Slovak Literature in English Translation

In addition to Ever Green Is…, this collection also includes the acclaimed short novel A Horse Upstairs, a Blind Man in Vráble and the short story “Everything I know about Central Europeanism with a Little Friendly Help from Olomouc and Camus.” The title piece, Ever Green Is…, tells the story of a life spent in Central Europe from the imperial period through Communism. The narrator attempts to tell of his seduction by the Austro-Hungarian head of intelligence, but unable to help himself, he spins off a hilarious mosaic of exaggerations, anecdotes, and philosophical musings instead.  The taboo-breaking A Horse Upstairs, a Blind Man in Vráble depicts a son’s relationship with his aged, mentally ill mother, while the narrator of the short story, “Everything I know…” meets the gloomy existentialist while en route to serve on the jury of the Miss People’s Democracy Pageant.