Review 251: A Summer Affair

A Summer Affair by Ivan Klíma
My rating: 2 of 5 stars



The book is about an affair and one man's seemingly inability to do anything than purse this one woman. Their conversations are overwrought. There is some play with the form of a novel, but honestly I could have done without reading this book.

Wasn’t too keen on this book. I may have enjoyed it more when I was in my 20s, when enamored with Czech writing. But it seemed like just an overwrought tale of an affair.

The main character, David Krempa is a biologist and completely focused on his work, attempting to find immortality. He is married with two small girls, but hardly pays them any attention he is so focused on work. Finally he was accepted to a prestigious position in England for a year to do lectures, now he has even more work in preparing teaching. 

David seems to barely tolerate his wife, and nearly fights her to do anything outside of his work. When the landlady ends up dead one of them must go to the funeral, and very reluctantly David does this as Camilla just can’t. He is late, it’s raining and he notices a very beautiful young woman opposite him who reminds him a bit of his mother, with her neck and hair. David offers her a ride, who accepts with her husband, although they live at different places. David is so taken by this young woman, Iva that he ends up unable to think of her. He does foolish things, and yes, ends up having an affair with her.