Stoppard: Thanks, But No Thanks

"My blood ran cold when I saw your informed and kindly meant roundup of sources for my trilogy, 'The Coast of Utopia.' The headline on the list of titles, 'Required Pretheater Reading,' should be interpreted as 'Recommended Post-Theater Reading.'
What kind of madman would write a play that requires the audience to read a dozen books in advance? Come as you are; you’ll be fine."

-Tom Stoppard, stating the obvious, in a letter to the Times.