Utz - As Seen on BBC Between the Covers

Harbouring his private collection of Meissen porcelains, Kaspur Utz finds a refuge from the horrors of the 20th century. Compared with the exquisite reality of his figurines, rescued and safe in the illusionist city of Prague, the Gestapo, and the Secret Police are to Utz "as creatures of tinsel".SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE. Bruce Chatwin's bestselling novel traces the fortunes of the enigmatic and unconventional hero, Kaspar Utz. Despite the restrictions of Cold War Czechoslovakia, Utz asserts his individuality through his devotion to his precious collection of Meissen porcelain. Although Utz is permitted to leave the country each year, and considers defecting each time, he is not allowed to take his porcelain with him and so he always returns to his Czech home, a prisoner both of the Communist state and of his collection.