The Questionnaire (novel by Gruša)
| Author | Jiří Gruša |
|---|---|
| Translator | Peter Kussi |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
Publication date | 1978 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 278 pp |
The Questionnaire is the second novel of Czech writer and politician Jiří Gruša. It was originally published in his homeland in 1978, and the English translation followed in 1982. Shortly after its limited release, typed by hand, Gruša was imprisoned on the charge of 'initiating disorder'. Following widespread protest and media attention, Gruša was released after serving two months in prison. It is Gruša's most well-known and most widely translated novel.
Plot summary
Jan Chrysostom Kepka is asked to complete a questionnaire for a job application, required by the faceless bureaucrat Comrade Pavlenda. What follows is an ironic answer: a full and surreal account of Jan's life and times.