Books like The mournful demeanour of Lieutenant Boruvka by Josef Škvorecký

A woman's rise from poverty to political influence, inspired by stories told by a storyteller's daughter.

From Publishers Weekly Unlike its lighthearted predecessor, Sins for Father Knox , Skvorecky's latest collection of detective stories is less concerned with style than with a grittily realistic tone. In a poignant introduction, the author notes that he wanted to examine the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia through the eyes of a "simple man"; in this he succeeds admirably, his sly instruction on recent history taking second place to the sprightly energy of these five atmospheric tales. Loosely based on real murder cases, they take irrepressible Czech lieutenant Boruvka from his modest beginning as an investigator of missing persons through the tumultuous events of 1968 and their aftermath. In "Miss Peskova Regrets" a Communist Party bigwig gives a young dancer LSD, then tries to make her subsequent death appear a suicide; such disparate clues as a four-leaf clover and a saucepan of boiled-over milk figure in the characteristically elegant solution. "Strange Archaeology," ostensibly about a grisly homicide, provides a hilarious view of Prague's disastrous housing shortage. In "Ornament in the Grass," Boruvka must decide whether two mischievous teenagers were murdered by trigger-happy invading Soviets or the cynical home army. Least compelling is the melodramatic "Pirates," in which a Czech emigre attempts to smuggle a little girl into the West. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal These five mystery tales by an acclaimed Czech emigre writer feature the melancholy Prague detective of The Mournful Demeanor of Lieutenant Boruvka ( LJ 8/87) and Sins for Father Knox (LJ 2/1/89). Engaging, well written , and witty, they also offer chilling glimpses of life in Czechoslovakia around the time of the Soviet invasion. When the trails of murders of several young girls lead to people with political connections (a son of a high official involved with illegal drugs, a trucking company party secretary running a theft ring, a bank manager with years of party service, and a Soviet soldier), the cases are hushed up. To avenge his growing sense of outrage, Boruvka lets the man responsible for the death of a fanatical secret police informer escape out of the country, ending behind bars himself. Recommended. - Marie Bednar, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., University Park Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Welcome to the world of Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld, a college teacher in Regensburg who finds himself embroiled in absurd yet hilarious academic and personal mysteries while pursuing his masterwork, Portuguese Irregular Verbs.

Emily Prager's A Visit from the Footbinder and Other Stories gathers compact American short stories that paint everyday life and social customs across the United States.

A collection of short stories by Edmund Wilson that sketch American middle‑class suburban life, social customs, and intellectual dynamics within a fictional county.