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The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera

Recently I was describing what I thought of this book to good friends.
I told them, while I was reluctant to

attribute such a grand assertion to my reading of this novel, I went ahead and stated that;

“….it is probably the best book I have ever read, to date”

During my reading I found it very difficult to pause at times, when I reached the last page, I was tempted to return to the beginning and commence over again. I just could not put it down, and wanted to continue reading day and night.  Often I had to force myself to put the book down and go to sleep, else I’d had been up all night.
No doubt I will re-read this book in the near future.

I had seen the film The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which was based on the book, over 10 years ago and I really enjoyed that film, but wondered if that has just a little to do with the magnificent acting by Daniel Day-Lewis & Juliette Binoche.
While the film is still an great work, the book is a masterful achievement beyond comparison.

Kundera is a genius wordsmith. His ability to draw you into the detail of the complex relationships between people and depth of thought is unlike anything I have read before. The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a book that deserves greater attention, it forces the reader to not only understand the characters and their story, but to reassess ones own life and existance.

I cannot recall ever reading a book prior to The Unbearable Lightness of Being, that put a lump in my throat and made my eyes well up.

3 comments

3 responses to “The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera”

  1. Patrycja says:

    Can understand now why you liked this book so much …

  2. w0nd3r says:

    wow.. your description has caused me to go hunting for this book.!

  3. LD says:

    I bought it at Ariel Booksellers in The Rocks. http://www.arielbooks.com.au/

    Although you should be able to find at any good bookstore. Maybe ‘The Constant Reader’ in Crows Nest would have it?

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