The Good Soldier Švejk in a Context of Classic Satire

A new and delightful translation of The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek the anti-war satire classic from World War I on CD. This copyrighted work is included by special arrangement with the translators in a context of 43 classic works of satire plus 325 vintage issues of Punch, the British humor magazine. Translated by Zdenek "Zenny" K. Sadlon and Mike Joyce.

Intended for use with Windows PCs and recent Macs (OS X), these books are in plain-text format, not audio or video. You read them on your computer screen. (The Good Soldier Švejk is also presented in .doc Word format).

Jaroslav Hašek (b. April 30, 1883, Prague, Czechoslovakia, d. January 3, 1923, Lipnice, Czechoslovakia.) Czech writer best known for The Good Soldier Švejk, considered one of the greatest masterpieces of satirical writing.

Quotes from Reviews:

"Hašek's brilliant invention of Švejk, the card-carrying imbecile, and his remarkable adventures, provided many hours of uproarious laughter . . . It is very good to see that classic Eastern European literature is making its way into the culture. Švejk lives!" - Larry Heinemann, National Book Award winner, fiction, for Paco's Story (Farar, Straus & Giroux) in 1986; also the author of Close Quarters, FS&G, 1977, and Cooler by the Lake, FS&G, 1992.

"Justice is a term rarely found in 'literary' discussions, but Mike Joyce and Zenny Sadlon have sought and delivered exactly that to Jaroslav Hašek and the rest of us. "This translation of The Good Soldier Švejk comes closer to Hašek's original absurdist protests of war, class systems, and government than the previous English translation tried to convey. Unable to read Czech, I can only put their translation up next to its predecessor and cast my vote. "In their effort, Joyce and Sadlon remind us that 'justice' in any arena - especially literary - has to be fought for. I believe those who read this book will join the fight." - Zak Mucha, author of The Beggars' Shore, Red 71 Press, 1999.

"Jaroslav Hašek's The Good Soldier Švejk is one of the world's great novels, and this is a brilliant new translation. "Captured here for the first time in the English language is the zany, colloquial audacity of Hašek's wild genius — Švejk is no dainty classic meant to fade quietly into obscurity on the dusty shelves of academia, but a bellowing barroom brawl of a book that will forever have everyday people doubled-up with the painful laughter of recognition. "Catch 22, Slaughterhouse Five and countless other cherished works owe a great deal to Švejk, and the English-speaking world owes a great deal to Zenny Sadlon and Mike Joyce." - Don De Grazia, author of American Skin, published in the U.K. by Jonathan Cape as a hard cover, by Vintage as a paperback, and to be released in the U.S. by Scribner in April 2000,teaches fiction writing at Columbia College.

"Just remember: Švejk is actually just a European Forrest Gump. Because Forrest was the same thing. He just kept getting into trouble and managing come out O.K. And it's the same thing Švejk did. I mean, he got into some situations that I thought ‘O.K., that's it. The book is gonna end soon now', and somehow he just came out smelling like a rose . . . "This man is not supposed to make it. And he saw people dying in the hospital, and he was begging for the treatment that they were dying from. And he managed to survive that, not only survive it but get out of it. And everything that happened to him he just managed to overcome it. You're rooting for him, because you really want to make sure that he gets out O.K." - Ruth Cooper, a retired African-American microbiology technician, avid book reader and a volunteer critic.

"If anyone asks me to pick three literary works of this century which in my opinion will become part of world literature, then I would have to say one of them is Hašek's The Good Soldier Švejk." - Bertolt Brecht

According to Wikipedia: "The Good Soldier Švejk is the abbreviated title of an unfinished satirical novel by Jaroslav Hašek... Hašek originally intended Švejk to cover a total of six volumes, but had completed only four (which are now usually merged into one book) upon his death from ... The novel is set during World War I in Austria-Hungary, a multi-ethnic empire full of long-standing tensions. Fifteen million people died in the War, one million of them Austro-Hungarian soldiers of which around 140 thousand were Czechs. Jaroslav Hašek participated in this conflict and examined it in The Good Soldier Švejk. Many of the situations and characters seem to have been inspired, at least in part, by Hašek's service in the 91st Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army. However, the novel also deals with broader anti-war themes: essentially a series of absurdly comic episodes, it explores both the pointlessness and futility of conflict in general and of military discipline, specifically Austrian military discipline, in particular. Many of its characters, especially the Czechs, are participating in a conflict they do not understand on behalf of a country to which they have no loyalty. The character of Josef Švejk is a development of this theme. Through possibly-feigned idiocy or incompetence he repeatedly manages to frustrate military authority and expose its stupidity in a form of passive resistance: the reader is left unclear, however, as to whether Švejk is genuinely incompetent, or acting quite deliberately as dumb insolence. These absurd events reach a climax when Švejk, wearing a Russian uniform, is mistakenly taken prisoner by his own troops. In addition to satirising Habsburg authority, Hašek repeatedly sets out corruption and hypocrisy attributed to priests of the Catholic Church.... The book also includes a very large number of anecdotes told by Švejk (usually either to deflect the attentions of an authority figure, or to insult them in a concealed manner) which are not directly related to the plot..."

Table of Contents

The Good Soldier Švejk

• in .doc (Word) format
• in .txt (plain text) format

Classic works of satire

Aristophanes

• Lysistrata

Ambrose Bierce

• The Devil's Dictionary

Sebastian Brant

• The Ship of Fools

Samuel Butler

• Erewhon
• Erewhon Revisited

Miguel Cervantes

• Don Quixote

Desiderius Erasmus

• The Praise of Folly

Gilbert and Sullivan

• All 14 plays/operettas

Charlotte Perkins Stetson

• Herland

Nikolai Gogol

• Dead Souls
• The Inspector General

Lucian of Samosata

• volume 1
• volume 2
• volume 3

Sir Thomas More

• Utopia

William Morris

• News from Nowhere

Alexander Pope

• Essay on Man
• The Rape of the Lock and Other Poems

Francois Rabelais

• volume 1
• volume 2
• volume 3
• volume 4
• volume 5

Laurence Sterne

• Tristram Shandy

Jonathan Swift

• The Battle of the Books
• Gulliver's Travels
• A Modest Proposal
• A Tale of a Tub

Mark Twain

• The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
• What Is Man? and Other Essays

Punch or the London Charivari (the British humor magazine)

• Volume 1
• Volume 1, July to December 1841
• July 17, 1841
• July 24, 1841
• July 31, 1841
• August 7, 1841
• August 14, 1841
• August 21, 1841
• August 28, 1841
• September 5, 1841
• September 12, 1841
• September 18, 1841
• September 25, 1841
• October 2, 1841
• October 9, 1841
• October 16, 1841
• October 23, 1841
• October 30, 1841
• November 6, 1841
• November 13, 1841
• November 20, 1841
• November 27, 1841
• December 4, 1841
• December 11, 1841
• December 18, 1841
• December 25, 1841
• Volume 93
• August 13, 1887
• September 24, 1887
• Volume 98
• January 4, 1890
• January 11, 1890
• January 18, 1890
• Volume 99
• July 5, 1890
• July 12, 1890
• July 19, 1890
• July 26, 1890
• August 2, 1890
• August 9, 1890
• August 16, 1890
• August 23, 1890
• August 30, 1890
• September 6, 1890
• September 13, 1890
• September 20, 1890
• September 27, 1890
• October 4, 1890
• October 11, 1890
• October 18, 1890
• October 25, 1890
• November 1, 1890
• November 8, 1890
• November 15, 1890
• November 22, 1890
• November 29, 1890
• December 6, 1890
• December 13, 1890
• December 20, 1890
• Punch Among the Planets, Christmas 1890
• December 27, 1890
• Volume 100
• January 3, 1891
• January 10, 1891
• January 17, 1891
• January 24, 1891
• January 31, 1891
• February 7, 1891
• February 14, 1891
• February 21, 1891
• February 28, 1891
• March 7, 1891
• March 14, 1891
• March 21, 1891
• March 28, 1891
• April 4, 1891
• April 11, 1891
• April 18, 1891
• April 25, 1891
• May 2, 1891
• May 9, 1891
• May 16, 1891
• May 23, 1891
• May 30, 1891
• June 6, 1891
• June 13, 1891
• June 20, 1891
• June 27, 1891
• Volume 101
• July 4, 1891
• July 11, 1891
• July 18, 1891
• July 18, 1891 jubilee issue
• July 25, 1891
• August 1, 1891
• August 8, 1891
• August 15, 1891
• August 22, 1891
• August 29, 1891
• September 5, 1891
• September 12, 1891
• October 3, 1891
• October 10, 1891
• October 17, 1891
• October 24, 1891
• October 31, 1891
• September 5, 1891
• September 12, 1891
• September 19, 1891
• September 26, 1891
• November 7, 1891
• November 14, 1891
• November 21, 1891
• November 28, 1891
• December 5, 1891
• December 12, 1891
• December 19, 1891
• December 26, 1891
• Volume 102
• January 2, 1892
• January 9, 1892
• January 16, 1892
• January 23, 1892
• January 30, 1892
• February 6, 1892
• February 13, 1892
• February 20, 1892
• February 27, 1892
• March 5, 1892
• March 12, 1892
• March 19, 1892
• March 26, 1892
• April 2, 1892
• April 9, 1892
• April 16, 1892
• April 23, 1892
• April 30, 1892
• May 7, 1892
• May 14, 1892
• May 21, 1892
• May 28, 1892
• June 4, 1892
• June 11, 1892
• June 18, 1892
• June 25, 1892
• Volume 103
• July 2, 1892
• July 9, 1892
• July 16, 1892
• July 23, 1892
• July 30, 1892
• August 6, 1892
• August 13, 1892
• August 20, 1892
• August 27, 1892
• September 3, 1892
• September 10, 1892
• September 17, 1892
• September 24, 1892
• October 10, 1892
• October 15, 1892
• November 5, 1892
• November 12, 1892
• December 3, 1892
• December 10, 1892
• December 17, 1892
• December 24, 1892
• December 31, 1892
• Volume 104
• January 7, 1893
• January 14, 1893
• January 21, 1893
• February 4, 1893
• February 11, 1893
• April 22, 1893
• April 29, 1893
• May 20, 1893
• May 27, 1893
• Volume 146
• January 7, 1914
• January 14, 1914
• January 21, 1914
• January 28, 1914
• February  4, 1914
• March 18, 1914
• March 25, 1914
• April 29, 1914
• May 6, 1914
• May 13, 1914
• May 20, 1914
• May 27, 1914
• June 10, 1914
• June 17, 1914
• Volume 147
• July 1, 1914
• July 22, 1914
• July 29, 1914
• August 5, 1914
• August 12, 1914
• August 19, 1914
• September 2, 1914
• September 9, 1914
• September 16, 1914
• September 30, 1914
• October 7, 1914
• October 14, 1914
• November 4, 1914
• November 11, 1914
• Volume 151
• June 7, 1916
• Volume 152
• January 3, 1917
• January 10, 1917
• January 17, 1917
• January 24, 1917
• January 31, 1917
• February 7, 1917
• Feb. 14, 1917
• February 28, 1917
• March 7, 1917
• March 14, 1917
• March 21, 1917
• March 28, 1917
• April 4, 1917
• Volume 153
• April 7, 1917
• April 25, 1917
• May 2, 1917
• May 9, 1917
• May 16, 1917
• May 23, 1917
• May 30, 1917
• June 6, 1917
• June 13, 1917
• June 20, 1917
• June 27, 1917
• July 11, 1917
• July 18, 1917
• July 25, 1917
• August 1, 1917
• August 8, 1917
• August 15, 1917
• August 22, 1917
• August 29, 1917
• September 5, 1917
• September 12, 1917
• September 19, 1917
• September 26, 1917
• October 3, 1917
• October 10, 1917
• October 17, 1917
• October 24, 1917
• October 31, 1917
• November 7, 1917
• November 14, 1917
• November 21, 1917
• November 28, 1917
• December 5, 1917
• December 12, 1917
• December 19, 1917
• December 26, 1917
• Volume 156
• January 1, 1919
• January 8, 1919
• January 15, 1919
• January 22, 1919
• January 29, 1919
• February 5, 1919
• February 12, 1919
• February 19, 1919
• February 26, 1919
• March 5, 1919
• March 12, 1919
• March 19, 1919
• March 26, 1919
• April 2, 1919
• April 9, 1919
• April 16, 1919
• April 23, 1919
• April 30, 1919
• May 7, 1919
• May 14, 1919
• May 21, 1919
• May 28, 1919
• June 4, 1919
• June 11, 1919
• June 18, 1919
• June 25, 1919
• Mr. Punch's History of the Great War
• Volume 158
• January 21, 1920
• January 28, 1920
• February  4, 1920
• February 11, 1920
• February 18, 1920
• March 3, 1920
• March 10, 1920
• March 17, 1920
• April 21, 1920
• May 12, 1920
• May 19, 1920
• June 30, 1920
• Volume 159
• July 7, 1920
• July 14, 1920
• Ju;y 21, 1920
• July 28, 1920
• August 4, 1920
• August 11, 1920
• August 18, 1920
• August 25, 1920
• September 1, 1920
• September 8, 1920
• September 15, 1920
• September 22, 1920
• September 29, 1920
• October 6, 1920
• October 20, 1920
• October 27, 1920
• November 3, 1920
• November 10, 1920
• November 17, 1920
• November 24, 1920
• December 1, 1920
• December 8, 1920
• December 15, 1920
• December 22, 1920
• December 29, 1920