Glorious Nemesis

This book, published by Twisted Spoon Press in Prague, showcases the works of Czech and Slavic authors in English. The official annotation highlights the intense inner life and complex mental state of the author, reflected in his unique writings. His eccentric style and volatile prose aim to convey the deep conflicts within his thought processes, particularly evident in the novella. Set in the Tyrol, this balladic ghost story delves into the metaphysics of love, death, crime, and reincarnation. The protagonist, Sider, a twenty-eight-year-old man, faces the imposing Stag's Head mountain and an ancient hovel beneath a dark cliff. During a hike, he meets two pivotal women: Errata in red and Orea in blue, symbolizing the Virgin Mary. This encounter propels Sider on a quest for the All, seeking eternity through atonement for past misdeeds. He risks his fortune and sanity, falling into dreams and hallucinations as Orea, or her doppelgänger, embodies the goddess Nemesis, guiding him through the mysteries of divine retribution. Last revised in 1926 and published posthumously in 1932, this is the first English translation and features illustrations by renowned Czech designer Pavel Rut, who created a samizdat edition during the Communist regime. In the 1970s, The Plastic People of the Universe adapted the novella into music.