In Search of the Essence of Place

Author Petr Kral
Illustrated by Petr Kral
Translated by Christopher Moncrieff
Armed only with his poetic sensibility, Petr Král sets out to explore our relationship with the places that we inhabit, and with the apparently unremarkable everyday objects which often inform and enrich our lives.
Král bears witness to Flaubert's observation that "in order for something to become interesting, we simply have to look at it for a long time". He reveals, not only the inner life-the very essence-of mundane objects and places, but also simple yet profound truths about ourselves.
"It is our blindness, existential blindness which makes the world around us so mysterious. In his discreet way, Petr Král lifts the veil." - Milan Kundera
Petr Král, born in Czechoslovakia in 1941, was a member of the Czech surrealist movement alongside Vratislav Effenberger and the poet Vitezslav Nezval. He moved to Paris in 1968, where he has a considerable reputation as a poet and essayist. He now lives in Prague.

About

Armed only with his poetic sensibility, Petr Král sets out to explore our relationship with the places that we inhabit, and with the apparently unremarkable everyday objects which often inform and enrich our lives.
Král bears witness to Flaubert's observation that "in order for something to become interesting, we simply have to look at it for a long time". He reveals, not only the inner life-the very essence-of mundane objects and places, but also simple yet profound truths about ourselves.

Reviews

"It is our blindness, existential blindness which makes the world around us so mysterious. In his discreet way, Petr Král lifts the veil." - Milan Kundera

Author

Petr Král, born in Czechoslovakia in 1941, was a member of the Czech surrealist movement alongside Vratislav Effenberger and the poet Vitezslav Nezval. He moved to Paris in 1968, where he has a considerable reputation as a poet and essayist. He now lives in Prague.