hidden europe 51

Bookmark: Jízdní Rád

Picture above: A little short on character development, and the plot is thin, but the Czech Republic's annual railway timetable is always a good read.

Summary

Now here's a really remarkable book. The Czech national railway timetable for 2017 may not be great when it comes to plot structure and character development, but it is nonetheless an engaging read. Trust us!

Just as everyone is saying that reading is slipping out of fashion, here comes proof that the written word is alive and well. Jízdní řád is a lovely book. It has a good, solid plot with a beginning, a middle and an end. Just like a fine old-fashioned novel. But this volume is pretty new — the latest offering from the legendary Czech publishing house České dráhy, which some may know for their rail subsidiary — yes, they run trains as well as producing fine books.

But be warned, this book is not for the fainthearted. It’s an 860-page humdinger, a roller coaster of a plot that sweeps from Děčín to Dolík, from Ostrava to Ovčáry. The central protagonist in the story, the character pulling the strings, is Praha (rendered in the English edition as Prague).

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