The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hašek
"The Good Soldier Svejk" is a satirical novel set during World War I, following the story of a Czech soldier in the Austro-Hungarian army. Svejk, the protagonist, is a simple-minded, good-natured man who is frequently arrested for bungling jobs due to his apparent idiocy. Despite his constant run-ins with authority, Svejk manages to maintain his cheerful disposition and even takes advantage of his perceived stupidity to manipulate the system. The book offers a humorous and critical perspective on the absurdity of war and the incompetence of military bureaucracy.
The 219th greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 7th on Kanon na koniec wieku (Canon at the end of the century) (Rzeczpospolita (newspaper))
- 24th on Big Read (Bulgarian) (Bulgaria)
- 66th on Big Read (Hungarian) (Hungaria)
- 109th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- ZEIT-Bibliothek der 100 Bücher (Die Zeit)
- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (New York Public Library)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- Världsbiblioteket (The World Library) (Tidningen Boken)
- Best Books Ever (bookdepository.com)
- The Bigger Read List (English PEN)