The collapse of Soviet communism in 1989 was, among many other things, an epochal event in the history of the human spirit. On the eve of its twenty-fifth anniversary, philosopher and cultural critic Roger Scruton has commemorated the event with a novel of the spirit, born of his personal involvement in the Prague resistance during the 1980s.
Notes from Underground is a searing drama of love, family, and self-discovery. Set in the last years of communist Czechoslovakia, the novel evokes a world in which every word and gesture bears a double meaning. Fallible men and women pursue truth and vocation—first in the narrow recesses of state subjugation and cruelty, and then in the sudden dawn of freedom which brings astounding revelations.
On April 17, Scruton delivered a talk on Notes from Underground followed by audience discussion. Special guests Petr Gandalovic, Czech Ambassador to the United States, and John O’Sullivan, Director of the Danube Institute, offered commentaries. The session, co-sponsored by the Common Sense Society of Washington, DC, was moderated by Hudson Distinguished Fellow Christopher DeMuth.
Roger Scruton’s numerous books include, most recently, Beauty, The Uses of Pessimism, How to Think Seriously About the Planet, Our Church: A Personal History of the Church of England, and The Soul of the World. Notes from Underground is his fifth novel.
Join Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) for a fireside discussion on how Congress can guide American strategy, the need to modernize the defense industrial base, and the vital role of allies and partners in an unstable international environment.
Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Robert McDowell for a discussion of the book and communications law with the authors, Harold Furchtgott-Roth, Kirk Arner, and Arielle Roth.
Please join Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu for a discussion on Central Asia’s economic and strategic significance and why updating US trade policy is key to unlocking the region’s potential in an era of renewed great power competition.
