A young woman in love with a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing; one of his mistresses and her humbly faithful lover -- these are the two couples whose story is told in this masterful novel. In a world in which lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and by fortuitous events, a world in which everything occurs but once, existence seems to lose its substance, its weight. Hence, we feel "the unbearable lightness of being" not only as the consequence of our pristine actions but also in the public sphere, and the two inevitably intertwine.
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Reviews
– Customer review on 10/11/2007
As the other reviews have mentioned, the book tracks the story of some people who's love lives are intertwined. The love stories are nothing spectacular, however what really did stand out in this novel for me, was the deep insights into the characters.
The book delves heavily into psychological and philosophical analysis of the different people in the book, their personalities, the nature of their relationships, the society at the time. It truly does make you think, and about more deeper concepts than most people write about. It makes you think about about why people are the way they are, and do you really know someone, or have you not the eye to really see what drives them?
A very thought provoking book, but definitely not a book read for its storyline.
The writers style has flair and did not let my attention wonder off (which is usually a problem for me in fiction novels). The themes from chapter to chapter change nicely as well I thought, especially the chapter where the writer starts talking about writing about a character. Very funny and unexpected.
If it had a captivating story I would have given it 5/5 instead of 4/5.
This book is well-written and truly thought-provoking. Through his use of philosophical digression in the story, Kundera makes us examine our pre-held conceptions and views on modern life. His focus on love towards the end of the narrative is gripping. The story is tragic; and the description of the death of Karenin is moving. Altogether it is a masterful work and I thoroughly recommend it.
Loved this book and adore this writer. Very well written, beautiful prose and an extremely interesting use of the authors voice at times. The writer literally addresses the reader, as the writer not through the characters, throughout the book, quite arresting and thought provoking. I highly recommend this book to all Kundera fans and those yet to discover this writer.
This is a beautiful, ethereal, heavily philosophical book that follows the story of a couple in love, Tomas and Tereza, and explores the truth of their love and their life, and the lives of those who find their lives intertwined with the pair, either through friendship, or infidelity, or enmity. The narrator, whilst taking us through the minute lies and hurts that form the bulwark of the couple's life together ponders love, war and the state of simply being, in all its glory and its hideousness. The language used to take us on this philosophical journey through modern life is beautifully used, if a bit pretentious at times. Though not really very entertaining, it is nevertheless a fascinating study of the characters found here, and of modern life.
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– Customer review on 08/07/2007
