{"product_id":"encounter-essays-isbn-9780061894435","title":"Encounter: Essays","description":"\u003cp\u003e“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\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMilan 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn these provocative and deeply personal essays, Kundera confronts the essential questions of European culture:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Defense of Art:\u003c\/b\u003e A passionate argument for beauty in an era Kundera sees as increasingly hostile to the aesthetic itself.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eEncounters with Genius:\u003c\/b\u003e Incisive reflections on literary giants from Dostoyevsky to Céline, viewed through the personal lens of a master novelist.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eModern Art and Music:\u003c\/b\u003e A stunning analysis of Francis Bacon’s brutal portraiture and a moving exploration of composers from Beethoven to Schoenberg.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Novelist’s Perspective:\u003c\/b\u003e Personal meditations on the craft, heritage, and future of the novel, paying homage to figures from Rabelais to Carlos Fuentes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003eMilan 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, \u003cem\u003eEncounter\u003c\/em\u003e combines many of the author’s signature themes with personal reflections and stories. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Cultivated, worldly, charming and spirited…Kundera’s values are sane and humane; his impulses generous; his taste, overall, unimpeachable.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePhillip Lopate, San Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Deeply personal and warmly inviting…\u003cem\u003eEncounter\u003c\/em\u003e serves as a call to arms for a culture on the verge of losing its artistic credibility.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTime Out New York\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Journal of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I can’t imagine reading this book without being challenged and instructed, amused, amazed and aroused, and ultimately delighted.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohn Simon, New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Compelling essays.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoston Sunday Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“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.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMichael S. Roth, Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44887940366565,"sku":"NP9780061894435","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061894435.jpg?v=1730227787","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/encounter-essays-isbn-9780061894435","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}