The Hideout by Egon Hostovsky is the story of a Czech engineer hiding out from the Nazis in a basement in Normandy. Stop me if you've heard this one before...
All joking aside, I quite enjoyed this almost-a-novella. Hostovsky is firmly situated in psychological realism, which I have been a big fan of in the past. (I think this is because it's easier to feel what's being portrayed, instead of having to try to imagine it visually?). Pushkin Press calls it "claustrophobic", and that's definitely accurate. If you aren't a fan of the genre I'd say this would be a difficult one to get into.
The protagonist tells the story of his flight from Czechoslovakia in a long letter to his "dearest" wife, and the mundane details of an unhappy marriage peek through the troubled day-to-day of a life hiding in the shadows from the Nazis.
I've never read any Czech literature before, but I'd say I'll be on the lookout for more. The story itself is not unique, but I loved the style and pacing.
The Details:
The Hideout by Egon Hostovsky (translated by Fern Long)
Pushkin Press, 2017
Rating: 3.5
Have you read the Hideout? Let me know what you thought!
