Jan Neruda first unveiled his Prague Tales from the Little Quarter in 1878. These stories usher the reader back to the first half of the nineteenth century, a time when Prague's Little Quarter was a sleepy part of the city, composed of narrow, dimly lit streets, proud and stately palaces, and magnificent churches and spires. The quarter remains nearly unchanged today, and it is in the midst of such surroundings that Neruda encountered the individuals with whom he created his literary monument. They are ordinary people with ordinary cares: Mrs. Lakmus who worries over the future of her daughter, the aging bachelor Doctor Loukota, the ever hopeful poet Bavor, the young ladies Matylda and Klára, and many more.
