In this interesting but confusing book, Milan Kundera mixes too many themes and genres, including
1 A passing but devastating account of the 1968 Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia, now Czechia, the repressive nature of the Soviet Union, the compliance of its newly recruited agents, the pervasive reach of its regime, communism’s distortion of human life, including in Vietnam.
2 Sprinklings of philosophy which are stated unargued and unexamined. The vast array of philosophers Kundera cites deserve more than walk-on parts. Kundera seems to focus on the transience of life, which he too easily assumes translates into its insignificance.
3 His characters are obsessed with sex. Although in the English translation, sex is rendered as ‘making love’, Kundera in fact marginalises the metaphysic of love within the physicality of sex. Sex appears rather as irresistible mechanical urge, obsession, dominance, control, weaponised by threat of exposure. A skilled surgeon, an intellectual academic, an artist, are all driven by their sex urge. This is not a holistic account of humanity, either ethically, or empirically.
Kundera writes well, so a deeper treatment of any of these themes might prove more satisfying.
- Amazon Business : For business-exclusive pricing, quantity discounts and downloadable VAT invoices. Create a free account
- Buy this product and stream 90 days of Amazon Music Unlimited for free. E-mail after purchase. Conditions apply. Learn more
