This book attempts to go beyond the tourist cliche of Prague as the 'golden city' to bring out all the mystery, ambiguity, gloom, lethargy and hidden fascination of the city on the Vltava. Ripellino slips into the style of melodrama and ghost stories as he writes of the time of Rudolf II, the alchemists, the Jewish Quarter, the Golem, the pubs, the funereal malevolence of its architecture, of Holan and Kafka, of Meyrink and the Czech Dadaists. With this dense cast of characters Ripellino brings out the sorcery of the ...
Read More
This book attempts to go beyond the tourist cliche of Prague as the 'golden city' to bring out all the mystery, ambiguity, gloom, lethargy and hidden fascination of the city on the Vltava. Ripellino slips into the style of melodrama and ghost stories as he writes of the time of Rudolf II, the alchemists, the Jewish Quarter, the Golem, the pubs, the funereal malevolence of its architecture, of Holan and Kafka, of Meyrink and the Czech Dadaists. With this dense cast of characters Ripellino brings out the sorcery of the Bohemian capital in a compelling mix of fact and fiction. This vast fresco of Prague life provides much more than a literary and cultural history of the city; it is both a celebration and a requiem. 'The city of the Vltava, capital of old Bohemia, is as much a state of mind as a physical location. It was the centre of magic in the Renaissance, the very alembic of Europe, and still retains its reputation for mystery and rank intrigue ...This is a haunting, clotted, mad masterpiece. It is not an easy read, but it is a rewarding one. As I close the book, the magic city sinks back into its ancient dreaming, and I recall a beautiful line from a poem by Jarolsav Seifert, quoted by Ripellino: "The shadow enters darkness and man enters earth." ' John Banville, Observer
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Inscription on the first page, typically just a name but may include a dedication or a brief personal message.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. Size: 9x6x1; Minor shelf wear to binding. Light wear & soiling on edges of text block. Text and images unmarked. Dj lightly shelf worn around edges with scuffs & small scratches. Dust jacket in a mylar cover.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. 0520073525. Translated from the Italian by David Newton Marinelli. Edited by Michael Henry Heim. First edition thus. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
