This book review was written by Eugene Kernes
Is This An Overview?
Karel’s mother is not someone who
Karel or Marketa can tolerate for long.
When Karel’s mother seemed miserable, Karel and Marketa wanted to have
Karel’s mother live with them. But
changed their minds after Karel’s mother behaved in a way they could not
tolerate. Karel’s mother seemed petty,
as Karel’s mother was concerned more about the lack of polite social behavior,
rather than what everyone else was concerned about such as the Russian
invasion. But there was sympathy to
Karel’s mother’s view, that the small moments of joy can be a useful
distraction to overcome tragedy.
Karel’s and
Marketa’s relationship has its moments of tension. Both are equally stubborn. What enables them to overcome their burdens,
is their gatherings with Eva. But
Karel’s mother is visiting them, and does not leave when supposed to. This interrupts the plans for the gathering
that releases Karel’s and Marketa’s tensions.
How do Karel and Marketa handle the situation?
