Book Review: Sladký příběh – A Dark Fairy Tale of Bizarro Fiction

Some of us might remember wishing we could eat nothing but sweets as kids. If that’s you, you’ll thank your lucky stars you stayed away from the end of the rainbow. When I picked up Sladký příběh, I thought it might be a decent entry point into the world of bizarro fiction. But letting yourself be lulled by the title and the first few chapters is a definite mistake. The story feels like a fairy tale, reads smoothly and quickly, and has pleasantly large print, but the sweet talk doesn't last long.

Sally is a nine-year-old girl who loves frilly dresses, pastel colors, and dreams of reaching the end of the rainbow. She believes all her wishes will come true there. From that description, you can probably imagine just how sweet this story really is—and how dark it can consequently become.

When sweets stop being sweet

I won't reveal specific examples of what I liked about the story. It’s a slim little book, and I don't want to spoil the surprises for anyone. What I enjoyed most was how it combines seemingly incompatible images. At first, it’s mostly amusing. But then comes the moment when you think: This is going to be a disaster. And the disaster does indeed arrive.

From the halfway point, the story stops being just cutely bizarre and starts getting properly harsh. Not exactly perverse or disgusting, but cruel. It takes an innocent childhood fantasy and gradually leads it to the worst possible outcome.

The narrative style remains simple from start to finish, but the language and the plot gradually toughen up. Thanks to this, the book remains easy and fast to read, even though what it describes is far from a fairy tale.

A new world, new rules

The transformation of the world is naturally reflected in its inhabitants. At first, I enjoyed Sally for her pleasant childhood naivety, but she gradually begins to realize the reality around her and loses her carefree nature. She then takes out her pent-up frustration on things like talking dolls.

Even more interesting are the characters whose basic personality traits remain almost untouched despite the circumstances. Sally's father maintains his optimism and, while providing for the family, acts as if he’s just popped out to the store for a snack. Sally's mother, meanwhile, continues to care primarily about her porcelain, and everything else seems secondary to her.

Everything falls into place at the end

I was most curious about how the whole story would end. In the back of my mind, I kept expecting everything to be resolved somehow. That made the final point even more satisfying. It turned out that nothing that happened in the story was random. The individual elements, which at first might have seemed like just more bizarre ideas, eventually fit together perfectly.

Verdict

As a first encounter with bizarro fiction, I found Sladký příběh to be a good choice. It doesn't dive into the deepest extremes right away, but lets the story gradually escalate. I can't really think of anything significant to criticize. If the reader knows what they are getting into, I think they will get exactly what they expect from the book. You have to expect a shorter story, but one with a well-executed point. A simple narrative, yet imaginative. And you shouldn't be afraid of a harsher read. If this combination suits you, you’ll enjoy Sladký příběh.