Váha stínu – Struhar Stanislav (2023)

After his work Weight of Light, highly valued by literary critics and readers alike, Stanislav Struhar presents in his book Weight of Shadow another subtly composed novel full of impressionistic nuances and authentic dialogues, which is not lacking in tension or captivating drama. The book, which has garnered considerable attention not only in Austria, is now presented to Czech readers in a confident, sensitive, and compact translation by Markéta Kliková, who received the Translation Prize awarded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Public Service, and Sport for her translation of his book Colors of the Future. ***** When Elias arrives in Lisbon to take over the apartment of his deceased grandparents, the past, which his mother never spoke of, unfolds before his eyes. For the first time, he sees his grandparents in photographs, but soon learns more about their life, shrouded in a dark shadow. He feels that their home accepts him, and the beauty of Lisbon captivates him, yet he cannot imagine living in a foreign country. In the days leading up to his return to Vienna, he is accompanied by literature and the fado songs of a young bookseller. ***** Stanislav Struhar (1964) is one of the prominent Austrian writers. He was born in Gottwaldov, now Zlín, and emigrated to Austria with his wife in 1988.