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Jaroslav Kalfar
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Spaceman of Bohemia Paperback – March 7, 2017

by Jaroslav Kalfar (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 713 ratings
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NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, 'SPACEMAN,' STARRING ADAM SANDLER, CAREY MULLIGAN, AND PAUL DANO, DIRECTED BY JOHAN RENCK

An intergalactic odyssey of love, ambition, and self-discovery.

Orphaned as a boy, raised in the Czech countryside by his doting grandparents, Jakub Procházka has risen from small-time scientist to become the country's first astronaut. When a dangerous solo mission to Venus offers him both the chance at heroism he's dreamt of, and a way to atone for his father's sins as a Communist informer, he ventures boldly into the vast unknown. But in so doing, he leaves behind his devoted wife, Lenka, whose love, he realizes too late, he has sacrificed on the altar of his ambitions.

Alone in Deep Space, Jakub discovers a possibly imaginary giant alien spider, who becomes his unlikely companion. Over philosophical conversations about the nature of love, life and death, and the deliciousness of bacon, the pair form an intense and emotional bond. Will it be enough to see Jakub through a clash with secret Russian rivals and return him safely to Earth for a second chance with Lenka?

Rich with warmth and suspense and surprise, Spaceman of Bohemia is an exuberant delight from start to finish. Very seldom has a novel this profound taken readers on a journey of such boundless entertainment and sheer fun.

"A frenetically imaginative first effort, booming with vitality and originality . . . Kalfar's voice is distinct enough to leave tread marks." —Jennifer Senior, New York Times
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 7, 2017
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.72 x 8.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0316273449
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0316273442
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Kirkus Reviews "10 of Our Favorite Debuts"
The Verge "23 science fiction and fantasy novels to read this March"

PRAISE FOR SPACEMAN OF BOHEMIA:

"Kalfar has much larger aims with Spaceman of Bohemia than to write a spry, madcap work of speculative fiction . . . He has such a lively mind and so many ideas to explore . . . Kalfar has an exhilarating flair for imagery. He writes boisterously and mordantly . . . His voice is distinct enough to leave tread marks . . . A frenetically imaginative first effort, booming with vitality and originality."
―Jennifer Senior, New York Times

"Spaceman of Bohemia gets heavy-but the story, like its protagonist, flies along weightlessly. A book like this lives and dies on the strength of its first-person voice, and in that regard, Kalfar triumphs. Jakub may be self-absorbed, but he's also charming, funny, and endearingly sympathetic."―Jason Heller, NPR

"In Jaroslav Kalfar's zany first novel . . . the spaceman, the alien, and all the rest of the book's extravagant conceptual furniture are merely metaphors for the human-scale issues that are its real concerns, in particular the collapse of Jakub's marriage to Lenka. That's not to say Kalfar hasn't done his research. There are lovingly detailed passages on the minutiae of life in zero gravity, but all the whizzy space business is harnessed to the basic question of what it means to leave and whether it's possible to come back. The alien acts as a Proustian trigger for Jakub's memories . . . But for all the strangeness of outer space, it is the writing about his home village, the place to which he longs to return and perhaps never can, that beats strongest in this wry, melancholy book."―Hari Kunzru, New York Times Book Review

The author skillfully splices a barbed picture of the Czech Republic between Jakub's misadventures in the cosmos. "These include floating free inside the dust cloud and hitching a ride on a clandestine Russian space shuttle. The book suggests that every national hero has a dark side, though you may have to leave Earth to see it."―Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal "Best New Fiction"

"Outer space, inner turmoil, fierce ambition and the hunger for love - all seem to boldly go where no novelist has gone before in Jaroslav Kalfar's audaciously moving debut, Spaceman of Bohemia...Eloquent, heart-stunning and rich in awe-inspiring prose, Spaceman of Bohemia flirts with how we leave our mark on history. But its real mission is to unravel what makes us human - and that, according to this wise, rapturous and original novel, is a connection to others."―Caroline Leavitt, San Francisco Chronicle

"Spaceman of Bohemia represents the fiery, funny launch of an exciting new voice. Jaroslav Kalfar, like a good literary astronaut, finds levity in gravity, and vice versa."―Sam Lipsyte, New York Times bestselling author of The Ask

"Spaceman of Bohemia should win many fans. With its interplanetary shenanigans and lessons in Czech history, this zany satirical debut is bursting at the seams."―Tibor Fischer, Guardian UK

"A supercharged, voice-driven romp."
―Meredith Turits, Extra Crispy

"Blend Bradbury and Lem with Saint-Exupéry and perhaps a little Kafka, and you get this talky, pleasing first novel by Czech immigrant writer Kalfar....a book built on sly, decidedly contrarian humor. Blending subtle asides on Czech history, the Cold War, and today's wobbly democracy, Kalfar's confection is an inventive, well-paced exercise in speculative fiction. An entertaining, provocative addition to the spate of literary near-future novels that have lately hit the shelves."
―Kirkus Reviews

"Spaceman of Bohemia is an out-of-this-world look at all our beautiful smallnesses, from the cells of our biology to the bacterial minutiae of one broken heart. The roar of revolution and governmental injustice is cast against the depths of our emotions and the bottomless, grateful silence of the stars. Jaroslav Kalfar has spun an unforgettable tale, a poignant interplanetary work that collapses the distance between us with the beauty of its language and the unstoppable wonder of this universe he's created."
―Samantha Hunt, author of Mr. Splitfoot

"Spaceman of Bohemia is the best, most enjoyably heartbreaking, most fun book you'll read this year. On the surface, you'll see affinities with Gary Shteyngart, with The Martian, with Kelly Link. But Jaroslav Kalfar's voice is entirely his own. I beg you: take this strange, hilarious, profound, life-affirming trip into literary outer space."―Darin Strauss, National Book Critics Circle Award winner for Half a Life

"Spaceman of Bohemia is a wise and elegant work composed of its own unique ethereal grace-a hauntingly beautiful story of solitude, hope, family, and love that transcends, uplifts, carries the reader away."―Dinaw Mengestu, author of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears

"Spaceman of Bohemia is unforgettable: a work of breathtaking scope and heart, and a reflection of humanity that's raw and strange and profound and true."―Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies, winner of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction

"An exhilarating concoction of history, social commentary, and irony. Reading like Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 crossed with a Milan Kundera novel, set in a Philip K. Dick universe, with a nod to Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, it manages to be singularly compelling while still providing mass appeal. Highly recommended."―Library Journal (starred review)

"Kalfar's writing has the same hyperactivity, and fidgety contempt for generic boundaries, as that of the young Safran Foer.... Part space opera, part folk tale, his novel is also a love song to the city of Prague.... Funny, humane and oddly down-to-earth in ways that its scenario cannot possibly convey."
―Claire Armitstead, Guardian UK

About the Author

Jaroslav Kalfar was born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic, and immigrated to the United States at the age of fifteen. He earned an MFA at New York University, where he was a Goldwater Fellow and a nominee for the inaugural E. L. Doctorow Fellowship. He lives in Brooklyn. Spaceman of Bohemia is his first novel.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (March 7, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316273449
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316273442
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.72 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 713 ratings

About the author

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Jaroslav Kalfar

Jaroslav Kalfar

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Jaroslav Kalfař was born one year before the Velvet Revolution in Prague, Czech Republic. He immigrated to the United States at the age of fifteen. He has earned an MFA from New York University, where he was a Goldwater Fellow and a nominee for the inaugural E.L. Doctorow Prize. He is a recipient of the 2018 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship. His debut novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, was a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, The Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Film adaptation of Spaceman starring Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan is set for release in 2023.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
713 global ratings
New and different
4 Stars
New and different
Unusual intertwining of science fiction and history. Sometimes slow but always entertaining. A definite read. Look forward to other books this writer publishes, hopefully soon.
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Top reviews from the United States

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Patrick Hyde
5.0 out of 5 stars A nice debut novel from a Czech author about a Bohemian ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2017
Verified Purchase
A nice debut novel from a Czech author about a Bohemian spaceman who goes to the stars. I thought Kaflar pulled off the narrative structure quite well, weaving the present mission with glimpses from the protagonist's past as well as Bohemia's troubled past. Anyone who has read Kundera's The Joke or is wise to contemporary Czech history will have an understanding of the political background that sets the stage for the novel. If not, Kalfar does a nice overview of the history as well as describing the magic of Prague.

The prose and plotting is also well done, though it does careen out of control at times and characters tend to say the kind of dialogue that no one ever says in real life, only in first novels. But that is a small complaint because the read is engrossing overall and I found myself invested in the characters and always enjoying the book when I picked it up.

In short, buy this book! It will make for a nice summer read. Looking forward to more from this author.
10 people found this helpful
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David Hajicek
4.0 out of 5 stars Space man relating to life and death. No preaching, lots of humor but not slapstick.
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2023
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I'm still reading it, about 2/3 of the way through. A slow read for me, but worth the effort. Well written, self depreciating humor and, life experiences (fictional) in Czechoslovakia. Inner thoughts of a spaceman/scientist at risk of dyeing in space with a spider-like alien.
2 people found this helpful
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Marty
3.0 out of 5 stars A dark tale about the quest for enlightenment
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2017
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The book is an attempt to identify origins - the origin of the universe, the origin of our national associations, the origin of our personal selves. It is an attempt to trace our pasts to the point "where it all went wrong" to see if we can fix it. It is a gloomy book. The characters are well drawn (except for a large spider who plays a large role in driving the science fiction part of the action.) But, like the central European countries blighted by Soviet domination described in the book, the outlook is pretty dismal. You end up unsure of the value of this quest for inner enlightenment. Yes, the characters exhibit real growth as people, but whether the changes that accompany this growth have a meaningful impact on their lives or on their happiness is uncertain. Yes, the spider offers some comic offset. But I finished the book pretty depressed.
6 people found this helpful
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Katie
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2024
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Fantastic book. Looking forward to the Netflix movie
2 people found this helpful
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E. Gilmore
5.0 out of 5 stars Un viaje mental a la soledad
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024
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Un libro con un concepto interesante ubicado en la república Checa y que narra el viaje de Jakub al espacio y los remordimientos por estar alejado de su esposa, entonces tiene un encuentro con un ser. Fue imaginario o real ??
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Robert B. Lamm
4.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet Mishmash and an Impressive Debut
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2017
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As some other reviewers have stated, "Spaceman of Bohemia" is something of a mishmash; it is part science fiction (though that turns out to be a small part); part family saga; part rumination on love and what it entails; and part a mini-history of Czechoslovakia and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It is not a perfect book by any means; it meanders and rambles and goes off on digressions and lines of thought that can be tedious. However, at the end of the day (or, rather, of the book), there is a sweetness and acceptance of some of the bumps that life puts in our way, along with some sadness that things don't necessarily work out the way you'd like.

While it's impossible to exclude or ignore some of the excesses of the book (those digressions noted earlier), Kalfar definitely has talent. He uses a mixture of devices -- straight narrative, dialogue and an epistolary set of transcripts from the hero's wife's psychotherapy sessions, among others -- to make his point. The characters seem quite real as well.

So while he needs some more discipline, there is a good and maybe a great writer here, and I look forward to his next work(s).
7 people found this helpful
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Todd Faulkner
5.0 out of 5 stars Great seller - got here fast!
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2024
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Great seller - item was just as advertised. Thanks!
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Jerry Lou Salem
3.0 out of 5 stars A little too meandering but a solid effort
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024
This is a worthy first effort from a talented writer, especially one writing in English whose first language is Czech. Part love story, family drama, and historical retrospect of communist and post-communist woes in the Czech Republic – the last thing it is, is a science fiction story. Jacob is the central spaceman and the Spaceman part of the Spaceman of Bohemia is simply a vehicle to export the woes and generational heartbreak of an idealistic man and the woman who “loves” him. Even an idealistic alien and a cloud of radiant purple dust chilling near Venus are lenses into Jacob’s heart and head. The book lives by the reader’s ability to suspend the common rules that regulate typical science fiction – somehow The Czech Republic has an advanced space program. This didn’t distract me, as I understood the tactic quickly enough. It’s more fairytale than Firefly.
The premise buzzes along, and I really enjoyed the glimpses into soviet-era Czech life. The lament for his wife and his descent to madness are extremely engaging. Is the friendly alien spider he encounters real? Is his physical deterioration driven by his failing mind? The book struggles in its final third part, which goes on a few dozen pages too long. It begins to indulge in poetically waxed prose about things like swirling a glass of beer and having a sausage. I began to wish the author could move this along please. Sometimes the descriptions can be sort of gross. Most people are drunken animals with leaking bodies if given half a moment to act on their own. Perhaps it’s the hangover from communism, but I was a bit turned off by the gooey habits described within. Funny – I listened to the audiobook and the reader does a great job – though he leans a bit too breathlessly into and the forlorn naval gazing prose. The way he says “bodies” – which is a word used often to talk about ever present carnal desires – is just kind of funny. I felt like taking a shot of Czech liquor every time it was uttered.
One thing I found almost unbearable was the (spoiler alert) was the
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the decision of his wife Lenka to leave him while he was carrying out his Spaceman duties on a mission to Venus. For someone who loved him so deeply, you can’t keep it together for under a year? Sure, there’s tons of pressure but I felt her decision – actually encouraged by the flight psychiatrist - was awful. The book meanders about why and how she did this and leans on promises about togetherness and connections made and then broken, but I couldn’t help deeply dislike her the premise. The Spaceman is made to appear selfish and uncaring, but his actions are more the opposite. He’s Isolated and emotionally vulnerable and doesn’t need this crap. And doesn’t absence make the heart grow fonder? Anyway, I was on team Jacob on this one and Lenka needed to get over herself a bit.
I’m looking forward to the Netflix movie starring *Adam Sandler* of all people. He’s a delightfully warm actor and I think he’s perfect for the role. Paul Dano as his spider friend also seems like a direct hit. I bet some of the uglier parts of this book are ironed out a bit. There’s a lovely story here about loss, love, history, the heart and funky psychic aliens. This is a solid effort that perhaps rubbed me the wrong way at times.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
Reviewed in Canada on March 24, 2024
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Loved this book, way better than the movie( which I also enjoyed)
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Dianna G.
4.0 out of 5 stars bueno
Reviewed in Mexico on October 29, 2022
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muy buen libro
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Dim Tim
5.0 out of 5 stars More of an Allegory Than Sci-fi
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2019
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I enjoyed the book but be warned. This is really a story about a country coming to terms with its past under communism, particularly how someone reconciles the evil that a parent committed whilst thinking they were doing right under that regime. The whole trip into space could be seen as a metaphor for the leap the country takes after the fall of communism and the fight to resist falling back under Russian influence when thing don’t go to plan. I would recommend it but don’t expect hard Sc-fi. It’s the story one mans journey into both his past and that of his country and where they both go when everything changes.
7 people found this helpful
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sailthewhale
5.0 out of 5 stars what a great book
Reviewed in Germany on May 30, 2018
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it's got everything a good book needs. Couldn't stop reading... and then suddenly it was over and you want to start it again..
One person found this helpful
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Györék Alex
3.0 out of 5 stars Nicht wie beschrieben.
Reviewed in Germany on March 14, 2024
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Györék Alex
3.0 out of 5 stars Nicht wie beschrieben.
Reviewed in Germany on March 14, 2024
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