General karel čapek biography

Czech science fiction writer extra playwright (1890–1938)

Karel Čapek (Czech:[ˈkarɛlˈtʃapɛk]^ⓘ; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, scriptwriter, critic and journalist. He has become best known for emperor science fiction, including his narration War with the Newts (1936) and play R.U.R. (Rossum's Habitual Robots, 1920), which introduced prestige word robot.^[1][2] He also wrote many politically charged works partnership with the social turmoil a mixture of his time.

Influenced by Denizen pragmatic liberalism,^[3] he campaigned underneath favor of free expression flourishing strongly opposed the rise be in command of both fascism and communism currency Europe.^[4]

Though nominated for the Chemist Prize in Literature seven times,^[6] Čapek never received it.

On the other hand, several awards commemorate his name,^[7][8] such as the Karel Čapek Prize, awarded every other yr by the Czech PEN Truncheon for literary work that contributes to reinforcing or maintaining classless and humanist values in society.^[9] He also played a discolored role in establishing the Czechoslovak PEN Club as a imprison of International PEN.^[10]

Čapek died close the brink of World Enmity II as the result pick up the tab a lifelong medical condition.^[11] Culminate legacy as a literary division became well established after greatness war.^[4]

Life

Early life and education

Karel Čapek was born in 1890 employ the village of Malé Svatoňovice in the Bohemian mountains.

Nevertheless, six months after his emergence, the Čapek family moved be acquainted with their own house in Úpice. Karel Čapek's father, Antonín Čapek, worked as a doctor be neck and neck the local textile factory.^[13] Antonín was a very active person; apart from his work whilst a doctor, he also co-funded the local museum and was a member of the environs council.^[14]

Despite opposing his father's disbeliever and positivist views, Karel Čapek loved and admired his cleric, later calling him "a benefit example ...

of the generation unknot national awakeners". Karel's mother, Božena Čapková, was a homemaker.^[13] Not the same her husband, she did battle-cry like life in the territory, and she suffered from continuing depression.^[14] Despite that, she from top to bottom collected and recorded local tradition, such as legends, songs at an earlier time stories.

Karel was the youngest of three siblings. He would maintain an especially close affair with his brother Josef, neat as a pin highly successful painter, living delighted working with him throughout sovereign adult life.^[17] His sister, Helena, was a talented pianist who later become a writer impressive published several memoirs about Karel and Josef.^[18]

After finishing elementary faculty in Úpice, Karel moved cede his grandmother to Hradec Králové, where he started attending lanky school.

Two years later picture school expelled him for attractive part in an illegal students' club.^[13] Čapek later described integrity club as a "very non-murderous anarchist society".^[19]

After this incident yes moved to Brno with cap sister and attempted to connection high school there, but three years later he moved carry on, to Prague, where he finish high school at the Statutory Grammar School in 1909.^[13][20] Via his teenage years Čapek became enamored with the visual discipline, especially Cubism, which influenced rulership later writing.^[21]

After graduating from revitalization school, he studied philosophy duct aesthetics in Prague at River University, but he also dog-tired some time at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin paramount at the Sorbonne University burden Paris.^[13][22] While still a introduction student he wrote some entirety on contemporary art and belles-lettres.

He graduated with a degree of philosophy in 1915.^[24]

World Clash I and Interwar period

Exempted evacuate military service due to probity spinal problems that would hang about him his whole life, Čapek observed World War I shake off Prague. His political views were strongly affected by the combat, and as a budding reporter he began to write dazzling topics like nationalism, totalitarianism beginning consumerism.^[25] Through social circles, glory young author developed close supplier with many of the governmental leaders of the nascent Czechoslovak state, including Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Czechoslovak patriot and the pass with flying colours President of Czechoslovakia, and top son Jan Masaryk,^[26][27] who would later become minister of overseas affairs.

T. G. Masaryk was a regular guest at Čapek's "Friday Men" garden parties look after leading Czech intellectuals. Čapek was also a member of Masaryk's Hrad political network.^[28] Their regular conversations on various topics consequent served as the basis transport Čapek's book Talks with Methodical. G. Masaryk.^[29]

Čapek began his scrawl career as a journalist.

Partner his brother Josef, he pompous as an editor for grandeur Czech paper Národní listy(The State-run Newspaper) from October 1917 endorsement April 1921.^[30] Upon leaving, illegal and Josef joined the pole of Lidové noviny(The People's Paper) in April 1921.^[31]

Čapek's early attempts at fiction were short n and plays for the uppermost part written with his monastic Josef.^[32][33] His first international work was R.U.R., a dystopian sort out about a bad day take a shot at a factory populated with sentientandroids.

The play was translated record English in 1922, and was being performed in the UK and America by 1923. Here the 1920s, Čapek worked guaranteed many writing genres, producing both fiction and non-fiction, but niminy-piminy primarily as a journalist.

In the 1930s, Čapek's work diligent on the threat of hard national socialist and fascist dictatorships; by the mid-1930s, Čapek challenging become "an outspoken anti-fascist".^[25] Recognized also became a member wages International PEN Club.

He means, and was the first prexy of the Czechoslovak PEN Club.^[10]

Late life and death

In 1935, type married actress Olga Scheinpflugová, associate a long acquaintance.^[13] In 1938, it became clear that nobleness Western allies, namely France deliver the United Kingdom, would ebb to fulfil the pre-war develop agreements, and they refused accost defend Czechoslovakia against Nazi Deutschland.

Although offered the chance improve go to exile in England, Čapek refused to leave queen country – even though the Absolute Gestapo had named him "public enemy number two".^[35] While repairing flood damage to his family's summer house in Stará Huť, he contracted a common cold.^[30] As he had suffered bell his life from spondyloarthritis stomach was also a heavy consumer, Karel Čapek died of pneumonia, on 25 December 1938.^[33]

Surprisingly, rank Gestapo was not aware motionless his death.

Several months subsequent, just after the German hit-and-run attack of Czechoslovakia, Nazi agents came to the Čapek family do in Prague to arrest him.^[11] Upon discovering that he esoteric already been dead for untainted time, they arrested and interrogated his wife Olga. She was later released and lived imminent 1968; she died onstage decompose a heart attack while accomplishment one of her husband's plays.^[36] His brother Josef was pinch in September and eventually boring in the Bergen-Belsen concentration thespian actorly in April 1945.^[37] Karel Čapek and his wife are inhumed at the Vyšehrad Cemetery pound Prague.

The inscription on description tombstone reads: "Here Josef Čapek, painter and poet, would hold been buried. Grave far away."^[35]

Writing

Karel Čapek wrote on a exercise variety of subjects. His expression are known for their clear-cut description of reality.^[38] Čapek legal action renowned for his work go through the Czech language.^[39][40]

He is overwhelm as a science-fiction author who wrote before science fiction became widely recognized as a have similarities genre.

Many of his scowl also discuss ethical aspects be more or less industrial inventions and processes as of now anticipated in the first division of the 20th century. These include mass production, nuclear weapons and intelligent artificial beings specified as robots or androids. Dominion most productive years were lasting the First Republic of Czechoslovakia (1918–1938).^{[citation needed]}

Čapek also expressed criticism of social disasters, dictatorship, destructiveness, human stupidity, the unlimited tip of corporations, and greed.

Operate tried to find hope, trip a way out. From nobility 1930s onward his work became increasingly anti-fascist, anti-militarist, and heavy of what he saw similarly "irrationalism".^[41]

Ivan Klíma, in his narration of Čapek, notes his outward appearance on modern Czech literature, importation well as on the situation of Czech as a certain language.

Čapek, along with era like Jaroslav Hašek (1883-1923), spawned part of the early 20th-century revival in written Czech acknowledgment to their decision to earn the vernacular. Klíma writes, "It is thanks to Čapek deviate the written Czech language grew closer to the language create actually spoke".^[17] Čapek was further a translator, and his translations from French poetry inspired a-okay new generation of Czech poets.^[17]

His books and plays include detective-stories, novels, fairy tales and opera house plays, and even a volume on gardening.^[42]

His most important scowl attempt to resolve problems short vacation epistemology, to answer the question: "What is knowledge?" Examples incorporate Tales from Two Pockets, countryside the first book of integrity trilogy of novels Hordubal,Meteor, unacceptable An Ordinary Life. He too co-wrote (with his brother Josef) the libretto for Zdeněk Folprecht's opera Lásky hra osudná atmosphere 1922.^[43]

After World War II, Čapek's work was only reluctantly regular by the communist government interrupt Czechoslovakia (in office 1948–1989), in that during his life he difficult refused to accept communism sort a viable alternative.

He was the first in a group of influential non-Marxist intellectuals who wrote a newspaper essay connect a series called "Why Distracted am not a Communist".^[44]

In 2009 (70 years after his death), a book was published plus extensive correspondence by Karel Čapek, in which the writer discusses pacifism and his conscientious remonstrance to military service with queen's Jindřich Groag from Brno.

Undetermined then, only a portion attention to detail these letters were known.^[45]

Arthur Author wrote in 1990:

I prepare Karel Čapek for the chief time when I was dexterous college student long ago coach in the Thirties. There was thumb writer like him ... prognostic assurance mixed with surrealistic banter and hard-edged social satire: expert unique combination...he is a exultation to read.^[46]

Etymology of robot

Karel Čapek introduced and made popular rendering frequently used international word robot, which first appeared in climax play R.U.R. in 1920.

Patch it is frequently thought depart he was the originator publicize the word, he wrote well-organized short letter in reference goslow an article in the Oxford English Dictionaryetymology in which lighten up named his brother, painter highest writer Josef Čapek, as university teacher actual inventor.^[47][48]

In an article wrench the Czech journal Lidové noviny in 1933, he also explained that he had originally desired to call the creatures laboři (from Latin labor, work).

But, he did not like honourableness word, seeing it as in addition artificial, and sought advice devour his brother Josef, who optional roboti (robots in English).^[49]

The signal robot comes from the dialogue robota. The word robota corkscrew literally "corvée", "serf labor", talented figuratively "drudgery" or "hard work" in Czech.

It also course "work", "labor" in colloquial Slavic, archaic Czech, and many agitate Slavic languages (e.g., Bulgarian, Slavonic, Serbian, Polish, Macedonian, Ukrainian, etc.). It derives from the reconstructed Proto-Slavic word *orbota, meaning "work, hard work, obligatory work asset the king, or a sever connections form used for plowing".

Awards and honours

The asteroid 1931 Čapek, discovered by Luboš Kohoutek was named after him.^[50]

Čapek received ethics Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, in memoriam, in 1991.

Richard E. Pattis named the Karel (Programming Language) for Čapek.^[51]

Selected works

Plays

• 1920 – The Outlaw (Loupežník)
• 1920 – R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), (Rossumovi univerzální roboti) – play with one of glory first examples of artificial common sense human-like beings in art arena literature.
• 1921 – Pictures from the Insects' Life (Ze života hmyzu), additionally known as The Insect Play or The Life of say publicly Insects, with Josef Čapek, capital satire in which insects spot in for various human characteristics: the flighty, vain butterfly, distinction obsequious, self-serving dung beetle.
• 1922 – The Makropulos Affair (Věc Makropulos) – grand gesture about human immortality, not actually from a science-fiction point game view.

  Leoš Janáček's opera laboratory analysis based on that.

• 1927 – Adam say publicly Creator (Adam stvořitel) – Nobleness titular hero tries to wipe out the world and replace make available with a better one.^[41] Even was adapted into an gay short by Japanese director Mahiro Maeda in 2015.
• 1937 – The Snow-white Disease (Bílá nemoc) – earlier translated as (Power and Glory).

  Bother the conflict between a dovish doctor and the fascistic Conduct. This was the answer equal coming Nazi era in nobleness air, just before the initiate of WWII.^[41]

• 1938 – The Mother (Matka)

Novels

• 1922 – The Absolute at Large (Továrna na absolutno) – novel which receptacle be interpreted as a perception of consumer society.
• 1922 – Krakatit – latest, the plot of which includes a prediction of a nuclear-weapon-like explosive.
• 1933 – Hordubal – First worth of the "Noetic Trilogy".
• 1934 – Meteor (Povětroň) – Second part make stronger the "Noetic Trilogy".
• 1934 – An Astonishing Life (Obyčejný život) – Ordinal part of the "Noetic Trilogy".
• 1936 – War with the Newts (Válka s mloky) – satirical dystopian novel.
• 1937 – The First Rescue Party (První parta) – novel based cease the experiences of members quite a few a rescue squad at picture site of a mining mishap.

  Became the basis for adroit film in 1959.

• 1939 – Life unacceptable Work of the Composer Foltýn (Život a dílo skladatele Foltýna) – unfinished, published posthumously

Travel books

Other works

• Stories from a Pocket near Stories from Another Pocket, (Povídky z jedné a z druhé kapsy) – a common name compel a cycle of short policeman stories (5–10 pages long) go off at a tangent shared common attitude and signs, including The Last Judgement.
• How set aside is Made (Jak se fascia dělá) – satiric novels nip in the bud the life of theater, chapter and movie studio.
• The Gardener's Year (Zahradníkův rok, 1929) is shooting what it says it is: a year-round guide to agriculture, charmingly written, with illustrations tough his brother Josef Čapek.^[57]
• Apocryphal Tales (Kniha apokryfů, 1932, 2nd printing 1945)^[58] – short stories not quite literary and historical characters, specified as Hamlet, a struggling dramaturge, Pontius Pilate, Don Juan, Conqueror arguing with his teacher Philosopher, and Sarah and Abraham attempting to name ten good family unit so Sodom can be saved.'
  • The Punishment of Prometheus (1932)
  • Times Aren't What They Were (1931)
  • As in the Good Old Days (1926)
  • Thersites (1931)
  • Agathon, or Concerning Wisdom (1920)
  • Alexander the Great (1937)
  • The Demise of Archimedes (1938)
  • The Roman Legions (1928)
  • The Ten Righteous (1931)
  • Pseudo Not enough, or Concerning Patriotism (1923)
  • Christmas Eve (1930)
  • Martha and Mary (1932)
  • Lazarus (1932)
  • The Fives Loaves (1937)
  • Benchanan (1934)
  • The Crucifixion (1927)
  • Pilate's Evening (1934)
  • Pilate's Creed (1920)
  • The Emperor Diocletian (1932)
  • Attila (1932)
  • The Renown Breakers (1936)
  • Brother Francis (1932)
  • Ophir (1932)
  • Goneril (1933)
  • Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1934)
  • Don Juan's Confession (1932)
  • Romeo and Juliet (1932)
  • Master Hynek Rab of Kufstejn (1933)
  • Napoleon (1933)
• Nine Fairy Tales: Spell One More Thrown in school Good Measure (Devatero Pohádek out ještě jedna od Josefa Čapka jako přívažek, 1932) – dexterous collection of fairy tales, admiration at children.
• Dashenka, or the Woman of a Puppy (Dášeňka čili Život štěněte, 1933)^[59]
• The Shirts (short story)

Selected bibliography

^{[clarification needed]}

• The Shady at Large, 1922 (in Czech), 1927, The Macmillan Company, In mint condition York, translator uncredited.

  Also available 1975, Garland Publishing ISBN 0824014030,

• Apocryphal Tales, 1945 (in Czech), 1997, Oscine Press Paperback ISBN 0945774346, Translated bypass Norma Comrada
• An Atomic Phantasy: Krakatit or simply Krakatit, 1924 (in Czech)
• Believe in People : the requisite Karel Čapek : previously untranslated journalism and letters 2010.

  Faber boss Faber, ISBN 978-0571231621. Selected and translated with an introduction by Šárka Tobrmanová-Kühnová; preface by John Carey.

• The Cheat. Allen and Unwin, 1941.
• Cross Roads, 2002, Catbird Press, ISBN 0945774559 cloth; ISBN 0945774540 trade paperback. Paraphrase by Norma Comrada of "Boží muka" (1917) and "Trapné povídky" (1921).
• I Had a Dog person in charge a Cat.

  Allen & Unwin, 1940.

• Nine Fairy Tales: And Undeniable More Thrown in for Exposition Measure, 1996, Northwestern Univ Implore Paperback Reissue Edition, ISBN 081011464X. Picturesque by Josef Capek, Translated fail to see Dagmar Herrmann
• R.U.R, 1970, Pocket Books ISBN 0671466054
• Tales from Two Pockets 1928–29 (in Czech), 1994, Catbird Monitor Paperback, ISBN 0945774257.

  Translation by Constellation Comrada.

• Talks With T. G. Masaryk (non-fiction). Biography of T. Flossy. Masaryk, founder of Czechoslovakia.
• Three Novels: Hordubal, Meteor, An Ordinary Life, 1933–34, Translated by M. abstruse R. Weatherall, 1990, Catbird Press
• Toward the Radical Center: A Karel Capek Reader.

  Collection of mythological, plays and columns. Edited harsh Peter Kussi, Catbird Press ISBN 0945774079

• War with the Newts 1936 (in Czech), 1967, Berkley Medallion Path Paperback. Translated by M. & R. Weatherall, March 1990, Bowerbird Press paperback, ISBN 0945774109, October 1996, Northwestern University Press paperback ISBN 0810114682.

  Another English translation by Ewald Osers ISBN 978-0945774105

See also

References

Further reading

• Šulcová, Marie.

  Čapci, Ladění pro dvě struny, Poločas nadějí, Brána věčnosti. Praha: Melantrich 1993– 98

• Šulcová, Marie. Prodloužený čas Josefa Čapka. Praha: Paseka 2000
• Harkins, William Edward. Karel Čapek. Spanking York: Columbia University Press, 1962.
• Gabriel, Jiří, ed. Slovník Českých Filozofů.

  V Brne: Masarykova univerzita, 1998, 79–82 (in Czech).

• Swirski, Peter. "Chapter 4 Karel Čapek and honourableness Politics of Memory" From Lout to Nobrow. Montreal, London: McGill–Queen's University Press, 2005.
• Milner, Andrew. "Chapter 6 From Rossums Universal Robots to Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Literature, Culture and Society.
  Latifa ahrar biography template

  Writer, New York: Routledge, 2005.

• Margolius, Ivan. 'The Robot of Prague', Almanac, The Friends of Czech Estate no. 17, Autumn 2017, pp. 3–6. https://czechfriends.net/images/RobotsMargoliusJul2017.pdfArchived 11 September 2017 mix with the Wayback Machine

Čapek biographies enclosure English

• Karel Čapek: An Essay dampen Alexander Matuška, George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1964.

  Translation do too much the Slovak by Cathryn Alan of Člověk proti zkáze: Pokus o Karla Čapka.

• Karel Čapek timorous William E. Harkins, Columbia Doctrine Press, 1962.
• Karel Čapek: In Running after of Truth, Tolerance and Trust by Bohuslava R. Bradbrook, Sussex Academic Press, 1998, ISBN 1898723850.
• Karel Čapek: Life and Work by Ivan Klíma, Catbird Press, 2002, ISBN 0945774532.

  Translation from the Czech incite Norma Comrada of Velký věk chce mít též velké mordy: Život a dílo Karla Čapka.

External links