioch Review Long Description Written in 1935 at the height of Czech Surrealism but not published until 1945, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is a bizarre erotic fantasy of a young girls maturation into womanhood on the night of her first menstruation. Referencing Matthew Lewiss The Monk, Marquis de Sades Justine, K. H. Machas May, F. W. Murnaus film Nosferatu, Nezval employs the language of the pulp serial novel to fashion a lyrical, menacing dream of sexual awakening involving a vampire with an insatiable appetite for chicken blood, changelings, lecherous priests, a malicious grandmother desiring her lost youth.In his Foreword Nezval states: "I wrote this novel out of a love of the mystique in those ancient tales, superstitions and romances, printed in Gothic script, which used to flit before my eyes and declined to convey to me their content." Part fairy tale, part Gothic horror, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is a meditation on youth and age, sexuality and death, an androgynous merging of brother with sister, an exploration of the grotesque with the shifting registers of language, mood, and genre that were a hallmark of the Czech avant-garde. The 1970 film version is considered one of the outstanding achievements of Czech new-wave cinema.This edition includes Kamil Lhotaks original illustrations. Review Quote "The book is a tour de force in that Nezval adopts the genre of the pulp novel for his own arch purposes. Have literary historians noticed that it is a precursor of some of our own aesthetic concerns, in other words a sort of pre-postmodern fantasy?" -- John Taylor, The Antioch Review Details ISBN808626419X Author Kamil Lhotak Publisher Twisted Spoon Press Language English Illustrator Kamil Lhotak ISBN-10 808626419X ISBN-13 9788086264196 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY FIC Short Title VALERIE & HER WEEK OF WONDERS Residence US Birth 1900 Death 1958 Translator David Short DOI 10.1604/9788086264196 UK Release Date 2007-01-01 Imprint Twisted Spoon Press Place of Publication Prague Country of Publication Czechia Translated from Czech Pages 228 Year 2007 Publication Date 2007-01-01 Audience General Illustrations 6 B/W collages; 6 B/W collages We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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