The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
by Milan Kundera
List Price:
Our Price: $7.77
You Save: $7.22 (48%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.41 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Milan KunderaEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-04-07
ISBN: 0060932147
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Book Reviews of The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
Book Review: "They never understood each other...yet they always agreed."
Summary: 4 Stars
Really a fantastic read, full of originality and some sense of realism. It's essentially a novel comprised of what could be called seven short stories, but interspersed within each story are the author's musings on life, politics, relationships and even autobiographical sketches. The perspectives Kundera provided about living and functioning within the former Czechoslovakia while under communist and Soviet control was, I thought, fascinating. Such perspectives were presented not just through autobiographical presentations, but through each character in each of the stories.
Kundera's examination of relationships, be it the individual's internal relationship with him/herself, or the relations between the individual and other persons, the individual and "the state", or the individual and the whole of humanity were engaging. Kundera's writing and presentation were clear and concise, yet his concepts had great depth. His thoughts/opinions/perspectives gave me many opportunities to ponder life's various aspects. I appreciated that because it too often seems I get too bogged down with life's minutiae to remember to stop and reflect on important things...like how we (humanity) relate to each other.
There are, however, a few sections, seemingly more towards the end, that just flat out border on the bizarre. That being said, it wasn't a major detractor from the overall quality of Kundera's writing.
The only regret I have in reading this book is that I wasn't able to do it simultaneously with a friend who would also value the perspectives, philosophical musings and discussion of human relations that are contained in it. To do so would have led to great conversations while sitting with the friend in the corner of a quiet cafe on a cold, rainy afternoon.
Literary Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literary Books
Island (Perennial Classics)by Aldous Huxley
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2002-07-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Angelsby Marian Keyes
William Morrow; Published: 2002-05-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.16
Price in other shops:
A Tree Grows in Brooklynby Betty Smith
Harper; Published: 2001-11-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.17
Price in other shops:
The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptationby Paulo Coelho
Harper; Published: 2006-07-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.50
Price in other shops:
Boonville: A Novelby Robert Mailer Anderson
Harper Perennial; Published: 2003-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
Carameloby Sandra Cisneros
HarperAudio; Published: 2002-10-01; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Headhunterby Timothy Findley
PERENNIAL PUBLICATIONS; Paperback; Book
The Crimson Petal And The Whiteby Michel Faber
Harcourt, Inc./Harvest; Published: 2003; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.50
Great Expectationsby Charles Dickens
Macmillan Pub Co; Published: 1979-06; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
This Side of Paradiseby Fitzgerald
Scribner Paper Fiction; Published: 1988-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.95
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Palestineby Joe Sacco, Edward Said
Fantagraphics Books; Published: 2002-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.56
Price in other shops:
The Sheltering Sky (P.S.)by Paul Bowles
Ecco; Published: 2005-09-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.51
Price in other shops:
The Art of the Novel (Perennial Classics)by Milan Kundera
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2003-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.61
Price in other shops:
The Book of Chameleons: A Novelby Jose Eduardo Agualusa
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2008-06-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.98
Price in other shops:
Life Is Elsewhereby Milan Kundera, Aaron Asher
Harper Perennial; Published: 2000-07-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.92
Price in other shops:
Laughable Lovesby Milan Kundera
Harper Perennial; Published: 1999-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.81
Price in other shops:
The Joke (Definitive Version)by Milan Kundera
Harper Perennial; Published: 1993-02-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.46
Price in other shops:
Ignorance: A Novelby Milan Kundera
Harper Perennial; Published: 2003-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.70
Price in other shops:
Immortality (Perennial Classics)by Milan Kundera
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 1999-10-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.66
Price in other shops:
The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novelby Milan Kundera
Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Published: 2009-10-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.62
Price in other shops: