O lidech a myších - Útržky (z) paměti – Kolář Jan (2025)

What was it like to be part of normalization while fighting against it? What is the price of compromise between conscience and survival? And why should we read memoirs and memories? Because they reveal to us what would otherwise remain hidden. Alongside official history, there exists another world - a world of personal stories, details, human weaknesses, and triumphs.

Jan Kolář (*1948) is not only a witness to the turbulent decades of Czech culture but also an active creator of it. This dramaturge, journalist, and screenwriter did not shy away from depth in his memoirs. He acknowledges contradictions, describes dilemmas that shaped not only his career but also the entire cultural environment. His memories provide a fascinating insight into the culture of normalization and its backstage. "Are good deeds enough to excuse belonging to an organization that plunged the country into despair?" Jan Kolář asked himself, but each person must answer for themselves. His book forces readers to reflect on morality and to question the correctness of human decisions.

The title of the book, About People and Mice, refers to the different natures the author encountered - from brave and inspiring individuals to those who adapted to the regime and acted at the expense of their principles. The book is not just a description of events. It is...