Rainbow Books

Vintage Books, 2006

Cartea asta e o poveste minunata de la prima pana la ultima pagina. M-am indragostit de cum si ce scrie Hrabal si abia astept sa mai comand niste carti de-ale lui.

Imi place sa citesc carti despre care nu stiu mare lucru. Acum doar numele autorului imi era cunoscut; in rest nimic despre carte. Asa ca a fost o adevarata placere sa intru intr-o lume complet necunoscuta mie: cea a restaurantelor de lux. Ditie lucreaza inca de tanar prin diverse asemenea localuri. La inceput este un simplu vanzator de hotdogi in gara, apoi avanseaza incetul cu incetul, pana cand ajunge sa-l serveasca chiar pe Imparatul Etiopiei. Are multe de invatat de la chelerii cei vechi si de la sefii de sala, iar el se simte in elementul lui in acea lume. Este atent la tot, dar nu vede nimic, asculta tot, dar nu aude nimic, ceea ce face din el un bun angajat.

Dar Ditie nu se rezuma la a fi un simplu chelner. Are asipratii mari: vrea sa devina milionar, vrea sa aiba propriul sau hotel. Vrea sa imbrace costume la fel de frumoase ca cele alor sefilor lui si ale clientilor bogati pe care ii serveste. Vrea sa mearga pe strada cu capul ridicat si sa se simta mai inalt decat este. Iar in cele din urma chiar reuseste, devine milionar. Doar ca asta nu schimba cu nimic felul in care ceilalti il privesc.

Iar la final vine impacarea cu sine: cu inaltimea sa, cu conditia sa, cu ceea ce este el de fapt. Bine, ultima parte mi s-a parut putin mai cheesy, dar in rest e o carte de nota 10. Imi plac mult povestile, iar asta a fost una care nu mai voiam sa se termine.

That afternoon I went to labour office and accepted the first job they offered me, and I was happy, and my happiness grew when I found out I’d lost the heel of my shoe and the piece of leather I’d hidden the last two stamps under had worn away. So the rest of my fortune was gone, the fortune my wife Lise left me after bringing those stamps from Lemberg, from Lvov, when the ghetto was burned to the ground and the Jews were murdered. When I walked through Prague now, I didn’t wear a tie, I didn’t want to be a bit taller than I was, I no longer tried to decide which of the hotels I walked by on Prikopy or Wenceslas Square I would buy. I was happy with myself in a gloating sort of way, glad that I’d ended up as I had, that the way forward was now my own way, that I wouldn’t have to bow and scrape anymore or be careful to say my good-mornings and good-afternoons and good-evenings and delighted-to-see-yous or keep an eye on the staff or, if I was on of the staff myself, make sure that the boss didn’t catch me sitting down or smoking or filching a piece of meat.