Books
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being
- Charity Girl
- Binding Ties (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation S.)
- Heavenly Date and Other Flirtations
- Journeys
- Free
- Blackwood Farm (Vampire Chronicles)
- Nightwood (Faber Fiction Classics S.)
- Tom Jones (Oxford World's Classics)
- Bored of the Rings
- Jean De Florette and Manon Des Sources
- The Last Family in England
- Unexpected Blessings
- Acting Up
- Spanish Short Stories: Parallel Text: No.1 (Penguin Parallel Texts)
- I'll Be Seeing You
- Land of the Living
- Barry Trotter and the Dead Horse (Gollancz SF S.)
- New Grub Street (Oxford World's Classics)
- Almost Blue
- The Crystal Cave (Coronet Books)
- Mourning Ruby
- The Painter of Signs (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics S.)
- Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower)
- Misfortune's Daughters
Average customer rating:
- Great book for a different cultural perspective.
- masterful
- Kundera's most famous novel...
- Love, lust, revolution, repression, and philosophical digression
- This book changed my life...
|
The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel (Perennial Classics)
Milan Kundera
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Book Clubs
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
- The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
- Love in the Time of Cholera
- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
- Immortality
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Two-Disc Special Edition)
ASIN: 0060932139 |
Book Description
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.
Customer Reviews:
Great book for a different cultural perspective........2007-03-08
Wars and invasions have always had heavy repercussions for private individuals, no matter what time period or what countries are involved. But taking the Milan Kundera text, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I got a firsthand look at what the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia might have been like.
Historically, Americans have had a binary outlook at the two superpowers post WWII, Russia and the US. Americans generally felt that America was good, while Russia was evil. In terms of Kundera, America might have been described as light, and Russia as being heavy.
Kundera himself doesn't really invalidate America's viewpoint on Russia, and if anything he solidifies it by showing the crucial scene with Tereza and the "engineer" she met at the bar. After she slept with him, she started reflecting on the whole encounter, from the underage boy at the bar, and man haggling her about serving him alcohol, to the way the engineer's flat was laid out and what books he had in his bookcase.
The paranoia Russia caused within the daily lives of Czech citizens could be felt by Tereza wondering if the engineer was in fact a spy and informant for the government. Had he taken pictures when he said he was going to make coffee? Was he talking to someone? Would the pictures be released to Tomas? This is one of the first times we really get a feel for what hysteria of the time might have been like.
Obviously I wasn't around in 1968, nor have I ever been to Czechoslovakia, but Kundera enlightened me to the heightened tensions that quite possibly existed there. Tereza wasn't alone in feeling the heaviness of Russia's presence. In another scene, Tomas, after writing his letter comparing Russia to Oedipus, was forced to make a retracting statement nullifying the opinions he expressed in his letter. Taking the high moral road and refusing to pen the pacifying statement, he was forced to leave his job as a surgeon. Clearly freedom of speech wasn't too high on the list of things to uphold at that time and place. It is sad to think that his whole way of life as a surgeon, his passion and purpose, was abruptly changed by the powers in the government.
While this story was fiction, it seemingly contains traces of metafiction, as the author himself left the country, just as many of his main characters did. And just as Heraclites said you can't step in the same river twice, no historical event can be exactly the same as any other historical event. Even so, there can be parallels along the riverbed of history. Life isn't so simple as to say with complete certainty that Russia was evil, or heavy. Like a basket of feathers and bricks, it was both heavy and light. But no matter how you portray it, or from which country or time you present it, occupation, at least from the pint of view of the overtaken, will always see the invaders as oppressive and ruthless.
But to really see the feeling Kundera evokes, you must read this book. In the same way Tomas "penetrates" all the different women, so did Russia "penetrate" Czechoslovakia. Great book for a different cultural perspective.
masterful.......2007-02-05
Kundera is such a masterful storyteller, and this novel is an enjoyable, powerful example of his skills. It was difficult to put it down! Credit also should go to the translator, who did a masterful job.
Kundera's most famous novel..........2007-01-29
It's hard to know what to say about Kundera's most famous novel that hasn't already been said. For those who have never read anything by Kundera, it will come as a shock; he writes in a metafictional way - always reminding the reader that these characters are made up. Kundera's style seems to be "tell, don't show," but he somehow makes it work. Above all, he is a philosophical novelist - his stories exist to illuminate his ideas. Which is not to say that he provides any answers: he always maintains that stupidity arises from thinking that one has the answer for everything - his books are about posing questions.
Love, lust, revolution, repression, and philosophical digression.......2007-01-26
Having seen (and disliked) the movie many years ago, I never thought of reading the book. However, I was pleasantly surprised! The rather cryptic title refers to the author's personal philosophy regarding relationships, which he explains in the book.
The story begins in Communist Czechoslovaka prior to the famous 1968 Prague Spring introducing the reader to Tomas, the womanizing doctor, and his future doting wife, Tereza. Firmly determined to never remarry after a painful divorce, he ultimately decides to take Tereza under his protection. Of course, Tomas figures that's no reason to give up his many girlfriends. So, they continue, but Tereza is tormented by Tomas' continous infidelity. The author, Milan Kundera, also portrays his affairs from the side of one of his steadiest girlfriends, Sabina. Throughout the book, we trace the personal histories of these three characters from before the Prague Spring to their separate emigration to Switzerland and their return to Czechoslovakia (without Sabina). We also learn about boring Franz, Sabina's desperate lover.
Like other Czech authors, Kundera's book starts off playfully, lustfully. But then it takes on an increasingly serious tone as the characters age and finally becomes almost painfully poignant at the end. The consequences of their earlier frivolousness come back to haunt them as the Communist authorities begin relentless persecuting them, ironically pushing them closer together emotionally than ever before.
All in all I surprisingly enjoyed the book. Towards the end, however, the book wanders wildly. (Did Kundera have a page quota to fill?) I recommend this book to anyone interested in Czech authors or personal relationships.
This book changed my life..........2006-11-23
...or perhaps more appropriately, this book speaks to my life - describes my life - reflects my life. I believe, once in a lifetime, you come across something that so clearly mirrors your view of the world, but in a strange, beautiful, and unimaginable way.
Taken as a story, it is a compelling tale of love, life and the struggles faced in Prague during the Russian uprising. But when taken on a deeper level, an "ur-level," this book speaks to one's view on oneself and their relationship to the eternal struggle of life.
This is a book I have been reading every year for the last 15 years, and every reading brings about new thoughts, new ideas and new perspectives. Trust me - you will love this book.
Average customer rating:
- Of all the joints in all the towns, that monkey walks into mine!
|
The Unbearable Lightness of Being in Aberystwyth
Malcolm Pryce
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
- Last Tango in Aberystwyth
- Aberystwyth Mon Amour
- The Dangerous Book for Boys
ASIN: 0747577129 |
Customer Reviews:
Of all the joints in all the towns, that monkey walks into mine!.......2006-05-19
Here's a taste of Malcolm Pryce's loopiness: "During my years as Aberystwyth's only private eye the client's chair had seen just about every type of backside there was..some hot with indignation and some cold with hate. But only one had a tail."
Pryce has welded a high level of daffiness to a Raymond-Chandler using and Chandler's overwrought prose. Ingredients in the mix include: Louie Knight, the Bogie-like private detective of a rundown Welsh seaside town (that such a town would have such a detective is a large part of the book's humor). A client who is an organgrinder's monkey with a knack for sign language, seeking her longlost son, Mr. Bojangles. Knight's lost love, Myfanway, a singer of such overwhelming power that she even has her own academic journal (The Journal of the Proceedings of the Myfanway Society). An evil mad genius, Mr. Brainbocs, whose plans include collecting the DNA of Jesus in order to clone him (Him?), bring him back from the dead, and make him perform miracles.
The effect is similar to that provided by Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, a parody-premise wed to a hallucinagenic comic imagination. You will feel positively oxygen-deprived if you spend too much time making sense of it, but it is pretty fun.
I found out too late, though, that this is the THIRD of Pryce's series featuring Louie Knight (the other two bear the promising titles "Aberystwyth Mon Amour" and "Last Tango in Aberystwyth"). The whole thing would have made a lot more sense to me if I had started at the beginning. On the other hand, I sense there are probably diminishing returns on this series - one may be all you want. Go seek out "Aberystwyth Mon Amour", which if more coherent might be worth 4 1/2 stars, but which might then reduce the present volume to a lower rating.
Average customer rating:
- Empathy
- maybe I didn't get it
- extrana historia
- eterraza@tvazteca.com.mx
- Un libro magnífico.
|
LA Insoportable Levedad Del Ser/the Unbearable Lightness of Being
Milan Kundera
Manufacturer: TusQuets
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Foreign Language Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Romance
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Antologías
| Autores, A-Z
| Contemporáneo
| Fantasía, Futuristico y Fantasmas
| General
| Histórico
| Suspenso Romántico
Contemporánea
| General
| Literatura y ficción
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Similar Items:
- La Inmortalidad
- La Identidad / Identity (Coleccion Esenciales)
- La Ignorancia
- El Libro de los Amores Ridiculos (Coleccion Esenciales)
- Travesuras de la nina mala / Mischiefs of the Bad Girl
ASIN: 847223682X |
Product Description
Esta es una extraordinaria historia de amor, o sea de celos, de sexo, de traiciones, de muerte y también de las debilidades y paradojas de la vida cotidiana de dos parejas cuyos destinos se entrelazan irremediablemente. En efecto, los celos de Teresa por Tomás, el terco amor de éste por ella opuesto a su irreflenable deseo de otras mujeres, el idealismo lírico y cursi de Franz, amante de Sabina, y la necesidad de ésta, amante también de Tomás, de perseguir incansable, una libertad que tan sólo la conduce a la insoportable levedad del ser, se convierten de simple anécdota en reflexión sobre problemas filosóficos que, afectan a cada uno directamente, cada día.
This is an extraordinary love story about jealousy, sex, treason, death, and also about weakness and complexity in the everyday life of two couples whose destinies have crossed. The author weaves a fascinating plot of thoughts and actions around his characters with diabolic wisdom.
Customer Reviews:
Empathy.......2002-05-18
I agree with the latter review. This book requires a unique perception, a deeper understanding of the of human folly--of love. I'm sure Kundera has a cult following--people who are very spiritual & intellectual. The book's about all the abstract things that make life so mysterious. You cannot read this book and simply understand the characters. You must have lived the characters. You must have an affinity with the characters. This book is about an advanced perception of life. It's cannot be put into words; either you understand ... or you don't. There is no in between.
maybe I didn't get it.......2002-04-20
Found it hard to get into, and still felt that way more than halfway through. Didn't care a lot about the characters; disliked the author's way of jumping back and forth through time (though I don't mind the ways some authors do so). Was more touched by the dog's death than anything else!
extrana historia.......2000-05-17
no entendi bien esta novela ni los conceptos filosoficos que tanto decian los comentarios. parece hecha de artificios de tiempo roto y enredado, habla de tomas, de tereza y de su vida amorosa, pero aun he quedado preguntandome que me habra querido decir el autor en todo esto. parece a simple vista una historia comun.... LUIS MENDEZ
eterraza@tvazteca.com.mx.......1999-07-06
Si este gran libro no hubiera llegado a mis manos, yo no hubiera conocido a Mefisto, y sin Mefisto mi vida no sería la misma, lean este muy buen tabique y chequen el dato Mefisto, (me acuerdo de mi hermano)
Un libro magnífico........1999-03-23
Creo que Milan Kundera es el más grande escritor contemporaneo. Este libro es simplemente genial y te recomiendo que lo leas.
Average customer rating:
|
Die Unertragliche Leichtigkeit des Seins...The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Milan Kundera
Manufacturer: Distribooks Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
German
| Foreign Language Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
German
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| German
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Reference
| German
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All German Books
| German
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 3596259924 |
Average customer rating:
|
The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
Milan; Translated from the Czech by Heim, Michael Henry Kundera
Manufacturer: Perennial / Harper-collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SL12LC |
Books:
- Sons and Lovers (Penguin Popular Classics)
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being
- Deathstalker Coda (Gollancz SF S.)
- Story of the Eye (Penguin Modern Classics)
- Dirt Music
- Echoes of Yesterday
- Ancestral Vices
- The Smiling School for Calvinists
- The Plague (Essential.penguin S.)
- Blindness (Panther S.)
Books
