Midway Upon the Journey of Our Life – Jedlička Josef (2016)

The opening line, “Midway upon the journey of our life,” comes from Dante's Inferno, and the title immediately sets up a bitter contrast with the Czechoslovak reality of the 1950s. Josef Jedlička's autobiographical prose bears witness to its present as the future of tomorrow, using sharp powers of observation to expose the tragicomic world of the Stalinist era. Episodes from everyday life and historical upheavals gradually fit together into a distinctive collage in which different periods and levels of experience coexist. Contemporary records, such as Klement Gottwald's appearance in Prague's Old Town Square, mingle with fragments from the author's life, including his move to Litvínov and life in a communal apartment building, as well as meditative reflections. The period is captured in poetic language that retains a harsh, immediate factual quality. Connections and relationships that remain relevant are transformed, opening space for free associations and distinctive irony. The result is a philosophical reflection permeated by literary reminiscences and associations, continuing the literary traditions of earlier decades.