The Unbearable Lightness of Being

International Bestseller • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction

“Far more than a conventional novel. It is a meditation on life, on the erotic, on the nature of men and women and love . . . full of telling details, truths large and small, to which just about every reader will respond.” — People

In The Unbearable Lightness of Being, acclaimed author Milan Kundera tells the story of two couples: a young woman in love with a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing, and one of his mistresses and her humbly faithful lover. 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.

This magnificent novel is a story of passion and politics, infidelity and ideas, and encompasses the extremes of comedy and tragedy, illuminating all aspects of human existence.

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320 pages

Average rating: 7.55

31 RATINGS

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1 REVIEW

Community Reviews

Anonymous
Dec 27, 2023
10/10 stars
I have read this book many times, but it's been nearly 20 years since I last read it. I really love the writing in this book. I love the sadness, insecurity and honesty of the characters. I think it's so beautifully done. This time I listened to it as an audio book and it was just as good. There are a couple of times toward the end of the book where the narrator talks about the novel and it's particularly interesting "hearing" it rather than reading it.

I will read this book again, and I won't wait 20 years to do it!!!

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