My Uncle Ulysses

Funeral home owner sees life a little differently

The novel depicts the period from the turn of the century to the 1930s, in which good old Vienna and Prague come to life, and tells the story of the owner of the funeral home, Pepi Frajvald, a man with a big heart.

A well-written novel depicting the period from the turn of the century to the 1930s, in which not only good old Vienna comes to life, but also the Prague of that time. Against the backdrop of events such as the collapse of the monarchy and the creation of Czechoslovakia, the author tells with humour and love the story of the funeral home owner Pepi Frajvald, an irrepressible lover of life, exuberant gaiety and a broad heart. There is no shortage of coincidences in life, and so the veterinary student becomes the owner of a Prague funeral home thanks to his Viennese wife. Marek is an excellent storyteller with a gift for juicy language and a flair for the comic and absurd situations of life. It also plays with the end of life with sensitive lightness: "I soon realized that a first-class funeral was a big deal, and I wished it with all the innocence of a child's soul for everyone I loved." It is simply impossible not to love Pepi Frajvald and his escapades.