A Pole writes articles about the Czech Republic. Curious? Certainly unusual. Szczygieł can almost be called Czecho-phil - he is interested for the country, its culture, language, people, history. The best thing is - he shares his interests and makes it really masterful.
The book has attracted me for a long time since I Czechs also interesting to think, has learned even two semesters Czech. Therefore I was very happy when I borrow the book from a friend was allowed.
The author does not in its features different topics: the construction of the largest Stalin monument in Europe, the success story of the shoe company Bata, the harassment and persecution in the communist era, the example of the successful singer Marta Kubisova or the unparalleled career of Karel Gott . It attempts to define the essence of Szczygieł Czechs and discover.
Szczygieł focuses on details, on careful research and the search of unexpected links. His reports, he constructs truly masterful - he puts together contradictory, conjures out unknown facts and impresses with unconventional remarks. This is done by using short, clear sentences. He offers no ready solutions, encourage more of their own reflections.
for the Polish reader, it is both exciting and surprising to see how different communism develops in the two countries, and understand how different the Czechs the meaning of life.
The book I can recommend a German reader - it pays to know this small nation in a different way to learn.
My Rating: 5 / 6
Mariusz Szczygieł, God Land, 242 pages, Czarne.
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