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War with the Newts
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
8 posts | 15 read | 17 to read
Originally written in 1936, two years before Capek's death and three years before the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia, War with the Newts is considered by many to be Capek's greatest book. Working in the "fantastic" satiric tradition of Wells, Orwell, and Vonnegut, Capek chronicles the discovery of a colony of highly intelligent giant salamanders off the coast of an Indonesian island. Capek sardonically details all the reactions of the civilized world - from horror to skepticism, from intellectual fascination to mercantile opportunism - and the ultimate destruction from which it (and the newts) might not escape.
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kwmg40
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Pickpick

This classic 1936 sci-fi work is a brutally cutting satire. In the story, humans capture and enslave an intelligent breed of newts, but eventually the tables are turned on them. Čapek uses the relationship between the humans and the newts to make fun of and expose the ugliness of colonialism, the Nazi regime and segregation in America.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#192025 #1936 @Librarybelle
#1001

BarbaraBB Interesting. Still need to read this one. 1y
Librarybelle I read this one awhile ago…it was interesting. Good choice! 1y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 1y
46 likes3 comments
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latepaul

Are you a bitter ender?

In theory I'm not but having reached > 50% in my current read I feel I want to finish despite not loving it.

Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🤗😎 5y
latepaul Thanks 5y
10 likes2 comments
review
Librarybelle
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
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Mehso-so

A cautionary tale that hits a little too close to home, Capek writes a satirical look at the rise of newts in the world. It‘s almost hard to believe that he‘s writing at the turn of the 20th century with the revolutionary thoughts he has. Parts of this were spellbinding; other parts really dragged. But, I think the overall message from this resonates long after the book is closed. #1001bookswap #GroupJ

76 likes1 stack add
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Librarybelle
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
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Calling time for the #readathon . I had hoped to read 12 hours, but still I‘m pleased. I also read a total of 537 pages, so very happy with that. And, hopefully another day to relax and read! Thanks for another fun readathon, @DeweysReadathon !

Mollyanna Woohoo! Great job 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 6y
74 likes2 comments
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Librarybelle
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
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Ending my #readathon for the evening. Sleep calls! #1001bookswap

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MrBook
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
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Today's author spotlight: Karel Čapek! He died in 1938 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, at 48. He was a playwright, novelist, essayist, publisher, photographer, and art critic. His biggest claim to fame is coining the term "robot" in the tagged book. Though never winning, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven(!) times. He has several awards named after him. He was instrumental in PEN Club formations. #AuthorPotpourri #TheMoreYouKnow

Godmotherx5 Seven times before age 48?!?? I less than four years to get cracking. 6y
75 likes1 stack add1 comment
quote
GoneFishing
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall

It suddenly occurred to me that every move on the chessboard is old and has been played by somebody at some time. Maybe our own history has been played out by somebody at some time, and we just move our pieces about in the same moves to strike in the same way as people have always done.

Lynnsoprano I only know Capek as the founder of the Unitarian Universalist flower communion. I definitely need to read this. 8y
Lynnsoprano Oops, wrong Capek--Norbert, also Czech, was the one I was thinking of. 😊 8y
20 likes1 stack add2 comments