Útěk do pekel – Niedl František (2022)

Pavel Vencl studied philosophy, but the study itself did not mean much to him. The most useful school for him was always life. He navigates it as a professional gambler, boxes with friends at a club in Žižkov, and numerous girls have passed through his arms. March 15, 1939, the first day of the occupation, finds him at his mistress Katy's. He would prefer to avoid the subsequent events in occupied Czechoslovakia, but soon realizes that this is not possible. He decides to resolve his situation by fleeing. He leaves his mother, friends, and mistresses and makes his way through the Alps first to neutral Switzerland, then to France, England, and his journey continues across the ocean, where he also meets his lifelong love, Inéz. Due to his confrontational nature, he often finds himself in dramatically challenging situations, experiencing various forms of brutality firsthand, whether from state power or directly from fellow prisoners. He is cynical, arrogant, despises people, and does not hesitate to kill, yet thanks to his intelligence, perspective, sharp sense of humor, and a good dose of luck, he manages to survive in every situation... "Escape to Hell" is a truly unique book in Czech literature, comparable only to the best European and world novels. A book packed with action, excitement, and a cascade of unpredictables...