Wednesday was the worst. Václav Klaus, who was then prime minister, has proposed that meets every Wednesday from Havla per hour. Always the same scenario: 20 minutes a very friendly conversation, and then blow, for which all this was zainscenizowane – a plea to what Havel recently did. “Each time was a nonsense. The sense of the group for me to zapędzić angle. A thousand times I could be right, but for anything to be passed, and so I knew that with each new translation of an increasingly doing his jester.”

The hours have become a nightmare for Havla. “Śnił to me after the night – writing – so that I had already failed wtorkowy evening.

Czech newspapers I was joking, so that in the long-awaited book by President Klaus Havla current president is mentioned less frequently than the bat. ( “In składziku, where the vacuum cleaner, lives a bat. Lamp is allowed, but only so that it could not be and is not drażniła” – Havel instructed his office in writing).

“Just briefly, please” is a mosaic of the document. Penetrate three layers: the archives and records for the co-president and for themselves, remarks-written essays on the presidential retirement and to answer questions asked by the legendary Czech journalist Karel Hvižd’alę, (the same who 20 years ago moved from Havla interview – river “default hearing”). “Only a short” covers the next 20 years, and will appear in English shortly before the visit in Krakow Havla 3 September.

Jump to piedestału

That skrytykuje Havel in his memoirs, or dark part of civilization, the Czech economic growth does not go hand in hand with the development of a moral – that could be expected. In contrast, the discovery of just how banal the harassed state president, was a shock for Czech readers.

If you are still writing dopytywanie is, “Who am I” (as the saying Hrabal), to Havel in his book dopytuje about it constantly. Of course, not directly. For the portrait goes on the policy, but despite the will of the protagonist, a writer, but by policy year pozbawianego right to sincerity; trapionego Finally, depression, disbelief and doubt in yourself neurotyka.

“The usually quite long before the day to reconcile with the fact that I live.” “I am ashamed of the morning that exist. During the day, it goes a little self-confidence and most of the evening I have.”

One of the Czech political wrote that the old identity Havla gone, and the new czai only for the horizon. Became an escape for the former president of a temporary identity. Throughout the book the right to vote to call fugitive. “I ran. I ran to America” – the first chapter begins. “Get out. Still more escaping” – begins last.

Honesty in this book is fascinating. I can not not notice how much you can see in Havla hrabalowska ‘willingness to disposal of piedestału “.

Inflation intimate experience

After the death of the president’s wife admits: “The crucial importance for me was when Olga said on his deathbed, that they had not betrayed her. She was thinking of something much deeper than my “relaxed customs”, which knew more than anyone else and that it naturally interfere. “

The book – adorned with insights like “sending a package of money for shirts Ms Ouškovej” – we are dealing with a kind of reality show from the life of the president. Sam says that his najszczersza book, yet he hid his head for the heroes or the official speeches. If even the philosophical and political thought does not appear here at all right (and could have been expected, bearing in mind “Letters to Olga”), the level of reflection and intimacy for which the author can not disappear ago with the “Letters”. At this moment nor the author shall not exceed the limit of good taste.

I have the impression that Czechs do not appreciate his openness eksprezydenta. And in any case, it did not feel that they do in Poland. The public spectacle, which became the Czech Republic after 1989, led to the what “and there has long been a shamelessly discovered. Tabloidy occurred a decade earlier than us. On the private, sexual and even the president appeared – as mentioned by the person concerned – 15 books. “Just briefly, please” So went last year on the market, where inflation has intimate experience for sale.

Mr butler glorify the Germans

Most Czech newspaper Lidové noviny “grant from the age of the book award for the year. Votes cast in the hundred jury. I am one of them, and before all his memories Havla points awarded. I wrote: “How I envy you go. Distance to himself, which has no political mikrokosmosie counterpart. This is the best book, which was established in the Czech Republic in the XXI century”.