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. '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.
Not surprisingly, laughter is an important theme in the book. Kundera portrays how laughter is a form of revolt against oppression. In one scene, characters laugh at a funeral. This irreverent behavior allows them to express disdain for the absurdities of life and the political situation in Europe. In one passage, the narrator explains that laughter is diabolical, claiming that laughter originated when the devil emitted sounds to mock God and his divine creation. Another important theme is forgetting. The narrative portrays how characters struggle to recall private heritage and history, since communist regimes attempt to render all of life public. Characters struggle not to define the future, but to redefine the past by restoring personal and familial memories.
milan kundera the book of laughter and forgetting download free
Milan Kundera's The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1979) is a collection of seven vignettes that explore the lives and loves of individuals living in Western Europe during Russian occupation. The book explores the themes of laughter, forgetting, and human folly. Kundera uses third-person narration and irony in his magical realist narrative, combining fanciful events and a realistic setting. 2ff7e9595c
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