"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
