Ich habe den Englischen König bedient

Hrabal write in the great Czech tradition of grotesque tales. The Pikkolo is such a typical character, who has always its own positive interpretation of the events happening to him. Even the worst ones are interpreted in such a way they appear fair and actually beneficial. It is not positive thinking a-priori, it is more negating the reality. But you never know if he is a true moron or if he just pretend to be one. The Pikkolo writes his memoirs. He starts at the lowest level of the server hierarchy in a hotel. His goal is to be the best server and to become a millionaire. That is what he learns there: money moves the world and as millionaire he will be finally respected. It starts at some time between the two world wars and end some time after the Second World War, when the Czech Republic turned into a satellite, stalinist country. He became a millionaire but lost everything since the communist party took over took over, expropriated the rich and sent them to labor camps. The irony or grotesque situation for the Pikkolo is, that he was meant to be spared from this destiny. An old server colleague had an important position in the party and tried to protect him. But the Pikkolo wanted to be treated as a millionaire, wanted to be part of the group and insisted to be arrested. He fought really hard to be admitted to the prison for the rich. But there he was never accepted by the old rich. That is the tone of the whole book and Czech history is treated on the go: the Pikkolo marries a German Nazi girl, later he goes to the extinguished village of Lidice. It was eradicated by the German occupiers as revenge for an assassination of the “protector” of the annexed Czech regions.
Throughout the book much attention is paid to the gifts to life: good food and drinks and sex.