Children's etudes

Short stories in which the author reflects the different view of the world of children and adults. When a small book called Children's Etudes was published in 1955, it was as if something unexpectedly pure, something that did not meet the requirements of socialist production, had entered the Czech literary offer at that time. Ludvík Aškenazy ascended into the realm of prose by confiding to his readers, as a newlywed father, the feelings that cohabitation with a young child brought him. It was non-political, tender, humorous, melancholic and highly poetic writing. It is a wonder how the author, who was educated in Polish schools and returned to his homeland as a soldier in Svoboda's army, could have mastered the Czech language with such virtuosity. It caught me as a student at the College of Education. Enchanted by the book, we invited the author for a talk. A little round gentleman came in, not yet marked by writer's fame, sat with us and listened to our literary attempts. It was an honour and a pleasure to be asked by Czech Radio to read Children's Etudes. Zdeněk Svěrák