{"title":"Jaroslav Kalfar","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the captivating world of Jaroslav Kalfar, blending Czech history with speculative fiction. Perfect for readers seeking thought-provoking narratives and unique perspectives. Discover his acclaimed novels.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"spaceman-of-bohemia-book-jaroslav-kalfar-9781473639997","title":"Spaceman of Bohemia","description":"NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX FILM STARRING ADAM SANDLER AND CAREY MULLIGAN  SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD FOR SCIENCE FICTION   'An incredible experience . . . unforgettable' Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies  'An excellent debut' The Times  'Booming with vitality and originality' New York Times  Set in the near-distant future, Spaceman follows a Czech astronaut as he launches into space to investigate a mysterious dust cloud covering Venus, a suicide mission sponsored by a proud nation. Suddenly a world celebrity, Jakub's marriage starts to fail as the weeks go by, and his sanity comes into question. After his mission is derailed he must make a violent decision that will force him to come to terms with his family's dark political past.  An extraordinary vision of the endless human capacity to persist-and risk everything-in the name of love and home, by a startlingly talented young debut novelist.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49519262662929,"sku":"GOR009149519","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49732836196625,"sku":"NGR9781473639997","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49932297666833,"sku":"GOR009179216","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50111247155473,"sku":"GOR010307582","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51694982529297,"sku":"CIN1473639999G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51801603211537,"sku":"GOR010279322","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1473639999.jpg?v=1751242512"},{"product_id":"spaceman-of-bohemia-shortlisted-for-the-arthur-c-clarke-award-for-science-fictio-book-jaroslav-kalfar-9781473639966","title":"Spaceman of Bohemia: SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD FOR SCIENCE FICTION","description":"'Reading Spaceman of Bohemia reminded me of the thrill of unearthing Everything is Illuminated from the mound of entries to the Guardian First Book Prize' Claire Armitstead, Guardian  'I can honestly say I loved every page. Every sentence. Spaceman of Bohemia is unforgettable: a work of breathtaking scope and heart, and a reflection of humanity that's raw and strange and profound and true.' Lisa McInerney, Baileys-Prize-winning author of The Glorious Heresies   Set in the near-distant future, Spaceman follows a Czech astronaut as he launches into space to investigate a mysterious dust cloud covering Venus, a suicide mission sponsored by a proud nation. Suddenly a world celebrity, Jakub's marriage starts to fail as the weeks go by, and his sanity comes into question. After his mission is derailed he must make a violent decision that will force him to come to terms with his family's dark political past.  An extraordinary vision of the endless human capacity to persist-and risk everything-in the name of love and home, by a startlingly talented young debut novelist.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49561102483729,"sku":"GOR008969029","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49850891600145,"sku":"GOR008307637","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50896643850513,"sku":"GOR008444021","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53240022499601,"sku":"GOR008322110","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1473639964.jpg?v=1751242511"},{"product_id":"spaceman-of-bohemia-book-jaroslav-kalfar-9780316273442","title":"Spaceman of Bohemia","description":"An intergalactic odyssey of love, ambition, and self-discovery. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Orphaned as a boy, raised in the Czech countryside by his doting grandparents, Jakub Prochv zka 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Rich with warmth and suspense and surprise, \u003ci\u003eSpaceman of Bohemia\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A frenetically imaginative first effort, booming with vitality and originality . . . Kalfar's voice is distinct enough to leave tread marks.-Jennifer Senior, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49724377596177,"sku":"CIN0316273449G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":49858975629585,"sku":"CIN0316273449A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49966321336593,"sku":"GOR013584263","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50278916784401,"sku":"CIN0316273449VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51001040863505,"sku":"NIN9780316273442","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0316273449.jpg?v=1750876910"},{"product_id":"brief-history-of-living-forever-book-jaroslav-kalfar-9781529368789","title":"A Brief History of Living Forever","description":"'Ambitious, exciting . . .  touches of Don DeLillo' Daily Telegraph  'A Kurt Vonnegut-like satirical touch' New York Times  'Inventive and heartfelt . . . packs a walloping punch' Esquire  When Adéla discovers she has a terminal illness, her thoughts turn to Tereza, the child she gave up at birth. Leaving behind her family in their native Czech village, Adéla flies to the United States to find her long-lost daughter before it is too late.  Raised in America and living in a fractured New York City, Tereza is working for two suspicious biotech moguls hellbent on immortality. But before Tereza can imagine a cure for Adéla, her mother dies and her body disappears.  Narrated by Adéla's restless spirit, the novel blends an immigrant mother's heart-breaking journey through Reagan's American dream with her children's quest to reclaim her in the near future. By turns insightful, poignant and satirical, A Brief History of Living Forever deftly navigates grief and hope in a high-wire act of storytelling.  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Their reunion is short, and before Tereza can help her mother, Adéla dies and her remains disappear.  But Adéla's spirit survives, restlessly watching over Tereza as she searches for the body on a journey that spans oceans and continents, through a world ravaged by corporate greed and political extremism. Witty and prescient, A Brief History of Living Forever is a vivid story of family connection prevailing in the face of societal collapse.  Praise for SPACEMAN OF BOHEMIA: 'Funny, human and oddly down-to-earth' Guardian 'A superb debut' Literary Review 'Booming with vitality and originality' New York Times","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49741112738065,"sku":"NGR9781529368819","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49894874939665,"sku":"GOR013809233","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1529368812.jpg?v=1751308388"},{"product_id":"brief-history-of-living-forever-book-jaroslav-kalfar-9780316463188","title":"A Brief History of Living Forever","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn this \"ingenious, funny, and chilling\" novel (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review) from the author of \u003ci\u003eSpaceman of Bohemia\u003c\/i\u003e, two long-lost siblings risk everything to save their mother from oblivion in an authoritarian near-future America obsessed with digital consciousness and eternal life--a story that \"packs a walloping punch\" (\u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e When Adéla discovers she has a terminal illness, she leaves behind her native Czech village for a chance at reuniting in America with Tereza, the daughter she gave up at birth, decades earlier. But the country Adéla experienced as a young woman, when she eloped with a filmmaker and starred in his cult sci-fi movie, has changed entirely. In 2030, America is ruled by an authoritarian government increasingly closed off to the rest of the world.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Tereza, the star researcher for VITA, a biotech company hellbent on discovering the key to immortality, is overjoyed to meet her mother, with whom she forms an instant, profound connection. But when their time together is cut short by shocking events, Tereza must uncover VITA's alarming activity in the wastelands of what was once Florida, and persuade the Czech brother she's never met to join her in this odds-defying adventure.      \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Narrated from the beyond by Adéla's restless spirit, \u003ci\u003eA Brief History of Living Forever\u003c\/i\u003e is a high-wire act of storytelling from a writer \"booming with vitality and originality,\" whose \"voice is distinct enough to leave tread marks\" (\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e). By turns insightful, moving, and funny, the novel not only confirms Jaroslav Kalfař's boundless powers of invention but also exults in the love between a mother and her daughter, which neither space nor time can sever.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\"Kalfař is a wise, rapturous, and original writer . . . Eloquent, heart-stunning, and rich in awe-inspiring prose.\" --\u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\"Relentlessly inventive . . . 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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.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e 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. 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She cleanses herself from spiritual mud she plunged into with good intentions in her past, and she spontaneously discovers a new point of view, absorbs previously unknown energy, peeks behind the hidden line of this world and receives truthful information from a new source. Her endeavor leads on a journey to spiritual evolution all while learning of alternative ways to cure and prevent cancer and other diseases. The first part of SURFING ON A BANANA PEL, the narrator focuses too much on the physical circumstances of her life. She is angry and disappointed by lies and manipulations she used to genuinely believe. She separates seed from chaff in all areas of life and fills trashcans with the unneeded, not realizing the positive impact the whole disaster will bring. This, part one, also extensively describes alternative methods to preventing cancer and other diseases. The first part is narrated in past tense, symbolizing the outdated state of mind and her efforts to overcome it. Part two is narrated in present time, where physical circumstances no longer have power, the narrator simply accepts them and doesn't try to fight them, thanks to a new point of view. This second part is written in a diary form. That what may appear scattered is intentional, as it expresses the most important thought, feeling or information of the given day. A leap between days is present because each day brings only that, what we deserve. The progress of days the narrator passes through with a different approach not only creates an interesting narration of her spiritual evolvement, but also inspires you, the readers, with solutions to your life crises, problems, and search for inner peace. Surfing smoothly, without falling, is simply possible even on the surface of a stormy ocean, as long as we know how. This petite book is not a guide to surfing, but a companion offering ways to find the balance needed to discover the true path to personal evolution while preventing and treating cancer and other diseases.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51224907448593,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51224909676817,"sku":"NIN9780988362413","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0988362414.jpg?v=1751299058"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-jaroslav-kalfar.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}