"I Served the King of England"

"I Served the King of England" is a novel by Bohumil Hrabal that follows the life of a young Czech man named Körner, who aspires to rise in social status by serving a wealthy local hotel owner. Through humor, irony, and tragedy, the story explores themes of ambition, identity, and the shifting political landscape of 20th-century Czechoslovakia. The narrative balances personal ambitions with broader historical changes, highlighting how individual lives are shaped by societal upheavals, all told through a witty and poignant prose style that blends satire with deep human insight.