The Reading Europe Challenge is Here and We Are Reading Prague in August

I’ve been reading Europe for years. This year, I decided to add a Reading Europe Challenge to Reading Around the World for curious readers and travelers who, like me, want to learn about a country through its literature.

Years ago, I was convinced to travel to the countryside of France, and to Paris, because of books like A Moveable Feast, No Name in the Street, The Diary of Anais Nin, and Shakespeare and Company. Books have always given me ideas about a place, its language and customs, and its literature.

Everyone loves a good challenge, was my thinking, so, why not add a challenge that will help readers start new books, revisit old ones, and learn new countries and cultures?

The Reading Europe Challenge began with Prague, Czech Republic, in the month of August. In August, we will read four books from Prague and learn of the Czech Republic’s history through these literary landmarks. If you have not joined the challenge, there’s still time to do so now (I’m considering sharing some reading and city experiences exclusively on the newsletter).

About the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Austria, Germany, and Poland.

I knew no one who had traveled to the Czech Republic, and I knew nothing of the country, until I started to read its literature. Something that distinguishes the Czech Republic from most countries is that despite its troubled history, or perhaps in spite of its troubled history, the country values literature and intellectualism.

Once referred to as Czechoslovakia, the country was renamed the Czech Republic after the Velvet Revolution—a 1989 nonviolent movement that ended oppression. Czechoslovakia was then split into two sovereign states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Before the Velvet Revolution, the country had fallen under communist rule and many writers, artists, and intellectuals were imprisoned.

It’s no surprise that literature and art became important forms of resistance during this period in the country’s history—as we will see reflected in the books we cover this month.

Prague and Literature

Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, has a rich literary history that I was introduced to through writers like Milan Kundera, Bohumil Hrabal, and Franz Kafka. Through these celebrated authors, I have learned about the country’s preservation of history through literature, and I will be sharing some of this through my literary adventure into Prague.

A UNESCO City of Literature, Prague, is considered one of Europe’s densest literary hubs. It has one of the highest concentrations of bookshops in Europe and a diverse literary scene.

(Planning to visit to visit Prague soon? View it through Franz Kafka’s eyes. Take The Franz Kafka Walking Tour).

First Book in the Challenge: Too Loud A Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal

Our reading will begin with Too Loud A Solitude, a somber and witty story of Haňťa, a man who has worked in a cellar within a Czech police state for 35 years, as someone who destroys and compacts books. Through his process, he has saved so many books within his mental and physical spaces, that he has become a genius of sorts. But he has also carried the guilt of being a destroyer of the written word. Soon, he finds himself at a crossroads.

At approximately 112 pages, Too Loud A Solitude is a short read; it is not intimidating or daunting, making it a perfect novella to start the challenge. You can grab a copy below and join the challenge.

How to Follow Along:

• Sign up for the Reading Europe Challenge to be notified of each new step
• Purchase a copy of the first read—Too Loud A Solitude—from the Reading Around the World Shelf
• Start reading
• Stay tuned for reading thoughts, conversations, and guides
• Watch out for travel and reading media centered on Prague

Books to Purchase (or Borrow) for the Reading Europe Challenge in August—We’re Reading Prague in August:

• Too Loud A Solitude, by Bohumil Hrabal
• Love and Garbage, by Ivan Klima
• Letters to Milena, by Franz Kafka
• The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera

Conclusion to the Reading Prague Challenge

I read four books in August from Prague. Prague, a UNESCO City of Literature, is known for its enrichment of book and intellectual culture. Its well-known authors are Bohumil Hrabal, Franz Kafka, Milan Kundera, and Ivan Klíma. I’ve read and reviewed books from these authors and they are listed below.

The reading guides include discussions for reading groups and the travel guides list places that were mentioned in the novel.

Reading and Travel Guides from the Reading Prague Challenge

1. Too Loud a Solitude: A Prague Reading and Travel Guide
2. Love and Garbage: A Prague Reading and Travel Guide
3. Letters to Milena: A Prague Reading and Travel Guide
4. The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Prague Reading and Travel Guide

P.S. Browse my Books by Continent page to find great reads that spark your interest. Purchasing from the Reading Around the World Shop helps me design more content for readers and supports independent bookstores. Cheers to reading!