Jakub Arbes
Encyclopedia
Jakub Arbes was an influential Czech
revolutionary, intellectual and writer. He was a sympathizer of the Májovci
literary group and creator of the literary genre called romanetto
.
, with whom he harboured great admiration. He later he studied Philosophy and Literature at Prague Polytechnic and in 1867 began his career in journalism as editor of Vesna Kutnohorská and from 1868 to 1877 as the chief editor of the National Press. Arbes was also an editor of the magazines Hlas (The Voice) and Politiks (Politics). During this time Arbes was persecuted and spent 15 months in the Czech Lipa prison, for leading an outspoken and humanitarian opposition to the ruling Austro-Hungarian Empire (Czechoslovakia declared its independence October 1918). He left Prague soon after, whereupon he was drawn to Paris and the South of France to be part of the ever rapidly expanding intellectual community there. Living in France he became close friends with other "Bohemian Parisiens" such as Luděk Marold
, Mikoláš Aleš, Viktor Oliva
, and Karel Vítězslav Mašek as well as the great French writer Émile François Zola.
and his mentor Jan Neruda
, and was greatly influenced by the British writers Lord Byron and Edgar Allen Poe. His affection for Poe was so great that he named his only son Edgar, who was raised in his adopted France. Perhaps Arbes' greatest influence came from Emile Zola
's theory of the experimental novel. Arbes wrote fiction in which he analysed the plight of the urban working classes and explained the ideas of utopian socialism. Arbes's work is characterised by a sense of moral justice and rationalist, critical thinking. His most important works are his "romanettoes", written in the 1860s and the 1870s. These short novels are predecessors of the modern detective story. They are firmly set within concrete locations, mostly in Prague, and they usually present a gothic mystery, which is subsequently resolved through intellectual effort and rational analysis. Arbes's "romanettoes" introduced technical knowledge and scientific reasoning into modern literature. Arbes used autobiographical elements and anarchic and free-thinking themes in his novels. He was fascinated by creative individuals and political rebels whose intellectual capacities gave them personal independence, but whose non-conformism led them to destruction. His legacy has given him great prominence in Czech culture and modern literature, inspiring generations of writers, intellectuals and students. The main square in central Prague is named in his honour.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
revolutionary, intellectual and writer. He was a sympathizer of the Májovci
Májovci
The Májovci were a significant group of Czech novelists and poets of the second half of the 19th century, who were inspired by the work of Karel Hynek Mácha, Karel Havlíček Borovský and Karel Jaromír Erben....
literary group and creator of the literary genre called romanetto
Romanetto
Romanetto is a literary genre typical for the Czech writer Jakub Arbes. The first one to name the genre was Jan Neruda, who used an italic diminutive system to change the word román - Czech for novel...
.
Life and Politics
A native of Smichov in Prague, Arbes excelled as student, gaining tutorship under Jan NerudaJan Neruda
Jan Nepomuk Neruda was a Czech journalist, writer and poet, one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of "the May school".-Early life:...
, with whom he harboured great admiration. He later he studied Philosophy and Literature at Prague Polytechnic and in 1867 began his career in journalism as editor of Vesna Kutnohorská and from 1868 to 1877 as the chief editor of the National Press. Arbes was also an editor of the magazines Hlas (The Voice) and Politiks (Politics). During this time Arbes was persecuted and spent 15 months in the Czech Lipa prison, for leading an outspoken and humanitarian opposition to the ruling Austro-Hungarian Empire (Czechoslovakia declared its independence October 1918). He left Prague soon after, whereupon he was drawn to Paris and the South of France to be part of the ever rapidly expanding intellectual community there. Living in France he became close friends with other "Bohemian Parisiens" such as Luděk Marold
Ludek Marold
Luděk Marold was a Czech realist painter. He lived in Prague, Paris and Munich....
, Mikoláš Aleš, Viktor Oliva
Viktor Oliva
Viktor Oliva was a Czech painter and illustrator.His most famous painting, "Absinthe Drinker" , hangs on the wall of the historical Cafe Slavia in Prague, Czech Republic....
, and Karel Vítězslav Mašek as well as the great French writer Émile François Zola.
Writer
Arbes cooperated with many of his contemporaries, Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic, Josef Svatopluk MacharJosef Svatopluk Machar
Josef Svatopluk Machar was a Czech poet and essayist. A a leader of the realist movement in Czech poetry and a master of colloquial Czech, Machar was active in anti-Austrian political circles in Vienna. Many of his poems were satires of political and social conditions...
and his mentor Jan Neruda
Jan Neruda
Jan Nepomuk Neruda was a Czech journalist, writer and poet, one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of "the May school".-Early life:...
, and was greatly influenced by the British writers Lord Byron and Edgar Allen Poe. His affection for Poe was so great that he named his only son Edgar, who was raised in his adopted France. Perhaps Arbes' greatest influence came from Emile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
's theory of the experimental novel. Arbes wrote fiction in which he analysed the plight of the urban working classes and explained the ideas of utopian socialism. Arbes's work is characterised by a sense of moral justice and rationalist, critical thinking. His most important works are his "romanettoes", written in the 1860s and the 1870s. These short novels are predecessors of the modern detective story. They are firmly set within concrete locations, mostly in Prague, and they usually present a gothic mystery, which is subsequently resolved through intellectual effort and rational analysis. Arbes's "romanettoes" introduced technical knowledge and scientific reasoning into modern literature. Arbes used autobiographical elements and anarchic and free-thinking themes in his novels. He was fascinated by creative individuals and political rebels whose intellectual capacities gave them personal independence, but whose non-conformism led them to destruction. His legacy has given him great prominence in Czech culture and modern literature, inspiring generations of writers, intellectuals and students. The main square in central Prague is named in his honour.
Romanettos
- Ďábel na skřipci (1865)
- Elegie o černých očích (1865–1867)
- Svatý Xaverius (1873)
- Sivooký démon (1873)
- Zázračná madona (1875)
- Ukřižovaná (1876)
- Newtonův mozek (1877)
- Akrobati (1878)
- Zborcené harfy tón (1885–1886)
- Lotr Gólo (1886)
- Duhový bod nad hlavou (1889)
- Duhokřídlá Psýché (1891)
- Kandidáti existence
- Etiopská lilie
Novels
- Moderní upíři
- Štrajchpudlíci
- Mesiáš
- Anděl míru
- Kandidáti existence
- Český Paganini
- Záhadné povahy
- Z duševní dílny básníků