JAN RAICHL
AS AN AUTHOR
Beginning of October 1986
(Abridged for clarity)
Still some six years ago, I would proudly assert that
I had actually written by far more than I had read. I could have given
several explanations for that strange phenomenon, but frankly, the
fact was I didn't read because I feared to learn that someone else
had been cleverer than I was. As a result, by the end of 1974. I had completed
three "novels". Then I started or outlined a number of others. My earliest
attempts were interrupted by my renewed interest in musical
composition and painting.
In 1979, I hit the writing business again. At that time, I reacted to my
general dissatisfaction by writing, in collaboration with my brother,
three extremely cynical and rather vulgar plays. We depicted our most
beloved aunt as a ruthless alcoholic, and "killed" her for her heirlooms.
Though in the beginning, these productions were a mere spontaneous expression
of our twisted pubertal minds, they foreshadowed my subsequent orientation toward absurd writing, poking fun at
everything that comes to mind, and denying my own attitudes.
In 1980, I started a project which I still consider worth finishing. I got
to it without any previous idea. I just spontaneously get inspirations for
separate events that I later conform to fit a particular place in the mosaic.
I usually figure out the sense only afterwards, which requires further changes.
The absurdity of the production is, however, dissolved in a
realistic setting. That makes the whole thing at the first glance trustworthy and extremely funny.
Sometimes I quote portions of the work by
heart to my friends. They can't help laughing all the time, yet afterwards, they
say it is rather difficult to accept the contrast between
the realistic and absurd aspects blended together. That would require
longer time [ ... ], therefore, the work can't be used in fragments.
I have always been provoked by the undeserved pride of mankind
which I find most vulnerable in their spiritual wealth - the eternal
truths of humanity. I always feel delighted when I find yet another argument
against a piece of nonsense that all people seem to believe in.
In fact, I really don't attack values, but the arrogant dogmatic faith of people in their truths,
and I point out repercussions of a
wrong opinion.
I am conservative in the extreme sense of the word, and I
see incompetent decisions of people complicate the lives of all.