I received Closely Watched Trains as a gift this Christmas. Unfortunately, I cannot remember who gave it to me, but I owe them many extra thanks. It’s a novella, truly pocket sized, and I couldn’t put it down. I read it while walking, while in the elevator, while on the Métro. It’s charming and beautifully written and simple.

It’s a portrait of a kid going through it. The description of the railway he works on felt good to read, and details made sense. The novella is only 95 pages, but every word and detail in there feels so carefully chosen.

And it even mentions stringlines!

It’s the first Czech novel I’ve read, and I’d quite like to read more. I’m hoping to pick up some more of Hrabal’s work when I get back to New York.