Spaceman of Bohemia

De: Jaroslav Kalfar

Narrado por: Jot Davies

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 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

Reseñas de la Crítica

Kirkus Reviews "10 of Our Favorite Debuts"
The Verge "23 science fiction and fantasy novels to read this March"

PRAISE FOR SPACEMAN OF BOHEMIA:

"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

The author skillfully splices a barbed picture of the Czech Republic between Jakub's misadventures in the cosmos. "These include floating free inside the dust cloud and hitching a ride on a clandestine Russian space shuttle. The book suggests that every national hero has a dark side, though you may have to leave Earth to see it."—Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal "Best New Fiction"

"Outer space, inner turmoil, fierce ambition and the hunger for love - all seem to boldly go where no novelist has gone before in Jaroslav Kalfar's audaciously moving debut, Spaceman of Bohemia...Eloquent, heart-stunning and rich in awe-inspiring prose, Spaceman of Bohemia flirts with how we leave our mark on history. But its real mission is to unravel what makes us human - and that, according to this wise, rapturous and original novel, is a connection to others."—Caroline Leavitt, San Francisco Chronicle

Beautifully Tragic

What a wonderful book. Clearly the movie could never do it full justice, regardless if I feel like it was one of Adam Sandlers best roles. I was incredibly inthralled with the heart breaking love story. The descriptions of space and the soul the author was able to put into the alien-creature is a delight!

Mejor que la película

Llegué a pensar que la película se basaba al 100% del libro, pero me gustó más el libro, lo recomiendo al máximo.

Todo

Termino este libro con un enorme suspiro. "Tenía que terminar algún día cierto?". Me refleje en muchas partes y ame toda esta exploración de las emociones y el ser. Me encantaron las descripciones de los detalles, la grasa del tocino, el sabor de las cosaa, el olor del ambiente. Todo. Cerrar una historia con un suspiro es algo que pocos libros pueden lograr en mi. Mi nuevo favorito.

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.

I am left thoughtful.

My first comment is that this is not a child friendly book in the slightest. The author manages to join classically styled literature and modern language quite nicely. The book is rather bleak throughout, leading to several twists, ending on a note that leaves the reader quietly thoughtful. I understand why the movie changed what it did, though I wish it hadn't taken quite so much from this book. This was a beautiful story, I think the author needs a hug... and a cookie cause this guy definitely suffers from depression.

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.