Saturnin

On its initial publication in Czech in 1942, Saturnin was a best seller, its gentle satire offering an unexpected-if temporary-reprieve from the grim reality of the German occupation. In the years since, the novel has been hailed as a classic of Czech literature, and this translation makes it available to English-language readers for the first time-which is entirely appropriate, for author ZdenA k Jirotka clearly modeled his light comedy on the English masters Jerome K. Jerome and P. G. Wodehouse. The novel's main character, Saturnin, a "e;gentleman's gentleman"e; who obviously owes a debt to Wodehouse's beloved Jeeves, wages a constant battle to protect his master from romantic disaster and intrusive relatives, such as Aunt Catherine, the "e;Prancing Dictionary of Slavic Proverbs."e; Saturnin will warm the heart of any fan of literary comedy.