Incest – Tichá Jindra (2018)

Incest between closely related individuals is condemned in most ethnic groups. Nevertheless, it has accompanied humanity since the ancient Egyptian royal dynasties, with the well-known myth of Oedipus enjoying widespread recognition, and the Bible also captures incest in the story of Lot's daughters. In the Middle Ages, even the Pope granted permission for such marital unions among the noble ruling circles. Although literary treatments of this theme have been taken up by giants such as Sophocles, Seneca, Shakespeare, and modern authors like Cocteau, you will find few works on incest in Czech literature. A certain taboo is broken by a well-known Czech-New Zealand author with her novel about an unusual love. In this work, the author seeks answers primarily to two questions: is it possible for a person to find their alter ego, that partner who is the only one who fits them in every way, within their own family? What happens to lovers who have given up their love for moral reasons? The reader can reflect on what actually constitutes the essence of marital coexistence through their story, set in the 1950s and 1960s.