Prosperity, And Then What?

It may seem strange to some people that a writer who is chiefly known for stories set in depressed or backward regions should now turn to the problems of prosperity. It may well be asked: is this perchance due to the fact that for some time now these problems have become fashionable? Nonsense. First of all, with regard to myself, I can say that I have never liked those judgments of my literary work which were limited by some sociological or party concept. The only thing which really interests me is the condition of man caught in the gear-wheels of the present-day world. And, naturally, I take my stand on the side of man and not the gear-wheels. If my characters are most often poor peasants, disquieted intellectuals and priests, bureauc...