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