Books to read while travelling in Eastern Europe
 

Traveling solo, I'm going to need some good reading for all the trains, planes, and buses I'll be trekking along, and I'd like some recommendations for books that suit my travels. My itinerary goes like this: Israel (for Birthright) > Budapest > Krakow > Prague. So ideally, I'd like a novel by a Jewish author — since I'll be connecting with my heritage — that will also enrich my experiences in Europe. I'd prefer something that isn't terribly depressing, but malaise is kinda hard to avoid with post-Holocaust Jewish authors.

Any suggestions?

A few... Milan Kundera (Czech).... The Joke (communist, not Jewish... Outstanding),
Peter Nadias A Book of Memories (Hungarian... Not Jewish),
anything by Imre Kertesz (ex. Fateless)... Hungarian and Jewish... Intense but not overly descriptive - and a Nobel prize winner.

Once you get here, visit an English bookstore and be dazzled.

Isaac Bashevis Singer. Go pick something.

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber (post-Communist Hungary).

The Envoy (how Wallenberg saved tens of thousands of Jews - Hungarian Jews were the second largest population of Jews killed in the Holocaust even though the Holocaust "reached" Hungary only in late Spring-Summer 1944).

Schindler's List is obvious.

If you're interested on the hell-on-earth of life in Commie dungholes, then Kundera's novel, The Master and Margarita, and any of a host of reprints from NYRB Classics will work (authors include Vasily Grossman, Victor Serge, Andrei Platinov).

The novel "Prague" which is actually set in Budapest.

The best known Czech Jewish writer is of course Franz Kafka.

Singer writes primarily about the mystical Jewish life in Poland and the immigrant existence in New York City. He wrote long hand in Yiddish and his nephew translated it. There is anthology of his short stories that includes Gimpel The Fool and Spinoza of Market Street. And try to read The Magician of Lublin. On the surface he is an elegant story teller and underneath there is great insight.

I'm going to ignore your wish for something that isn't terribly depressing and suggest:

Fatelessness AND/OR Kaddish for an Unborn Child by Imre Kertész

I am reading Kertesz right now ... While we leave here (currently Budapest) I like to read Central European authors... Even fiction. I find books like the Joke tell a story from a very interesting perspective.

I am reading Fateless at the moment (originally published as Fatelessness). And while it is the story of his deportation to Auschwitz and then Buchenwald (so yes, heartbreaking, but can you write a non heartbreaking book of the Central European Jewish experience?).... The story is well told and doesn't go too deep into the most difficult to read details.

Snow in August is a great book... Flashes between Brooklyn and Prague as a young Irish Catholic boy befriends an elderly Prague rabbi.... Oh the choices!

Enjoy your trip...

Kafka is not considered a Czech writer because he was an ethnic German who wrote in German.

I would suggest to the OP Jiri Weil, "Mendelssohn is on the Roof" or "My Life with a Star."


Thin

good books to read about the area, although not exactly what you asked for
Embers by Sándor Márai
Between the Woods and Waters by Patrick Leigh Fermor

Kafka was born in Prague, went to university in Prague, and died in Prague. He did attend German schools when younger-in Prague.

Czech, Jewish, and German - Kafka was all or none of the above.

he is still in Prague, I visited his grave a few months ago.
I know this is an old thread but one book to consider that cover a great deal of the OP's journey would be the Wayfayrers by Stuart Tower,in the book there ids a fictional account of a meeting betwen some of the wayfayrers and Kafka.
Another wonderful book based in Austro-Hungarian empire that Prague was part of at the time is The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek,It is illustrated by the popular artist Josef Lada,I was at his museum in Hrusice just the other week.I actually have a tattoo of his illustration of Svejk on my left arm

I will look for my photo of Kafka's grave in Prague.

Stu Tower will have his latest book published this summer. He takes one of the characters from The Wayfarers, Branko, and creates a remarkable life for him in the United States.

I will look out for Stu's new book,he sent me a personal message to stick in my copy of wayfayrers,hope he will do the same for the new book.

Hey thanks for all the suggestions everyone! I'm glad to see there are a lot of fellow literature nerd travelers on here.

I totally realize Kafka is perfect, but I've read basically everything by him. Definitely planning on visiting the Kafka museum while I'm in Prague.

I ended up stopping by a local bookstore yesterday and got Gimpel the Fool by Isaac Bashevis Singer and Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth (doesn't fit the European bill, but I've been wanting to read it). I was disappointed the store didn't have Fatelessness though, so I might just order that on Amazon.

Just wanted to point out that there you should look out for the more recent translations of Imre Kertész. Many of the more recent translations, including "FatelessNESS", were done by Tim Wilkinson.

<< I know this is an old thread >>

Unclegus - you're making me laugh. This thread is from yesterday so not quite past its sell by date! LOL

I second Stu Tower's The Wayfarers.

When I was going to Poland I read Wislawa Szymborska's poetry. She won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996. I also read The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff (set in Krakow). It was easy reading and not depressing.

I read a number of other books but they are not set in Krakow, except for Schindler's List which has been mentioned.

I will look out for Stu's new book,he sent me a personal message to stick in my copy of wayfayrers,hope he will do the same for the new book.

It's true Stu knows where to stick it. He is putting together a series of book events in the LA area and probably in the NYC area as well.

Hi Woyzeck.... The edition of "Fateless" I just purchased (I bought it in Budapest at CEU) was done by Tim Wilkenson. I wonder when (or why) they changed the name.

Is he the translator you recommend?. I also bought Fiasco and Liquidation also by translated by him.

Adrienne,i seen June 11, and preseumed it was 2011.I just got new computer glasses 2 weks ago, i think I should take them back.