Encounter: Essays

“I can’t imagine reading this book without being challenged and instructed, amused, amazed and aroused, and ultimately delighted.” —John Simon, New York Times Book Review

Milan Kundera’s brilliant collection of essays is a passionate defense of art in an era that, he argues, no longer values art or beauty. With the same dazzling mix of emotion and ideas that characterizes his bestselling novels, the internationally acclaimed author revisits the artists whose works help us better understand what it means to be human. Elegant, startlingly original, and provocative, Encounter combines many of the author’s signature themes with personal reflections and stories.

In these provocative and deeply personal essays, Kundera confronts the essential questions of European culture:

• A Defense of Art: A passionate argument for beauty in an era Kundera sees as increasingly hostile to the aesthetic itself.
• Encounters with Genius: Incisive reflections on literary giants from Dostoyevsky to Céline, viewed through the personal lens of a master novelist.
• Modern Art and Music: A stunning analysis of Francis Bacon’s brutal portraiture and a moving exploration of composers from Beethoven to Schoenberg.
• The Novelist’s Perspective: Personal meditations on the craft, heritage, and future of the novel, paying homage to figures from Rabelais to Carlos Fuentes.

Milan Kundera’s brilliant new collection of essays is a passionate defense of art in an era that, he argues, no longer values art or beauty. With the same dazzling mix of emotion and ideas that characterizes his bestselling novels, the internationally acclaimed author revisits the artists whose works help us better understand what it means to be human. Elegant, startlingly original, and provocative, Encounter combines many of the author’s signature themes with personal reflections and stories.

“Cultivated, worldly, charming and spirited…Kundera’s values are sane and humane; his impulses generous; his taste, overall, unimpeachable.” - Phillip Lopate, San Francisco Chronicle

“Deeply personal and warmly inviting…Encounter serves as a call to arms for a culture on the verge of losing its artistic credibility.” - Time Out New York

“A remarkable collection that showcases the author’s diverse interests and sparkling talent…Kundera looks at the way exile and estrangement impact upon art and creation.” - New York Journal of Books

“I can’t imagine reading this book without being challenged and instructed, amused, amazed and aroused, and ultimately delighted.” - John Simon, New York Times Book Review

“Compelling essays.” - Boston Sunday Globe

“A commanding, compelling collection. . . . Kundera’s essays express enduring aesthetic loyalties and provide unexpected aesthetic sparks that remind readers of a fuller range of authentic thought and feeling.” - Michael S. Roth, Los Angeles Times