Kathy C. (AZKittyMom) reviewed on
What a stunningly written book this is! The translation is outstanding, making it difficult to believe that it was actually written in Czech rather than English.
My 21-year-old daughter brought it on our trip to China. She generally reads pulp fiction when she's not reading for her classes, so I was really surprised by her choice. I ran out of my own reading and stole this book from her, although I would probably not have picked it on my own.
It is not a plot-driven story, yet it pulls you along as Kundera's characterizations are so compelling that it's actually difficult to put the book down. While his prose is spare, it is still beautifully poetic. One can read the book for its philosophizing, for the character development, or for the sheer pleasure of reading a book that is well-written. Although it is ostensibly about a man who moves from one sexual relationship to another while he lives with a young woman, it surprisingly turns into a story about enduring love.
My daughter thought I might be offended by the protagonist's lack of morals, but I found that Kundera has managed to create characters that transcend morality without losing their substance. Many contemporary novels start out great, but can't sustain themselves all the way to the finish; this book is an exception to this observation. IMHO, this is one of the great books of the 20th century.
My 21-year-old daughter brought it on our trip to China. She generally reads pulp fiction when she's not reading for her classes, so I was really surprised by her choice. I ran out of my own reading and stole this book from her, although I would probably not have picked it on my own.
It is not a plot-driven story, yet it pulls you along as Kundera's characterizations are so compelling that it's actually difficult to put the book down. While his prose is spare, it is still beautifully poetic. One can read the book for its philosophizing, for the character development, or for the sheer pleasure of reading a book that is well-written. Although it is ostensibly about a man who moves from one sexual relationship to another while he lives with a young woman, it surprisingly turns into a story about enduring love.
My daughter thought I might be offended by the protagonist's lack of morals, but I found that Kundera has managed to create characters that transcend morality without losing their substance. Many contemporary novels start out great, but can't sustain themselves all the way to the finish; this book is an exception to this observation. IMHO, this is one of the great books of the 20th century.
