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The Joke

'A very beautiful novel.' (Salman Rushdie)
By Milan Kundera
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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 Joke by Milan Kundera explores themes of personal and political betrayal, focusing on a young man named Ludvik. After a seemingly harmless joke results in severe repercussions, he seeks revenge, reflecting on the intricacies and ironies of life under a totalitarian regime. The narrative delves into individual destinies intertwined with the broader social and political context.
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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 interested in exploring themes of irony, the complexity of personal relationships, and the interplay between political ideology and individual lives. The narrative is rich with wit and philosophical insights, making it a thought-provoking read for those who appreciate intricate character development and the subtle nuances of human experience.

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The Joke, Milan Kundera's first novel, of which Salman Rushdie wrote 'It is impossible to do justice here to the subtleties, comedy and wisdom of this very beautiful novel. The author of The Joke is clearly one of the best to be found anywhere.'

The debut by author of modern classic The Unbearable Lightness of Being, of which Salman Rushdie said: 'It is impossible to do justice here to the subtleties, comedy and wisdom of this very beautiful novel.'

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

The Joke, Milan Kundera's first novel, gained him a huge following in his own country and launched his worldwide literary reputation. In his foreword, Kundera explains why this completely revised translation is the definitive edition of his work.

'It is impossible to do justice here to the subtleties, comedy, and wisdom of this very beautiful novel. The author of The Joke is clearly one of the best to be found anywhere.' Salman Rushdie, Observer

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?

The Joke by Milan Kundera has been described as a thoughtful and intricate novel with an ambivalent nature. It is acknowledged for its depth and the ambition of its storytelling, with some suggesting it has the potential for greatness.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571166930

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 August 2000

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main - Re-issue

Contributors:

  • Translated by Aaron Asher
  • Translated by Michael Henry Heim
  • Translated by Aaron Asher
  • Translated by Michael Henry Heim
  • Translated by Aaron Asher

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 272g

Pages: 336

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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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