"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