Troops of Warsaw Pact
CHAPTER 5: 1989-2014: From Velvet Revolution till the Present Day
5.1. Historic introduction to the period between 1989 and 1993 and to the period between 1993 and 2014
5.1.2. The period between 1993 and 2014
5.1.2.1. Changes in reception
5.1.2.3.2. Popular fiction
With regard to prosaic works coming out in the period between 1993 and 2014, it is necessary to repeat what was already said about the drama: while some works by the already well-established authors were re-translated or re-published, a few new names appeared in print as well, and some of them represented the genre of popular fiction. A few examples will follow.
105 Colm Tóibín, The Master (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2010).
106 Hana Ulmanová, "Zbude jen chlad,“ Respekt, 17th March 2013 http://www.respekt.cz/tydenik/2013/12/zbude-jen-chlad.
107 Johana Labanczová, "Tóibín, Colm: Mistr,“ Iliteratura, 16th July 2013, 29th November 2015 http://www.iliteratura.cz/Clanek/31833/toibin-colm-mistr.
108 Vojtěch Varyš, "Příběh zádumčivého klidu,” TÝDEN, 25th March 2013.
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Maeve Binchy can be included among the authors that were newly established between 1993 and 2014 in the Czech Lands. Her first works were translated and published as late as at the end of 20th century. In 1997 her novel Echoes109 (written in 1985) was translated by Zdeňka Marečková as Ozvěny and published by Ikar-Euromedia Group, Praha. In 1998 Heart and Soul110 was translated by Jan Jirák as Každý žák má duši – učitelská romance and published by Eroika + Knižní klub. In 2000 the short story collection Lilac Bus111 was translated by Věroslava Ončáková as Fialový autobus and published by Group + Knižní klub.
Ončáková also translated Firefly Summer (Nezapomenutelné léto), which was published by Ikar – Euromedia Group, Praha, in 2001. In the same year three more novels were translated and published: Šance pro lásku in translation by Jan Jirák was published by Euromedia Group + Knižní Klub, Praha, The Glass Lake: A Novel112 was translated by Kristýna Kučerová and published by Euromedie Group – Knižní klub and Heart and Soul was re-translated by Petra Klůfová as Srdce a duše and published by Ikar. In 2007 Tara Road113 was translated by Dagmar Brejlová as Dům na Tara Road and published by Ikar – Euromedia Group, Praha, and finally, in 2011 Scarlet Feather114 was translated by Brejlová as Šarlatové pírko and published by Ikar. Overall, nine of her novels were translated into Czech,115 though none has been re-published by far.
109 Maeve Binchy, Echoes (London: Penguin, 2008).
110 Maeve Binchy, Heart and Soul (UK: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2009).
111 Maeve Binchy, The Lilac Bus (UK: Random House, 2010).
112 Maeve Binchy, The Glass Lake: A Novel (UK: Random House Publishing Group, 2007).
113 Maeve Binchy, Tara Road (UK: random House Publishing Group, 2009).
114 Maeve Binchy, Scarlet Feather (London: Penguin, 2002).
115 "Maeve Binchy,“ Databáze překladů, 3rd December 2015 http://www.databaze-prekladu.cz/autor/jn19990000810-
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Eoin Colfer gained prominence right after the first part of his fantasy, Artemis Fowl series, was published in 2001. In 2003 Veronika Volhejnová’s translation of Artemis Fowl – The Eternity Code116 (Věčná šifra) was published by Albatros. In 2005, Volhejnová translated Colfer’s Supernaturalist (Supervědátor, not a part of Artemis Fowl series), and the work was published by Albatros. In the same year Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception117 was translated as Opalin podraz by Volhejnová. In the following year she translated The Wish List118 (not AF) as Seznam přání and it was published by Albatros. In 2007 Volhejnová translated Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony119 as Artemis Fowl a ztracený ostrov, and it was published by Albatros. The second edition of Artemis Fowl was also re-published in 2007 (the first edition came out in 2001). In 2008 the second edition of the translation of The Artic Incident120 (Operace Arktida) was published (the first edition came out in 2002). In the same year Half Moon Investigations (not AF) was translated by Dana Stuchlá as Detektivní agentura Půlměsíc121 and published by Albatros. In the same year Veronika Volhejnová translated The Legend of Spud Murphy122 (Legenda o pistolnici Murphyové, not AF), published by Knižní klub, Praha and also The Legend of the Captain Crow’s Teeth123 (Legenda o zubech kapitána Krákory, not AF) published by Knižní klub. In 2009 she translated Artemis Fowl: Time Paradox as Artemis Fowl a časový paradox, and it was published by Albatros. In 2009 The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World124 (not AF) was translated as Legenda o nejzlobivějším
116 Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl – The Eternity Code (UK: Miramax Books for Kids, 2005).
117 Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception (UK: Puffin Books, 2005).
118 Eoin Colfer, The Wish List (UK: Perfection Learning Corporation, 2004).
119 Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony (UK: Miramax Books for Kids, 2008).
120 Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident (UK: Miramax Books for Kids, 2003).
121 Eoin Colfer, Half Moon Investigations (UK: Disney Book Group, 2009).
122 Eoin Colfer, The Legend of Spud Murphy (UK: Penguin Books Limited, 2005).
123 Eoin Colfer, The Legend of the Captain Crow’s Teeth (UK: Penguin Books Limited, 2007).
124 Eoin Colfer, The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World (UK: Penguin Books Limited, 2008).
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klukovi na světě by Volhejnová. In 2011 Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex was translated as Artemis Fowl a atlantský complex. Finally, in the year 2012 Pavel Medek translated Screwed125 (not AF) as Hlubokej průser. It was published by PLUS. It is obvious that Colfer’s popularity reached even the Czech Lands; all parts of the Artemis Fowl series were published in this period, and the translators pay a huge attention to the author even nowadays. Artemis Fowl belongs to the most popular fantasy series in the Czech Lands, which might be supported by the fact that the author’s name and the name of the main character of his series are well-known among younger people.
The author of crime fiction John Connolly appeared in Czech print at the beginning of 21st century. In 2002 Karla Šmídová translated Every Dead Thing126 (Na ostří nože) and it was published by BB art (which has published all Connolly’s translations so far). In the same year The Killing Kind127 was published in translation by Jitka Pixová (Vraždená povaha). In 2003/2004 Kateřina Cardová translated The White Road128 as Bílá cesta. In 2004 Jarmila Kroupová translated Bad Men129 (Mizerové). Kroupová also translated The Lovers: A Charlie Parker Thriller130 as Milenci in 2010. In 2006 The Black Angel131 was translated as Černý anděl by Hana Whitton. She also translated Nocturnos132 as Nokturna in 2007, The Unquiet133
125 Eoin Colfer, Screwed: A Novel (UK: The Overlook Press, 2013).
126 John Connolly, Every Dead Thing: A Charlie Parker Thriller (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2015).
127 John Connolly, The Killing Kind: A Charlie Parker Thriller (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2015).
128 John Connolly, The White Road: A Charlie Parker Thriller (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2003).
129 John Connolly, Bad Men: A Thriller (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2012).
130 John Connolly, The Lovers: A Charlie Parker Thriller (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2009).
131 John Connolly, The Black Angel: A Charlie Parker Thriller (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2015).
132 John Connolly, Nocturnos (UK: TUSQUETS, 2015).
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as Neodpočívej v pokoji in 2008 and she re-translated The Killing Kind as Zabijáci in 2009 (the second edition of her translation was published in 2012). In 2008 the novel The Book of Lost Things134 was translated by Jaroslava Kočová as Kniha ztracených věcí. Kočová also translated The Gates135 as Brána do pekla in 2011. In the same year Martin Verner’s translation of The Whisperers136 (Ztracené duše) was published, and in 2012 The Burning Soul137 was published in Verner’s translation (Až na popel). Though Connolly has not become as famous as Colfer in the Czech Lands, from the number of translations it is obvious that he is positively acclaimed.
Another example of the newly established author is definitely Patricia Scanlan, “the prolific queen of contemporary Irish popular fiction.”138 Especially her collection of short stories, City Girl,139 was highly appreciated in the Czech Lands, because it was re-published several times. The first edition was published in 2000 by BB art (as well as other Scanlan’s works), and the translation (Město dívek), was made by Lucie Nová. In the same year the sequel City Woman140 was translated by Nová as Město žen. In 2001 the third part of the series, City Lives,141 was translated by Nová as Město života. City Girl, City Woman and City Lives were all re-published in the year 2006. Apart from this trilogy, a few other works by
133 John Connolly, The Unquiet: A Thriller (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2008).
134 John Connolly, The Book of Lost Things: A Novel (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2006).
135 John Connolly, The Gates: A Samuel Johnson Tale (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2010).
136 John Connolly, The Whisperers: A Charlie Parker Thriller (UK: Simon and Schuster 2010).
137 John Connolly, The Burning Soul: A Charlie Parker Thriller (Simon and Schuster, 2012).
138 Enda Brady, "Interview: Patricia Scanlan’s journey from cash-strapped Dublin librarian to million-selling author,“ The Irish Post, 3rd March 2015, 9th November 2015 http://www.irishpost.co.uk/interview-patricia-scanlan-talks-journey-cash-strapped-dublin-librarian-million-selling-author/.
139 Patricia Scanlan, City Girl (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2015).
140 Patricia Scanlan, City Woman (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2015).
141 Patricia Scanlan, City Lives (UK: Simon and Schuster, 2015).
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Scanlan appeared in Czech print: in 2002 Francesca’s Party was translated by Kateřina Cardová as Veselý večírek, and in 2005 Iva Harrisová translated Two for Joy142 as Přelétavé štěstí (the work was re-published in the same year, possibly because of the high interest of the audience). In 2006 Double Wedding143 was translated by Harrisová as Dvojitá svatba, in 2008 Divided Loyalties144 was translated as Rodinné křižovatky by Radmila Damová and last but not least, in 2009 Forgive and Forget was translated by Blažena Kukulišová. Scanlan’s success in the Czech Lands may be explained by her own words:
Women have a hard life all over the world; just because you are an Irishwoman doesn’t mean that people in other countries won’t understand what you are going through. It’s the experience that people identify with.145 [italics mine]