Throwback: The Elephant on Karlův Bridge by Thomas Trofimuk

July 9th is a day to remember by many residents of Prague, particularly those in proximity to the Karlův Bridge. In fact, the bridge itself plays a pivotal role as an over 600 year old occasional narrator. It has had the likes of famous composers and everyday people cross its being, with many secrets and tales to tell. The most recent tale involves the memory-scented escape of Sál the elephant from the Prague Zoo. As the story is told, we discover the intriguing interconnectedness between various characters in the wee hours surrounding the great Sál escape.

Why Sál escapes is revealed through her past memories of trauma as an abruptly orphaned calf in Africa. A mournful psalm accompanies a poignant climax for the people who encounter and interact with her in some way. They all have varying degrees of drama: extramarital entanglements, familial strife, familial expansion, new love, grief, and career existentialism. The only character not subject to internal emotional shifting is the bridge itself. Yet it still manages to be its own sentient creature.

Celebrated Edmonton-based author Thomas Trofimuk has crafted a brilliant romantic comedy of sorts. I became gradually invested in the arc of most storylines; in many cases, we are not given an ending or prediction of the future. You can draw your own conclusions about how the events of July 9th may have influenced the lives of Milan, Isabel, and Danička. Will Marta and Vasha realize the same dreams together? Will Tomáš have a chance at happiness, and will it involve Danička or Marta? Can Šárka navigate a potential suitor with her haunting shadow in tow? If it sounds like a soap opera, you’re right. And just as with soap operas, there’s always a self-absorbed character or two who needs a bit of a Cher styled slap a la Moonstruck. Sometimes the empathy well runs dry. Rooting for Sál is rather easy given the melodrama that humans tend to put themselves through for no good reason.

Celebrated Edmonton-based author Thomas Trofimuk has crafted a brilliant romantic comedy of sorts.

Trust in the sage advice of the bridge itself:

“…Does it matter if the elephant lives or dies, escapes or is recaptured?…that she affected the people she met in some way?If you don’t need to know what happened beyond the bridge, pour yourself a drink and put your feet up. You’re done. Those of you who need answers, well, carry on.”

This book is best consumed alongside your favourite beverage, and a few uninterrupted hours on a Sunday afternoon in your favourite chair. I didn’t put my feet up until I finished reading the delightful end notes.

Thomas Trofimuk’s first novel, The 52nd Poem, won the George Bugnet Novel of the Year Award and the City of Edmonton Book Prize at the 2003 Alberta Book Awards. His second novel, Doubting Yourself to the Bone, was named as one of the Globe and Mail’s top 100 must-read books for 2006. Waiting for Columbus was published in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Serbia, Poland, Brazil, China, and Quebec (in translation). Waiting for Columbus won the City of Edmonton Book Prize, was a nominee for the 2011 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for fall 2010, and was one of Richard and Judy’s 100 Books. A fourth novel, This is All a Lie, was released in fall 2017. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Publisher: Thistledown Press (August 15, 2022)
Paperback 6″ x 8.62″ | 252 pages
ISBN: 9781771872256

Mala Rai

Mala Rai is a poet, drummer, psychology student, and technical writing hired gun on the West Coast. Her most recent poems have appeared in Eclectica Magazine, High Shelf Press, and Anti-Heroin Chic. You can follow her on Instagram @malaraipoetry