About the book: 1979 / The novel by the young Czechoslovak writer I. Švejda (born in 1949) is his first major work. The scene is a chemical plant in Northern Bohemia. The young engineer Kamil Tsoufal is a capable, educated man, but self-confident, indifferent and selfish, struck by a painful craving for a “beautiful life” and will do anything for this. His family becomes the first victim. And at the plant, due to the fault of Tsoufal, a serious accident occurs, almost costing human lives. The novel is distinguished by a clear social and ethical position of the author, debunking one of the most dangerous vices - the pursuit of bourgeois well-being.