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Description edit
One of the great anti-utopian satires of the twentieth century, an inspiration to writers from Orwell to Vonnegut, at last in a modern translation. Man discovers a species of giant, intelligent newts and learns to exploit them so successfully that the newts gain skills and arms enough to... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- G. H. Bondy: An important businessman who joins in a partnership with Captain van Toch to expand the newts and their pearl-collecting abilities.
- Sweetiepie Li: Add a description of this character.
- Mr. Povondra: Bondy's porter who lets van Toch in to see him.
- Captain Van Toch: Captain who first discovers the newts' special pearl-collecting ability. He becomes very attached to the newts.
- Mr Abe Loeb
- Frankie
- Judy
- Fred
- Jens Jensen
- Andy
- Dr Charles Mercier
- Andrias
- Mr Thomas Greggs: A keeper in the Reptile House of the London Zoo. Strikes up a companionship with a newt who calls himself Andrew Scheuzer.
- Wolf Maynert: A philosopher who writes a book about the approaching end of humanity.
- Mr Golombek
- Mary
- Bellamy
- Mr Dingle
- J. Gilbert
- Greta
- Van Dott
Quotes edit
-
“"They have no soul. If they had, we should have to place them on economic equality with man, and that would be absurd."”
Henry Bond -
“"Besides, about that time five or six Universal Languages came into existence, designed to replace the Babylonian confusion of human tongues and provide one common speech for the whole world of men and Newts; of course, there were many disputes as to which of these Universal Languages was the most useful, consistent, and universal. In the end, of course, it so happened that in every nation a different Universal Language was propagated."”
First Sentence edit
If you were to look for the little island of Tanah Masa on the map, you would find it right on the equator, a bit to the west of Sumatra; but if on board the ship Kandong Bandoeng you were to ask Captain J. van Toch what is this Tanah Masa before which he has just dropped anchor, he would curse a while, and then tell you that it is the dirtiest hole in all the Straits, even worse than Tanah Bala and at least as damned as Pini, or Banjak; that the only-I beg your pardon-man who lives there-not counting, of course, those lousy Bataks-is a drunken commercial agent, a cross between a Cuban and a Portuguese, and a bigger thief, heathen, and swine than a pure Cuban and a pure white man put together; and if there is anything damned in this world, then it is the damned life on this damned Tanah Masa, sir.
Table of Contents edit
I. First Book: Andrias Scheuchzeri
1. The Strange Behaviour of Captain van Toch
2. Mr. Golombek and Mr. Valanta
3. G. H. Bondy and his Fellow Countryman
4. Captain van Toch's Business Enterprise
5. Captain J. van Toch and his Trained Lizards
6. The Yacht on the Lagoon
7. The Yacht on the Lagoon-Continued
8. Andrias Scheuchzeri
9. Andrias Scheuchzeri
10. Country Fair in New Strašecí
11. Men-Lizards
12. The Salamander Syndicate
Appendix: Of the Sexual Life of the Newts
II. Second Book: Along the Steps of Civilization
1. Mr. Povondra Reads the Papers
2. Along the Steps of Civilization (The Annals of the Newts)
3. Mr. Povondra Reads Newspapers Again
III. Third Book: War with the Newts
1. The Massacre on the Cocos Islands
2. The Clash in Normandy
3. The Incident in the Channel
4. Der Nordmolch
5. Wolf Meynert Writes his Masterpiece
6. X's Warning
7. Earthquake in Louisiana
8. The Chief Salamander Presents his Demands
9. The Conference at Vaduz
10. Mr. Povondra takes it on Himself
11. The Author Talks with Himself
Series & Lists edit
This book is in Penguin Modern Classics. (edition-based publisher list)
This book is in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- Karel Čapek (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: Czech
Publisher: Fr. Borový, Prague
Country: Czechoslovakia
Publication Date: 1936
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 300
Publisher: Fr. Borový, Prague
Country: Czechoslovakia
Publication Date: 1936
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 300
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 891.8635
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