A Child of the Jago Book

This novella is in fact a single sentence, which gives it a breathless feel. It is the recollections of a man in his 70s told to a group of young women who are sunbathing. It is a telling of stories, most of them bawdy. They are about the narrator's profession (shoemaking), his time in the army, but most of all his love life. There are lots of references to the European Renaissance, but if you are expecting references to Da Vinci or Michelangelo you'd be out of luck; it's a euphemism for sex!
Hrabal has the reputation of being one of the great Czech writers of the twentieth century and he has influenced many who have followed such as Kundera and Havel. Many of his characters are "wise fools" delivering their profundities in story form. One of Hrabel's favourite occupations was telling tales in his local inn; the book reads like that as well.
There is humour in the tale, but it is repetitive. It did remind me of some of the flights of conversation you get from those with dementia (in the middle stages). A tale from times past (sometimes a fragment) that is disassociated from what came before or after. I think whether you enjoy this book depends on how you feel about the narrator. If you find him irritating (like Holden Caulfield) you will quickly get bored. Admittedly some of it was amusing. The question is do you want to spend time listening to some old bloke telling you about the amorous adventures of his youth. If the answer is no, best to avoid I think!