How would a dissident playwright, who spent five years in prison before becoming the first president of Czechoslovakia, construct a memoir? If you imagine a creative architecture not seen before, you are right. It’s an engaging mix of observations, flashbacks, interviews, commentary, and memos to his staff at Prague Castle. The New York Times calls it an “an artful, sly and touching self-portrait, cleverly and neurotically disguised as an artless heap of dry scribbled notes and wastebasket throwaways.” Those interested in the art of memoir will appreciate the way this book’s inventions, texture, and spirit help us enjoy Václav Havel.
Havel, Václav. To the Castle and Back. Translated by Paul Wilson. Alfred Knopf, 2007, Preface.