- Paperback: 144 pages
- Publisher: InterVarsity Press (Aug 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0830826564
- ISBN-13: 978-0830826568
- Product Dimensions: 21 x 14.2 x 1.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,272,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you've ever felt interested about Vaclav Havel, the former Czech president, dissident, and intellectual, this is a great book to start with; however,this is not at all a biography, but an exposition and analysis of Havel's thought, and a critique on his practical appliance of it to the world of politics. As a playwright, essayst, and political dissident, Havel has produced a substantial amount of work, and the author does a marvellous job in distilling the main themes from it; the style is very accessible, even for someone with no previous knowledge of philosophy or drama, and the book leaves the reader with an appetite for more in-depth knowledge about Havel's life and work.
I enjoyed the book very much, despite my reservations about the author's thesis - namely, that Havel's worldview implicitly acknowledges the existence of a personal God. On this subject, the author failed utterly to convince me, but the issue remains irrelevant in the face of the fascinating insight into Havel's philosophy provided by the book. Despite his particular thesis, the author gives an unbiased account of Havel's thought. I would strongly recommend it, although the interested reader will want to follow this with some biographical account of Havel's life.
I enjoyed the book very much, despite my reservations about the author's thesis - namely, that Havel's worldview implicitly acknowledges the existence of a personal God. On this subject, the author failed utterly to convince me, but the issue remains irrelevant in the face of the fascinating insight into Havel's philosophy provided by the book. Despite his particular thesis, the author gives an unbiased account of Havel's thought. I would strongly recommend it, although the interested reader will want to follow this with some biographical account of Havel's life.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
We Still Need A Good Introduction to Vaclav Havel
28 Mar 2003
Format:Paperback
After the fiasco of John Keane's revisionist / slash-and-burn biography of Vaclav Havel, it is nice to read a book that tries to summarize the real contributions of this man without all the fuss. Sire makes an honest effort to grapple with the political and intellectual complexities of Havel's plays and treatises. He also correctly understands that the English-speaking world needs a short and sweet introduction that is accessible to a variety of non-specialist audiences. If you happen to be teaching a world drama or a comparative politics seminar, and you want to spend a week on Havel, you might want to assign this book to be read in tandem with The Memorandum or "The Power of the Powerless." However, the book has significant limitations. The main difficulty stems from someone whose ghost continues to inspire trouble: Martin Heidegger. Sire is quite right to situate Heideggerian categories like "the horizon of Being" as central to Havel's thought and work. Unfortunately, he has a weak grasp on this discourse, both philosophically and historically. The result is that Sire tends to portray Havel as a kind of mystic throughout the book. Couple this with Sire's wish to offer an "appreciation" of Havel, and the result is a hagiography of an already familiar kind.
Until someone writes the 150 page introduction to Vaclav Havel that we need (Paul Wilson, do you have your ears on?), you should pick up Aviezer Tucker's The Philosophy and Politics of Czech Dissidence from Patocka to Havel (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2000).
Until someone writes the 150 page introduction to Vaclav Havel that we need (Paul Wilson, do you have your ears on?), you should pick up Aviezer Tucker's The Philosophy and Politics of Czech Dissidence from Patocka to Havel (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2000).
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A Good Starting Place
13 Aug 2001
Format:Paperback
For the person who knows nothing about Vaclav Havel, Sire has written a very good, basic introduction to the writings and actions of one of the most amazing thinkers in the world today. In a short space the reader is quickly introduced to the plays, politics, and philosophies of the absurdist playwright and political dissident who became the president of the Czech Republic. While there are a few points at which it seems that Sire may be imposing some of his own American Evangelical definitions on the terms that Havel uses, overall the book works well as a guide for the beginning Havel reader.
Sire on Havel
10 Jan 2009
Format:Paperback
I appreciate this introduction to Havel, and look forward to reading Havel's writing, as well as learning more about his political contributions.
The conclusion of the book was somewhat disappointing. The last two paragraphs don't seem to drive home the point, that apparently Sire is trying to make to Havel, himself.
The conclusion of the book was somewhat disappointing. The last two paragraphs don't seem to drive home the point, that apparently Sire is trying to make to Havel, himself.
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