The soul of champions

Journalist Josef Káninský’s debut fiction work consists of ten short stories and two other short texts. All the themes originate from the world of sport and remain connected to it to varying degrees. Above all, they explore relationships between people. These are often intergenerational, and frequently romantic. The characters' inner experiences are shown without embellishment; the author captures surface-level emotions before delving deep into the human subconscious and unconscious. His observational skills as an expert on personalities and characters allow him to capture his subjects' motivations well, without detracting from the colourfulness and certain mystery of them or their stories. The reader is unlikely to guess the ending in advance.

The twelve short stories form a cohesive whole, as suggested by their interconnected headings, which seemingly guide the reader towards a goal. However, this goal is never reached; at the end, we discover it is just another new start and beginning. Motifs sometimes repeat throughout the stories, developing into numerous variations, yet a new, unexpected, and perhaps even provocative one always appears. It is as if all the characters are clones of a single figure, yearning for understanding, acceptance, and recognition. This is all expressed through an original narrative style reminiscent of a lament. The book's language is rich and literarily free, showcasing the immense possibilities of Czech sentence structure. Just like sport, this is a game in which the reader can unexpectedly discover a hidden reference or an entertaining puzzle.