One of the most popular humorous books of the last century. Sparkling humour, based on language, its tricks and puns. The author has reworked his already legendary book several times after its huge success and added more episodes and characters, without disturbing the unique atmosphere of a work that has entertained several generations of readers. The translator Antonín Přidal took an equally creative approach to the work, and many of his formulations have forever entered the vocabulary of Czech readers.
Professor Parkhill's class is truly diverse, each student a personality, a destiny, a nationality, and a unique approach to dealing with the intricacies of the language that must be mastered in order to live as well as possible in new conditions. For Professor Parkhill teaches English to immigrants from (not only, but mostly) Eastern Europe at New York's Adult Preparatory Evening School. After a brilliant translation by Pavel Eisner, he has returned to us in a brilliant translation by Antonín Přidal (though in such a case one might speak of co-authorship rather than translation), and Mr. Kaplan's tumbles of thought and language may thus enter the vocabulary of generations to come. The students of the VPŠD may come and go, but Hyman Kaplan remains. Because Mr. Kaplan not only loves his class. Mr. Kaplan STILL loves his class. And it's a good thing, because it is only from him and through him that we learn what "shivering in a flap" is all about.
Czech edition