The tragicomic novelBeat – The Book of Escapes(Beat – kniha útekov) is the most intimate prose of playwright and novelistViliamáčto date. As well as the story of his family, he describes the fate of many people who wanted to leave communist Czechoslovakia, which was enclosed by an electric fence. He makes deliberate references to Jules Verne's adventure novels: escapes by a submarine, a hot air balloon, an armored car... The book is also a tribute to the poets of the Beat generation and countless rock bands whose music has influenced several generations of people. The author makes reference to the true story of his brother, a rock guitarist who emigrated to West Germany in the 1980s, where he committed suicide.