{"product_id":"9781529976472","title":"I Served The King Of England","description":"Author: Hrabal, Bohumil\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781529976472\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: RANDOM HOUSE UK\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 11 Aug 2026\u003cbr\u003ePages: 288 \u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA whirlwind of comic genius and moving poignancy\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003efollowing the rise and fall of one small, outrageous man, from the Czech Republic's master storyteller. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Our very best writer today' Milan Kundera\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDitie is a pint-sized hotel waiter with big dreams. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBetween pocketing stolen change from unsuspecting customers and reminiscing on nights spent at the local brothel, he fantasises about his immense - and imagined - riches.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen, ludicrously, Ditie's dreams start to become reality. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet while his chaotic adventures lead him to ever more glamorous hotels, beyond the sparkling dining halls, the forces of twentieth-century European history march on. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA whirlwind of comic genius, a gut-punch of narrative power, this is the story of one small man's rise and fall - or fall and rise - against the shadowy backdrop of Europe's darkest days. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ADAM THIRLWELL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'An extraordinary and subtly tragicomic novel' \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Hrabal bounces and floats... with a gusting humour and a hushed tenderness of detail'  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJulian Barnes \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A joyful, picaresque story, which begins with Baron Munchausen-like adventures and ends in tears and solitude.' \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Wood \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48125133914270,"sku":"UBD-9781529976472","price":24.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9781529976472.jpg?v=1786454488","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9781529976472","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}