Author Jaroslav Hasek booklist (click here)

Book Review By Jack Goodstein
The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek

Hasek's episodic novel describes the adventures of a soldier who is drafted into the Czech army despite the fact that he has been certified as retarded. Svejk becomes a batman (a kind of servant) to Lieutenant Lukas. He constantly gets himself and the Lieutenant into trouble because he always follows instructions to the letter. When he is told to wait at a railroad station, he misses the troop train, and begins to try to find his regiment by walking in the wrong direction. He is arrested as a deserter, but is sent back to his regiment where he is promoted to orderly. Later when he is sent to find billeting for the troops, he tries on a Russian uniform he finds and is arrrested as a spy. He is threatened with hanging until an officer from his regiment recognizes him. Svejk's misadventures are meant to show the follies of the military. Hasek died before he was able to complete the book.
Plot Tone of book? - humorous Time/era of story - 1900-1920's Internal struggle/realization? Yes Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians Yes Brain/Body disability? - mental illness Conflict: Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Eccentric/Mental Yes Eccentric: - a bit retarded Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes Ethnicity/Nationality How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor Intelligence - Retarded Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 2 (a little) Europe Yes European country: - Eastern Europe Style Person - mostly 3rd Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog