Karel Čapek Criticism
Karel Čapek, a prominent Czechoslovakian writer, is renowned for his contributions to science fiction, notably the play R.U.R. and the novel War with the Newts. Čapek was a prolific journalist and short story writer, crafting works that reflect his humanistic views and philosophical inquiry into the nature of truth. His early work, including Wayside Crosses, reveals a deep philosophical layer, marked by a spiritual crisis during the First World War. As explored by William E. Harkins, Čapek's philosophical evolution is traced through these writings.
Čapek's stories are characterized by a stylistic diversity that encompasses political allegories and philosophical reflections, as seen in his Apocryphal Stories. These tales, noted by Peter Steiner, blend poetics with politics, reflecting Čapek's civic engagement and artistic ambitions. His "pocket stories" showcase a unique take on the detective genre, focusing on larger themes of humanity and truth, as Bettina Drew argues.
Although Čapek's short fiction remains less known in the United States, critics like Oliver Elton have praised his stories for their depth and humanity, likening them to the works of Chekhov. His tales often intertwine humor and seriousness, a balance acknowledged by Wilma Iggers. Čapek's work remains significant for its exploration of human society, justice, and the potential consequences of technological advancement. Despite his premature death, Čapek's legacy endures as a testament to his profound philosophical insights and commitment to humanistic ideals, a sentiment echoed by many, including B.R. Bradbrook.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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Karel Čapek: Short Tales and Fantasias
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Elton provides a laudatory overview of Čapek's short stories, noting that while Čapek earned his fame through his dramas, his stories, many of which have been translated, rank with those of Chekhov or Maupassant.
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Karel Capek's Apocrypha and Franz Kafka's Parables
(summary)
In the excerpt below, Gibian discusses similarities between the tales of Čapek's Apocryphal Stories, concluding "His apocrypha amuse, rather than disturb us. Even their iconoclasms and satire are mild, optimistic, gentle."
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The Luminous Depths, The Lost Way, and The Offended
(summary)
In the following essay, Harkins traces Čapek's philosophical development through three collections, Zářivé hlubiny, Boži muka, and Trapné providky, which he renders as Luminous Depths, Wayside Crosses, and Painful Tales, respectively.
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The Truth in People
(summary)
In the following review of Čapek's Apocryphal Stories, Hajek argues that the author's philosophy is easily recognizable in these stories.
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A review of Apocryphal Stories
(summary)
Below, Iggers recognizes both humorous and serious elements in Čapek's Apocryphal Stories. Karel Čapek is known in America, if at all, as the writer of R.U.R., the expressionistic play in which mankind narrowly escapes the fate of being replaced by robots. The author's concern for the threat of technology to the human environment (and mind) was but one of his many interests, which ranged from human society to insects, from the personality of Thomas Garrigue Masaryk to 'philosophical detective stories.' The unifying link in Čapek's work, as I see it, is that the surface story is never the main object of his concern; in fact, in a number of his works there is no story. Where there is one, it is only the surface parable through which he expresses his apprehensions about the direction in which he sees modern man going.
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The Pocket-Stories of Karel Čapek
(summary)
In the following essay, Heé examines the techniques Čapek employed in his 'pocket' stories to convey his philosophical ideas, discusses the success of these works as short stories, and considers their relation to the genre of detective fiction.
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Tales from One Pocket: Detective and Justice Stories of Karel Čapek
(summary)
In the essay below, Davydov measures the stories in Čapek's Tales from One Pocket against the traditional detective genre.
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Revelling in Hope
(summary)
In the following review of Nine Fairy Tales and One More Thrown in for Good Measure, Warner notes the didactic nature of the stories and compares them to those of the Grimm brothers, concluding "the Grimm Brothers led quiet lives, but in their fairy-tales dealt more in fatalism; Čapek's revel in hope, against all the odds."
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Čapek's Early Work
(summary)
In the following essay, Harkins discusses Čapek's early convictions as they are exemplified through the stories collected in Krakonošova zahrada and Boži muka, here rendered as The Garden of Krakonoš and Wayside Crosses.
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The Neglected Collection—Čapek's Apocryphal Stories as Allegory
(summary)
In the following essay, Steiner provides the historical context for Čapek's Apocryphal Stories. The critic claims that, in addition to their philosophical and aesthetic value, the stories have political significance, asserting "The allegorical mode of writing permitted Čapek to close the gap between poetics and politics, to satisfy his artistic ambitions without giving up the civic responsibilities he felt so keenly."
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Karel Capek's Tales of Truth and Detection
(summary)
Here, Drew argues that Čapek's 'pocket' stories should not be categorized as detective fiction because they focus on larger themes than crime and detection, mainly humanity, justice, and truth.
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The Short Story Writer
(summary)
In the essay that follows, Bradbrook presents a comprehensive overview of Capek's short fiction, noting in particular the author's thoughts and motives regarding his stories.
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Karel Čapek: Short Tales and Fantasias
(summary)
- Further Reading