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Jaroslav Kalfar
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Spaceman of Bohemia Kindle Edition

by Jaroslav Kalfar (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 758 ratings
See all formats and editions
An intergalactic odyssey of love, ambition, and self-discovery.

Orphaned as a boy, raised in the Czech countryside by his doting grandparents, Jakub Prochv°zka has risen from small-time scientist to become the country's first astronaut. When a dangerous solo mission to Venus offers him both the chance at heroism he's dreamt of, and a way to atone for his father's sins as a Communist informer, he ventures boldly into the vast unknown. But in so doing, he leaves behind his devoted wife, Lenka, whose love, he realizes too late, he has sacrificed on the altar of his ambitions.

Alone in Deep Space, Jakub discovers a possibly imaginary giant alien spider, who becomes his unlikely companion. Over philosophical conversations about the nature of love, life and death, and the deliciousness of bacon, the pair form an intense and emotional bond. Will it be enough to see Jakub through a clash with secret Russian rivals and return him safely to Earth for a second chance with Lenka?

Rich with warmth and suspense and surprise, Spaceman of Bohemia is an exuberant delight from start to finish. Very seldom has a novel this profound taken readers on a journey of such boundless entertainment and sheer fun.

"A frenetically imaginative first effort, booming with vitality and originality . . . Kalfar's voice is distinct enough to leave tread marks." - Jennifer Senior, New York Times
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  1. Print length
    289 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Little, Brown and Company
  5. Publication date
    March 7, 2017
  6. File size
    1187 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

Spaceman of Bohemia represents the fiery, funny launch of an exciting new voice. Jaroslav Kalfar, like a good literary astronaut, finds levity in gravity and vice versa.

-- "Sam Lipsyte, New York Times bestselling author"

For all the strangeness of outer space, it is the writing about his home village, the place to which he longs to return and perhaps never can, that beats strongest in this wry, melancholy book.

-- "New York Times"

Spaceman of Bohemia is an out-of-this-world look at all our beautiful smallnesses, from the cells of our biology to the bacterial minutiae of one broken heart. The roar of revolution and governmental injustice is cast against the depths of our emotions and the bottomless, grateful silence of the stars. Jaroslav Kalfar has spun an unforgettable tale, a poignant interplanetary work that collapses the distance between us with the beauty of its language and the unstoppable wonder of this universe he's created.-- "Samantha Hunt, author of Mr. Splitfoot"

Blend Bradbury and Lem with Saint-Exupery and perhaps a little Kafka, and you get this talky, pleasing first novel by Czech immigrant writer Kalfar....a book built on sly, decidedly contrarian humor...Kalfar's confection is an inventive, well-paced exercise in speculative fiction.

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Spaceman of Bohemia is a wise and elegant work composed of its own unique ethereal grace-a hauntingly beautiful story of solitude, hope, family, and love that transcends, uplifts, carries the reader away.-- "Dinaw Mengestu, author of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears"

Spaceman of Bohemia is unforgettable: a work of breathtaking scope and heart, and a reflection of humanity that's raw and strange and profound and true.-- "Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies, winner of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction"

With charm and the urgent delicacy that this poetic first novel demands, British-born narrator Jot Davies deftly delivers this story...Davies' contemplative voice carries the listener on a singular ride to places where alien spiders and memories of an Iron-Curtained Eastern Europe somehow occupy the same space, proving perhaps that there may be more uncharted territory in the mind than in all the cosmos. Surreal, heartfelt, and vivid.

-- "AudioFile"

Spaceman of Bohemia is the best, most enjoyably heartbreaking, most fun book you'll read this year. On the surface, you'll see affinities with Gary Shteyngart, with The Martian, with Kelly Link. But Jaroslav Kalfar's voice is entirely his own. I beg you: take this strange, hilarious, profound, life-affirming trip into literary outer space.-- "Darin Strauss, National Book Critics Circle Award winner for Half a Life"

With its interplanetary shenanigans and lessons in Czech history, this zany satirical debut is bursting at the seams.

-- "Guardian (London)"

About the Author

Jaroslav Kalfař was born one year before the Velvet Revolution in Prague, Czech Republic. He immigrated to the United States at the age of fifteen. He has earned an MFA from New York University, where he was a Goldwater Fellow and a nominee for the inaugural E.L. Doctorow Prize. He is a recipient of the 2018 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship. His debut novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, was a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, The Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Film adaptation of Spaceman starring Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan is set for release in 2022.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01HZFB6VO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company (March 7, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 7, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1187 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 289 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 758 ratings

About the author

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Jaroslav Kalfar

Jaroslav Kalfar

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Jaroslav Kalfař was born one year before the Velvet Revolution in Prague, Czech Republic. He immigrated to the United States at the age of fifteen. He has earned an MFA from New York University, where he was a Goldwater Fellow and a nominee for the inaugural E.L. Doctorow Prize. He is a recipient of the 2018 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship. His debut novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, was a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, The Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Film adaptation of Spaceman starring Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan is set for release in 2023.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
758 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book great, enjoyable, and brilliant. They describe the story as amazing, thought-provoking, and whimsical. Readers praise the writing style as amazing and poetic. They also appreciate the humor and the characters, which seem quite real.

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ReadabilityStorytellingWriting styleHumorCharacter developmentPacing
18 customers mention "Readability"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book great, enjoyable, and enlightening. They say it makes for a nice summer read and is brilliant.

"...But that is a small complaint because the read is engrossing overall and I found myself invested in the characters and always enjoying the book when..." Read more

"...A slow read for me, but worth the effort. Well written, self depreciating humor and, life experiences (fictional) in Czechoslovakia...." Read more

"...Still, nicely written and, until near the end, highly engaging." Read more

"Fantastic book. Looking forward to the Netflix movie" Read more

13 customers mention "Storytelling"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the story amazing and the writing refreshingly honest. They say the book is fun, thought-provoking, and imaginative. Readers also mention the book hits home in excellent ways.

"...I thought Kaflar pulled off the narrative structure quite well, weaving the present mission with glimpses from the protagonist's past as well as..." Read more

"...This whimsical little exploration contains universes. It made me grin, it made me guffaw, it made me tense up in dread and it made me sob...." Read more

"...It is well-written, inventive and it rings true for those of us who came from that corner of the world...." Read more

"...As an American with very close Czech Republic ties, there are many very poignant moments in this book that I feel touch the sole of Czechs and Czech..." Read more

13 customers mention "Writing style"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style amazing, poetic, and humanistic. They also say the love story is particularly well-written. Readers describe the book as unique and tender.

"...The prose and plotting is also well done, though it does careen out of control at times and characters tend to say the kind of dialogue that no one..." Read more

"...A slow read for me, but worth the effort. Well written, self depreciating humor and, life experiences (fictional) in Czechoslovakia...." Read more

"...Still, nicely written and, until near the end, highly engaging." Read more

"...A sci-fi adventure is superimposed on this background. It is well-written, inventive and it rings true for those of us who came from that corner of..." Read more

5 customers mention "Humor"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the humor in the book miraculous.

"...A slow read for me, but worth the effort. Well written, self depreciating humor and, life experiences (fictional) in Czechoslovakia...." Read more

"...(ala Kafka) Plus the outer space parts are very creative and outrageously funny(ala K. Vonnegut). Strongly recommend." Read more

"...The humor is also miraculous. There is time and space. There is growing up...." Read more

"...The writing is beautiful, poetic, humanistic and funny, blending light sides and dark sides with eloquence, sadness and joy.Amazing." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters in the book to be quite real.

"...It is a gloomy book. The characters are well drawn..." Read more

"...The characters seem quite real as well...." Read more

"...I also enjoyed the thought behind the characters and their webs of existence." Read more

"Such a unique and tender book: the characters are beautifully written." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book slow. They also mention the backstory is sluggish.

"I'm still reading it, about 2/3 of the way through. A slow read for me, but worth the effort...." Read more

"...episodes of the novel are dragged down rather than enhanced by a sluggish backstory involving post-communist intrigues and another about the..." Read more

"Unusual intertwining of science fiction and history. Sometimes slow but always entertaining. A definite read...." Read more

New and different
4 out of 5 stars
New and different
Unusual intertwining of science fiction and history. Sometimes slow but always entertaining. A definite read. Look forward to other books this writer publishes, hopefully soon.
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Top reviews from the United States

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Patrick Hyde
5.0 out of 5 stars A nice debut novel from a Czech author about a Bohemian ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2017
Verified Purchase
A nice debut novel from a Czech author about a Bohemian spaceman who goes to the stars. I thought Kaflar pulled off the narrative structure quite well, weaving the present mission with glimpses from the protagonist's past as well as Bohemia's troubled past. Anyone who has read Kundera's The Joke or is wise to contemporary Czech history will have an understanding of the political background that sets the stage for the novel. If not, Kalfar does a nice overview of the history as well as describing the magic of Prague.

The prose and plotting is also well done, though it does careen out of control at times and characters tend to say the kind of dialogue that no one ever says in real life, only in first novels. But that is a small complaint because the read is engrossing overall and I found myself invested in the characters and always enjoying the book when I picked it up.

In short, buy this book! It will make for a nice summer read. Looking forward to more from this author.
10 people found this helpful
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David Hajicek
4.0 out of 5 stars Space man relating to life and death. No preaching, lots of humor but not slapstick.
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
I'm still reading it, about 2/3 of the way through. A slow read for me, but worth the effort. Well written, self depreciating humor and, life experiences (fictional) in Czechoslovakia. Inner thoughts of a spaceman/scientist at risk of dyeing in space with a spider-like alien.
2 people found this helpful
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Michael Allen Moore
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing work!!
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2024
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Much better and more detailed of course than the Netflix version. I’ve given up fiction a long time ago, but this work pulled me like nothing else.
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Marty
3.0 out of 5 stars A dark tale about the quest for enlightenment
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2017
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The book is an attempt to identify origins - the origin of the universe, the origin of our national associations, the origin of our personal selves. It is an attempt to trace our pasts to the point "where it all went wrong" to see if we can fix it. It is a gloomy book. The characters are well drawn (except for a large spider who plays a large role in driving the science fiction part of the action.) But, like the central European countries blighted by Soviet domination described in the book, the outlook is pretty dismal. You end up unsure of the value of this quest for inner enlightenment. Yes, the characters exhibit real growth as people, but whether the changes that accompany this growth have a meaningful impact on their lives or on their happiness is uncertain. Yes, the spider offers some comic offset. But I finished the book pretty depressed.
6 people found this helpful
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Joseph Richard
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024
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Have you seen the movie? Watch the movie!
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Albert G. Handelman
4.0 out of 5 stars Great until near the end
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2017
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Early on, I thought this book was fantastic. As others have written, it bounces around among personal history, Czech history, sci-fi, love and general philosophical musings. As it progressed, I felt that the author had lost his way (or, perhaps, was pursing an idea until it forgot the point he was trying to make). While I had hoped for a somewhat happy ending (and arguably it has a happy ending), it became obvious that any happy ending wouldn't be the one a reader had begun to anticipate. And that's fine. Unfortunately, in trying to tie together all of the disparate threads, the author seems to have sacrificed the beautiful, seemingly effortless style of the first 80% of the book by more or less making declarative philosophical statements that seem to have come out of nowhere. It does make sense in its context, but it left me a bit frustrated at the end. Still, nicely written and, until near the end, highly engaging.
9 people found this helpful
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E. Gilmore
5.0 out of 5 stars Un viaje mental a la soledad
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024
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Un libro con un concepto interesante ubicado en la república Checa y que narra el viaje de Jakub al espacio y los remordimientos por estar alejado de su esposa, entonces tiene un encuentro con un ser. Fue imaginario o real ??
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Robert B. Lamm
4.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet Mishmash and an Impressive Debut
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2017
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As some other reviewers have stated, "Spaceman of Bohemia" is something of a mishmash; it is part science fiction (though that turns out to be a small part); part family saga; part rumination on love and what it entails; and part a mini-history of Czechoslovakia and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It is not a perfect book by any means; it meanders and rambles and goes off on digressions and lines of thought that can be tedious. However, at the end of the day (or, rather, of the book), there is a sweetness and acceptance of some of the bumps that life puts in our way, along with some sadness that things don't necessarily work out the way you'd like.

While it's impossible to exclude or ignore some of the excesses of the book (those digressions noted earlier), Kalfar definitely has talent. He uses a mixture of devices -- straight narrative, dialogue and an epistolary set of transcripts from the hero's wife's psychotherapy sessions, among others -- to make his point. The characters seem quite real as well.

So while he needs some more discipline, there is a good and maybe a great writer here, and I look forward to his next work(s).
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
Reviewed in Canada on March 24, 2024
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Loved this book, way better than the movie( which I also enjoyed)
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Dianna G.
4.0 out of 5 stars bueno
Reviewed in Mexico on October 29, 2022
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muy buen libro
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Dim Tim
5.0 out of 5 stars More of an Allegory Than Sci-fi
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2019
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I enjoyed the book but be warned. This is really a story about a country coming to terms with its past under communism, particularly how someone reconciles the evil that a parent committed whilst thinking they were doing right under that regime. The whole trip into space could be seen as a metaphor for the leap the country takes after the fall of communism and the fight to resist falling back under Russian influence when thing don’t go to plan. I would recommend it but don’t expect hard Sc-fi. It’s the story one mans journey into both his past and that of his country and where they both go when everything changes.
7 people found this helpful
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sailthewhale
5.0 out of 5 stars what a great book
Reviewed in Germany on May 30, 2018
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it's got everything a good book needs. Couldn't stop reading... and then suddenly it was over and you want to start it again..
One person found this helpful
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Györék Alex
3.0 out of 5 stars Nicht wie beschrieben.
Reviewed in Germany on March 14, 2024
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Györék Alex
3.0 out of 5 stars Nicht wie beschrieben.
Reviewed in Germany on March 14, 2024
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