Railway Literature's Lengthy Union: An Exploration of the Enduring Bond Between Trains and Written Word
Trains and Literature: A Journey Through Central Europe
Trains have long been a source of inspiration for authors, particularly those in Central Europe. The unique experience and symbolism of train journeys have led many writers to explore trains and train travel as literary themes.
One such author is Jaroslav Rudiš, a prolific Czech-German writer known for his witty, accessible, and rock'n'roll-inflected style. His books often involve trains, and one of his most notable works, Winterberg's Last Journey, is a brilliant tragicomic novel that takes the reader on a wild ride across Central Europe.
Settled chiefly in Berlin's U-Bahn, Der Himmel unter Berlin is another book by Rudiš that offers a unique perspective on train travel. Meanwhile, Gebrauchsanweisung fürs Zugreisen is a very personal exploration of Europe's railways, functioning as a literary-political train history and a useful guide for travellers. Unfortunately, this book has not yet been translated into English.
Helen Oyeyemi, a UK-born Prague resident, also delves into the world of trains in her novel Peaces, published in 2021. The book presents a wild-mongoose-led journey on a mysterious train, with stories and identities going into curious flux, with the losers of history returning to vengefully upturn the present.
Central European authors are often influenced by the tension between local identity, cosmopolitan pasts, and supranational conquest. This is evident in the works of authors like Olga Tokarczuk, a Polish author notable for literature related to Central Europe. Although her book Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a mystery novel set in Poland, she overall engages deeply with Central European themes.
Though French, Jules Verne is a key figure in train-related literature with his classic novel Around the World in Eighty Days (1872), where train travel is central to the adventure plot. This work was partly inspired by real-life global railway expansion and specific travelers like George Francis Train. While not specifically focused on Central Europe, the novel is an early example of trains inspiring literature in Europe.
The broad theme of railway workforces and the social impact of railways in Europe, touching on Central and wider Europe’s modern era, has been explored in scholarly works. Trains can also evoke the past, either consciously or subconsciously, due to the centuries-old traditions of European train travel.
Riding a train immerses one in the present and may represent a climate-conscious future. European train stations often feature platforms, restaurants, bookstores, and other amenities, making the railway a location of its own, beyond just a means of transportation.
John Holten, a contemporary author, is a rail-thinker whose novel The Trains of Europe is recently published with Broken Dimanche Press. For those seeking more authors explicitly dealing with Central European trains as literary motifs, you might consider looking into regional literary traditions from Poland, the Czech Republic, and neighboring countries where rail transport historically played a key role in societal changes.
Jaroslav Rudiš's book, Gebrauchsanweisung fürs Zugreisen, offers a unique perspective on train travel, functioning as a literary-political train history and a valuable guide for travelers, although it has not yet been translated into English.
Helen Oyeyemi's novel, Peaces, published in 2021, delves into the world of trains, presenting a wild-mongoose-led journey on a mysterious train where stories and identities undergo curious flux.
John Holten, a contemporary author, with his novel The Trains of Europe, published by Broken Dimanche Press, explores the broad theme of railway workforces and the social impact of railways in Europe, focusing particularly on Central and wider Europe's modern era.
