Spaceman of Bohemia

By: Jaroslav Kalfar

Narrated by: Jot Davies

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

The first Czech astronaunt navigates the perilf of deep space in this intergalactic odyssey of love, ambition, and self-discovery.

Orphaned as a boy, raised in the Czech countryside by his doting grandparents, Jakub Procházka 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 listeners 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

©2017 Jaroslav Kalfar (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

Kirkus Reviews "10 of Our Favorite Debuts"

The Verge "23 science fiction and fantasy novels to read this March"

"Kalfar has much larger aims with Spaceman of Bohemia than to write a spry, madcap work of speculative fiction . . . He has such a lively mind and so many ideas to explore . . . Kalfar has an exhilarating flair for imagery. He writes boisterously and mordantly . . . His voice is distinct enough to leave tread marks . . . A frenetically imaginative first effort, booming with vitality and originality."—Jennifer Senior, New York Times

"Spaceman of Bohemia gets heavy—but the story, like its protagonist, flies along weightlessly. A book like this lives and dies on the strength of its first-person voice, and in that regard, Kalfar triumphs. Jakub may be self-absorbed, but he's also charming, funny, and endearingly sympathetic."—Jason Heller, NPR

"In Jaroslav Kalfar's zany first novel . . . the spaceman, the alien, and all the rest of the book's extravagant conceptual furniture are merely metaphors for the human-scale issues that are its real concerns, in particular the collapse of Jakub's marriage to Lenka. That's not to say Kalfar hasn't done his research. There are lovingly detailed passages on the minutiae of life in zero gravity, but all the whizzy space business is harnessed to the basic question of what it means to leave and whether it's possible to come back. The alien acts as a Proustian trigger for Jakub's memories . . . But 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."—Hari Kunzru, New York Times Book Review

Oddly beautiful

The performance was perfection. Wonderful voice work. The story was strange and lovely and the fact that I don’t know what parts were “real” and which weren’t seems fitting.

Very well narrated

Very well narrated. While this book wasn’t quite for me, it’s definitely very well written and for many people. This is a book about a spaceman but there’s no science, it doesn’t feel like sci-fi at all to me. It’s about a man, his family, chance, his psyche, and the chance moments in life that formed him into who he is. About love and reasons for living. It’s also just a little bit about living under communism, which was an interesting angle, it’s not political, he was just born into a communist country that became democratic. Even though the book wasn’t really for me, I listened to its entirety and I give 5 stars for its quality. I’m personally into science. I recommend this book highly to book clubs, it gives a lot to discuss. Anyone specifically into science or sci-fi.

Slow Thru Chapter 3

Then wow! Book was engrossing and as phenomenal as all the reviews had said. Fascinating glimpse into eastern European history.

Pleasant Surprise

I went into this debut novel with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. It is a nice blend of sci-fi novel and love story. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

“Spaceman of Bohemia” is partly a “stream of consciousness” tale. Just as a reader/listener thinks the story is complete, a new story begins with a similar thematic destination. In an implausible space journey to a galactic dust cloud and a miraculous rescue, a Bohemian astronaut is saved by a Russian spaceship. The spaceman of Bohemia’s spaceship is compromised by dust from the cosmic cloud he is inspecting.

Jakub, the hero and astronaut of this tale, chooses to take this dangerous journey without considering his wife’s opinion. He treats her as a non-person; not worthy of consideration when deciding something that deeply affects both their lives. She decides to leave Jacob just as he left her, without explanation. Jakub is only part way through his journey to the cosmic cloud when she leaves. She chooses not to explain anything to Jakub in their weekly contacts while he is in space. She just leaves.

Personal relationship is the beginning and end of all that matters in life. Kalfar tells a story of human fragility. Life is not government. Life is not politics. Life is not economics.

Is it weird to say that I related to the character?

Found myself welling up at its end. Not going to watch the movie starring Adam Sandler.

love it

I loved everything about the book the real feelings and struggles, the philosophy of life.
and loved the performance of the narrator.

Soothing, disturbing, funny, and beautiful

This is a beautiful story by Kalfar and Davies narration was brilliant. The writing often felt more like poetry than plot, but the story emerges all the same.

Sci fi with politics, philosophy, and love and alcohol

Definitely the product of another culture — an Eastern European point of view. I thought I was disliking this introspective, coffee culture perspective, but I kept listening. It is compelling, fascinating, definitely not escapist, but romantic in the broadest sense — soft and forgiving on life and its compromises.

Very emotional, good history

Who knew an alien spider like entity could be the most lovable character. I appreciated the care of the author in creating mixed bag characters- no one dimensional villains, just people being their flawed selves in flawed societies.