The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel

Author: Milan Kundera

Edition: Scribner Perennial Classics

Synopsis: The struggles of a husband and wife as they work through their infidelities, examine their love for each other, and search to find meaning in their lives.

Length: mid-sized, 250+ pages

Difficulty: easy to read, but you'll want to go slowly to feel the flowing language and relaxed tone.



A friend who adores Kundera recently bought me this book for my birthday. I was hesitant to start it since I'm (still) working on War and Peace, but it seemed like an easy read, so I dived in.

The first thing that threw me off was the fact that the novel centers around an affair. Actually, more than one. I balked at this, and winced at the graphic love scenes, but from what I hear from Kundera fans, that's typical. I tried to shrug it off.

However, once I could get past that, I saw the unlimited artistry of this novel. Kundera has a gift not only for language, but also for structure and continuity. There were several times where a chapter would begin and end with the same sentence or thought, which gave each section a feeling of completeness. It was as if the author would introduce an aspect of the theme, explore all its possibile connotations and how they played out in the lives of the characters, and then bring the discussion full circle, which would then tie in seamlessly with the next chapter. A psychological and philosophical exploration with the storytelling tone of a novel.

The synopsis is relatively simple: the protagonists, Tomas and Tereza, are a Czech married couple who met after an apparent one-night stand. They are very much in love, but somehow never completely satisfied with each other. They both have numerous affairs, Tomas more than Tereza because he has already established his reputation as a womanizer from the beginning. Throughout, Tereza questions why she clings to Tomas as she does, and we see that she has baggage from her past family life (especially her immoral, unintelligent, and embarrassing mother). This is contrasted with Tomas, whose philanderings have more to do with his insatiable curiosity to know "the other side" -- an interesting parallel to his now-abandoned work as a surgeon. Their lives play out against the backdrop of the advancing Russian armies and Communism, both of which greatly affect Tomas and his dropping social station.

The reference to Beethoven's String Quartet is wonderful, as are the numerous symbolic elements, such as Tereza's dog Karenin (named after the Russian novel Anna Karenina that Tereza was holding when she met Tomas). This novel is both complex in its psychological manifestations and simple in its flowing language, reminiscent of John Steinbeck's East of Eden.

Regardless of my moral repulsion to certain aspects of this work, I look forward to reading more of what Kundera has to offer. Next: The Joke.

DO READ IF: you enjoy simple, proverbial storytelling and beautiful use of language, and/or historical aspects of the Czech Republic.
DO NOT READ IF: you would be offended by detailed descriptions of multiple love scenes.

another blog about reading

For as long as I can remember, I have loved books.

My mother says I was reading almost before I could speak. It used to be just fiction, but now I have moved on... to everything. You hand me something to read, I will read it. Classic literature remains my favorite genre though.

From Dr. Seuss to Shakespeare, I imagine I've probably devoured hundreds, if not thousands, of books in my lifetime. But it's not enough to just read them anymore. I want to put my thoughts on them into writing, and share them with people who might enjoy this same hobby. So every time I read something, I will post thoughts about it. Please comment if you have something to add, and let me know if you have a similar blog you'd like me to check out.

Enjoy!
-Allie