At the last meeting of Nenagh Library Book Club, the members discussed No Saints or Angels by Ivan Klima. Klima is a Czech novelist and playwright – born in Prague in 1931, many of his writings were banned under Soviet Rule for their political content. This book portrays life in contemporary Prague but as with all Klima’s other works, there is a political undertone.

No Saints or Angels is told from three different perspectives and revolves around the relationships between the various members of a particular family. We observe the difficulties facing each character and are left to ponder the reasons for their personal suffering. The many failed relationships seem to act as an extension of a society which spent decades in political turmoil. To the fore of the novel are the three narrators (each representing three different generations) and their relationships with the past. Post-independence Czech society’s own relationship with its past seems to be the undercurrent of Klima’s book.

Kristyna is unable to forget the past and the betrayals she endured and this prevents her from moving forward with her life. On the other hand her lover, Jan, is obsessed with unearthing the past – however, this approach also has repercussions in both his professional and personal life. Kristyna’s drug-addicted fifteen-year-old daughter, Jana, buries the past to such an extent that it eventually manifests itself in a very destructive manner. As one of the characters remarks “Forgetting the past, as most people in this country do, is a dangerous phenomenon”. The characters’ various states of freedom and entrapment are feelings experienced by the many generations before them. It would appear that Klima’s concern is the future of Czech society and the way in which it addresses its past is paramount to its progress.

This book certainly created a good discussion – many members didn’t like the book but there were others who were keen to defend it. Some noted that the introduction was very enticing but the ensuing pages and chapters were a let down! The main source of the disappointment seemed to be the structure which had subdivisions within chapters and was narrated by different characters. Some of the members felt this had a jarring effect on the reader. However, others claimed that many modern novels use this device. The members remarked that it was very bleak but some were eager to point out the importance of its ending on a hopeful note. Some felt it was an excellent description of Prague, a good appraisal of modern life and dealt admirably with issues such as divorce and drugs. There were some very moving sections and interesting symbolism. There was also what the members considered to be a very realistic portrayal of the mother/daughter relationship. Having said this, many of the members stated that they weren’t engaged or convinced and that the story could have been developed more fully.

The next book club meeting will take place on Thursday May 8th at 7 p.m