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The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

'A masterpiece' (Salman Rushdie)
By Milan Kundera
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.95 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 53,394 ratings, 3,275 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera is a complex narrative that interweaves multiple stories, exploring themes of memory, history, and identity. Set against the backdrop of political unrest in Czechoslovakia, the book delves into how personal and political events shape individuals' lives. Through a blend of philosophy, dark humour, and satire, Kundera examines the power of forgetting as a survival mechanism in an oppressive society.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by themes of memory, love, and political history entwined with a touch of surrealism. It offers a rich tapestry of interconnected stories exploring the personal and political landscapes of postwar Czechoslovakia, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate complex narratives with philosophical depth.

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The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera is the most secret of the acclaimed Czech writer's novels. This new translation is the first to be fully authorized by Milan Kundera.

'A masterpiece' (Salman Rushdie) by the author of modern classic The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This book is a novel in the form of variations. The various parts follow each other like the various stages of a voyage leading into the interior of a theme, the interior of a thought, the interior of a single, unique situation the understanding of which recedes from my sight into the distance. It is a book about laughter and about forgetting, about forgetting and about Prague, about Prague and about the angels.

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting is the most secret of Kundera's novels. This new translation is the first to be fully authorized by Milan Kundera.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Milan Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting is hailed for its unique blend of genres, combining elements of fairy tale, literary criticism, political commentary, musicology, and autobiography. This creative fusion is praised for its genius, originality, and witty writing, qualities that captivate and draw readers in with remarkable narrative skill.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571174379

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 May 1996

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main - Re-issue

Contributors:

  • Translated by Aaron Asher
  • Translated by Aaron Asher
  • Translated by Aaron Asher

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 19.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 320

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Milan Kundera

About the Author

Milan Kundera, born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, was a student when the Czech Communist regime was established in 1948, and later worked as a labourer, jazz musician and professor at the Institute for Advanced Cinematographic Studies in Prague. After the Russian invasion in August 1968, his books were proscribed. In 1975, he and his wife settled in France, and in 1981, he became a French citizen. He is the author of the novels The Joke, Life is Elsewhere, Farewell Waltz, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and Immortality, and of the short-story collection Laughable Loves - all originally in Czech. His most recent novels, Slowness, Identity and Ignorance, as well as his non-fiction works The Art of the Novel and Testaments Betrayed, were originally written in French.

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