Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Jaroslav Hasek (30 April 1883 – 3 January 1923) was a Czech writer, humorist, satirist, journalist, bohemian and anarchist. He is best known for his novel The Fate of the Good Soldier Švejk during the World War, an unfinished collection of farcical incidents about a soldier in World War I, and a satire on the ineptitude of authority figures. The novel has been translated into about 60 languages, making it the most translated novel in Czech literature.
Life and Career
Hašek was born on 30 April 1883, in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He had a tumultuous childhood, and by the age of 13, he was already an orphan. He worked various jobs before joining the Austro-Hungarian army in 1902.
Hašek’s experiences in the army and his anarchist beliefs heavily influenced his writing. He wrote many short stories, plays, and political articles, but his most significant work is the novel “The Good Soldier Švejk.” The book is a satire of the bureaucracy and military establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it became an instant classic in Czech literature.
Hašek died on 3 January 1923, at the age of 39, from a heart attack. He was in the middle of writing the fourth volume of “The Good Soldier Švejk” at the time of his death.
Award and Legacy
Hašek did not receive any major literary awards during his lifetime, but his work has been celebrated since his death. “The Good Soldier Švejk” is considered one of the greatest works of Czech literature and has been translated into over 50 languages.
Hašek’s legacy lives on through his writing, which is still widely read and celebrated. His influence can be seen in the work of other writers, such as Milan Kundera and Bohumil Hrabal. “The Good Soldier Švejk” has been adapted into films, plays, and operas, and the character of Švejk has become a cultural icon in the Czech Republic. Hašek is remembered as one of the most significant writers of the 20th century and a master of satire and humor.
On 30 April 2013, Google celebrated Jaroslav Hasek’s 130th Birthday with a doodle.