Acclaimed Czech author Petra Hůlová visited the AAU Library last Thursday for a panel discussion about her novel Trump Card (Nejvyšší karta), soon to be released in English translation, in which the protagonist grapples with feminism much like the author herself.
Petra Hůlová is a novelist, screenwriter, and performer who gained popularity with her debut novel Paměť mojí babičce, centered on the lives of Mongolian women. Her latest book, Trump Card, examines a similar theme focused on a woman navigating aging, desire, and parenthood, as well as her uneasy relationship with feminism.
“What I like about writing is to challenge myself and readers and create a sort of emotion of discomfort,” Hůlová said.
Compared to her earlier novels, Trump Card is more personal to Hůlová, as it follows a woman of similar age, occupation and family situation. One of the central themes is the character’s sense of being a “bad feminist.”
Middle-aged writer Sylvie Novak works on her feminist essays while reflecting on her career and complicated personal life, often returning to memories of a long-ago affair with an older writer. At the same time, she struggles with the “invisible woman” syndrome of aging, all while her teenage daughter distances herself from her and ultimately plays her own trump card against her.
In Hůlová’s description, rather than embracing the idea of self-worth beyond youth and beauty, the protagonist grieves the loss of her youthful appearance.
“It’s a biological process, but also a process during which females become less attractive to males, which can be painful and unfair in a way,” she said.
Critics have labelled Hůlová as a “guardian of patriarchy.” She refutes this claim, saying she still supports feminism but has difficulty aligning herself with the community, especially with so many differing definitions of the movement.
Ultimately, Hůlová describes herself as a misfit everywhere, admitting she does not like belonging to any group. This outsider perspective and genuine reflections shape both Trump Card and her earlier work.
“I think about feminism as a certain idea of emancipation in broad terms, and I declare myself a feminist quite frequently,” she said.
