Vřeteno osudu: Mezi kolébkou a hrobem - Román o životě a smrti Karla Jaromíra Erbena – Dvořák Otomar (2023)

Who wouldn't know the mysterious, eerie ballads from the legendary collection Kytice! But what do we know about the life of their author Karel Jaromír Erben? Few realize that behind the mask of a serious, quiet man hid a passionate romantic who recorded terrifying dreams in his diaries, lived in the shadow of death, conversed with the spirit of his deceased twin brother, struggled with problematic relationships with women, and concealed the horrifying secret of Záhořovo lože. The experienced novelist Otomar Dvořák has lifted the veil on the challenging life of a creator who had to fight a dramatic battle against the odds to preserve the world of ancient Slavic myths, rituals, superstitions, songs, and fairy tales for future generations. In a narrative styled as if told by Erben himself, we find ourselves swept up in the tumultuous events of the nineteenth century and encounter significant figures of the time (Mácha, Palacký, Havlíček Borovský, Tyl, Němcová, Frič, Šafařík, and others), while also gaining insight into Erben's personal life, particularly his warm relationship with his beloved Betynka, their prematurely deceased son, and their three daughters. The cradle and grave seem to be milestones between which Erben's life path constantly meandered. At its end, however, faith and hope awaited...