The Sufferings of Prince Sternenhoch: A Grotesque Tale of Horror

Fiction. Translated from the Czech by Carleton Bulkin. Ladislav Klima is considered to be one of the most important Czech philosophers of the 20th century, and arguably the greatest of the prewar era. His work has influenced artists of all stripes, most notably Bohumil Hrabal and the Plastic People of the Universe. Drawing his greatest inspiration from Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, Klima developed his conception of will and radical subjectivism in numerous essays, aphorisms, tracts, prose works, and plays, and though his work was banned by both the communists and Nazis, underground editions were widely circulated. THE SUFFERINGS OF PRINCE STERNENHOCH is the only full-length work of fiction Klima prepared for publication during his lifetime, and it can be considered a summation of his philosophy. In a series of journal entries, the book chronicles the descent into madness of Prince Sternenhoch, the German Empire1s foremost aristocrat and favorite of the Kaiser. Having become the "lowliest worm" at the hands of his deceased wife Helga, the Queen of Hells, he eventually attains an ultimate state of bliss and salvation. Klima uses dark humor to explore the paradoxical nature of pure spirituality in scenes that are comically grostesque and often obscene. This volume also includes his notorious essay "My Autobiography." Though Klima1s work has been translated into many European languages, this is the first book of his to appear in English. Jan Nemec's film based on the novel, In the Flames of Royal Love, is set for general world-wide DVD release the end of 2007.