I served the king of England by Bohumil Hrabal narrates the life of Dittie who starts his working career as a busboy living in Czechoslovakia around 1935. Dittie’s career evolves from being a busboy, to a waiter serving some of the most exclusive hotels in his country. Along the road he starts losing his innocence and experiencing the real world, money, important people, corruption, sex and eventually love. The main ambition of his life is to gain recognition and acceptance, something he thinks can be achieved by becoming a millionaire.

This is my second book by Hrabal and I doubt it's going to be the last. The way Hrabal weaves the story and narrates as if the boy is telling a story enthusiastically to some of his friends, is something I’ve started associating with the author. Sometimes humourous, sometimes sensuous, sometimes sad, but always pleasant, this is a great book which I recommend to anybody. 4.5/5