The Search for a Romance Novel in Bohemia
(Guest Blogger: Morgan Doremus)
Two weeks ago, I was traveling through Germany on a sleeper train, trying to get some rest before reaching Prague. My husband Nick slept comfortably on the bunk beneath mine while the cabin's other two bunks were occupied by a French Canadian student and a Romanian businessman both of whom were enjoying the liberal European culture and lounging in only their briefs.
Vacation '08 had officially begun.
A few years ago, Nick and I lived in England so I've had the chance to travel the continent; however, this was the first time that I was going behind the Iron Curtain. Granted, the Czech Republic has not been under communist rule since the early 1990s, but this didn't matter. Before leaving the States, I poured through city guides and tourist websites. My itinerary read like a who's who of Sites of Historical Importance including everything from a trip to a ninth century castle to a walk through the town square where the first protests against Soviet rule were held. Also on the list was a visit to a local bookstore because nothing says culture like a glimpse into a city's literature (even if that literature happens to have half naked men on the cover).
On the fourth day in Prague, I was finally able to tear myself away from the more edifying stops on our trip and made my move towards the bookstore. But a problem quickly emerged. There are no bookstores in the entire city.
Let me repeat that again for those who weren't listening.
THERE ARE NO BOOKSTORES IN THE CITY!
At least none that I could find.
My shock quickly turned to horror as I realized that the written word in general was absent from Prague. Even magazines and newspapers were scarce.
In desperation I corralled our tour guide and begged, pleaded really, to please, pretty please, stop playing games with my American head and for the love of God give up the address to a bookstore.
After consulting a fellow countryman, Radek (that's the tour guide) decided that maybe I might possibly be able to find books for sale at the Palladium.
Located across from the historic Municipal House, the Palladium is the Czech Republic's answer to the American shopping mall. All week I had been avoiding the two hundred plus shops filled with beautifully packaged mass-market goods in hopes of achieving a more authentic European experience. (After all, nobody wants to be that tourist.) I had opted instead to buy all of my souvenirs from the local vendors whose stalls lined the streets in the Jewish Quarter. However, the chance to see a Julie Garwood novel written in Czech quickly overcame my consumerist morals and I was off to the mall.
Question: Have you ever stood in front of one of those large shopping center maps that are posted near the mall escalators squinting down at the 'you are here' star while trying to figure out where 'here' really is?
Now imagine yourself doing this, only the entire map is in a foreign language.
Obviously this got me nowhere. So I just decided to wander.
I passed fishmonger's shops, giant jewelry emporiums, and a food court that smelled like cabbage. I took a detour through a Russia doll shop and then finally, in the furthest corner of the mall, I found what had to be the city's lone bookstore.
Now I'm not saying that I actually teared up at the sight of rows and rows of brand new, waiting-to-be-read books, but it was a close thing. The stacks of paperbacks were such a familiar sight that I could have easily been at my local NYC Borders, except, of course, for the indecipherable book titles and added syllables to most author's names (Johanna Lindsey became Johanna Lindseyova, Catherine Coulter turned into Catherine Coulterova).
To my surprise, the Czech Republic's bookstore had an extensive romance selection (unlike a lot of other foreign countries - The Netherlands, I'm looking at you). Historicals dominated the shelves with muscular pirates smirking down from the covers of Kinley MacGregor novels, proud dukes on Shannon Drake Regencies, and beautiful red heads on a few old school Elizabeth Lowells. (And yes, there were lots and lots of Garwoods.)
It was no big surprise that the bulk of the contemporary American romances were written by The Nora (or should I say Nora Robertsova) and Danielle Steel. On a back shelf I was also able to find a stack of Rachel Gibson's 2006 release SEX, LIES, AND ONLINE DATING (translated to SEX, LZI A RANDE PRES INTERNET).
Young Adult novels were well represented with the crown jewel being the entire line of Cecily Von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl series. But I was disappointed that there weren't any category romances, not even the Mills & Boon line that can usually be found in foreign nations. Also missing were science fiction and fantasy romances as well as mystery and thrillers.
Eventually I wandered upstairs where there were a few English language romances, however, the sight of the Maeve Binchy covers with their ivy-enveloped cottages just didn't do it for me. So despite the reasonable price (paperbacks cost around 100 koruna, which is just under six bucks) I left without buying anything. Instead I made due with getting a few pictures of my favorite author's books that I was able to take over strenuous objections of the large, Slavic store clerk.
My next stop was back to the rented apartment and pick up my husband so we wouldn't miss our evening cruise down the Vltava River where we would hold hands and watch the sun set behind Prague Castle.
I know, I know, pretty cheesy, but the best romances usually are.
Morgan
(Watch author interviews produced by Morgan Doremus for RT BOOKreviews).
Two weeks ago, I was traveling through Germany on a sleeper train, trying to get some rest before reaching Prague. My husband Nick slept comfortably on the bunk beneath mine while the cabin's other two bunks were occupied by a French Canadian student and a Romanian businessman both of whom were enjoying the liberal European culture and lounging in only their briefs.
Vacation '08 had officially begun.
A few years ago, Nick and I lived in England so I've had the chance to travel the continent; however, this was the first time that I was going behind the Iron Curtain. Granted, the Czech Republic has not been under communist rule since the early 1990s, but this didn't matter. Before leaving the States, I poured through city guides and tourist websites. My itinerary read like a who's who of Sites of Historical Importance including everything from a trip to a ninth century castle to a walk through the town square where the first protests against Soviet rule were held. Also on the list was a visit to a local bookstore because nothing says culture like a glimpse into a city's literature (even if that literature happens to have half naked men on the cover).
On the fourth day in Prague, I was finally able to tear myself away from the more edifying stops on our trip and made my move towards the bookstore. But a problem quickly emerged. There are no bookstores in the entire city.
Let me repeat that again for those who weren't listening.
THERE ARE NO BOOKSTORES IN THE CITY!
At least none that I could find.
My shock quickly turned to horror as I realized that the written word in general was absent from Prague. Even magazines and newspapers were scarce.
In desperation I corralled our tour guide and begged, pleaded really, to please, pretty please, stop playing games with my American head and for the love of God give up the address to a bookstore.
After consulting a fellow countryman, Radek (that's the tour guide) decided that maybe I might possibly be able to find books for sale at the Palladium.
Located across from the historic Municipal House, the Palladium is the Czech Republic's answer to the American shopping mall. All week I had been avoiding the two hundred plus shops filled with beautifully packaged mass-market goods in hopes of achieving a more authentic European experience. (After all, nobody wants to be that tourist.) I had opted instead to buy all of my souvenirs from the local vendors whose stalls lined the streets in the Jewish Quarter. However, the chance to see a Julie Garwood novel written in Czech quickly overcame my consumerist morals and I was off to the mall.
Question: Have you ever stood in front of one of those large shopping center maps that are posted near the mall escalators squinting down at the 'you are here' star while trying to figure out where 'here' really is?
Now imagine yourself doing this, only the entire map is in a foreign language.
Obviously this got me nowhere. So I just decided to wander.
I passed fishmonger's shops, giant jewelry emporiums, and a food court that smelled like cabbage. I took a detour through a Russia doll shop and then finally, in the furthest corner of the mall, I found what had to be the city's lone bookstore.
Now I'm not saying that I actually teared up at the sight of rows and rows of brand new, waiting-to-be-read books, but it was a close thing. The stacks of paperbacks were such a familiar sight that I could have easily been at my local NYC Borders, except, of course, for the indecipherable book titles and added syllables to most author's names (Johanna Lindsey became Johanna Lindseyova, Catherine Coulter turned into Catherine Coulterova).
To my surprise, the Czech Republic's bookstore had an extensive romance selection (unlike a lot of other foreign countries - The Netherlands, I'm looking at you). Historicals dominated the shelves with muscular pirates smirking down from the covers of Kinley MacGregor novels, proud dukes on Shannon Drake Regencies, and beautiful red heads on a few old school Elizabeth Lowells. (And yes, there were lots and lots of Garwoods.)
It was no big surprise that the bulk of the contemporary American romances were written by The Nora (or should I say Nora Robertsova) and Danielle Steel. On a back shelf I was also able to find a stack of Rachel Gibson's 2006 release SEX, LIES, AND ONLINE DATING (translated to SEX, LZI A RANDE PRES INTERNET).
Young Adult novels were well represented with the crown jewel being the entire line of Cecily Von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl series. But I was disappointed that there weren't any category romances, not even the Mills & Boon line that can usually be found in foreign nations. Also missing were science fiction and fantasy romances as well as mystery and thrillers.
Eventually I wandered upstairs where there were a few English language romances, however, the sight of the Maeve Binchy covers with their ivy-enveloped cottages just didn't do it for me. So despite the reasonable price (paperbacks cost around 100 koruna, which is just under six bucks) I left without buying anything. Instead I made due with getting a few pictures of my favorite author's books that I was able to take over strenuous objections of the large, Slavic store clerk.
My next stop was back to the rented apartment and pick up my husband so we wouldn't miss our evening cruise down the Vltava River where we would hold hands and watch the sun set behind Prague Castle.
I know, I know, pretty cheesy, but the best romances usually are.
Morgan
(Watch author interviews produced by Morgan Doremus for RT BOOKreviews).
posted at 10:06 AM
1 comments
