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surdiablo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I detested more than half of this book, enough to the point that regardless of the last two parts not being completely terrible, I'm going with a 1-star after mulling on it for a while. This is one of those books where I didn't vibe with the writing style/choices in general, and thought it would have greatly benefitted from sticking to some specific topic, rather than being all over the place. Kundera's writing gave me this constant ick which I only tend to feel when authors' questionable views seep into their works, and lo and behold, he says this during the meta-commentary: 'The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities.' which unfortunately confirmed my fears. 🤣
This book reeks of misogyny and features a toxic miserable relationship that goes nowhere. He tries his hand at some philosophy and political commentary, which came off as pretentious and r/Im14andthisisdeep material, rather than anything profound. Some of the excessive and distasteful events or descriptions seemed to me as if the author was fulfilling his lascivious fantasies through these characters, or simply being gratuitous. I don't know if something was lost in translation but it became rather unbearable indeed with the constant focus on sex for the majority of the book. I don't mind reading about shitty characters or sex, but the way Kundera handles it and the things he focuses on.. It just rubs me the wrong way if that makes sense... I didn't care much about the characters with their unnatural inner monologue, although Teresa's traumatic upbringing was well-written.
Kundera occasionally draws conclusions by linking unrelated elements, which can seem illogical, even though they're presented as if they naturally fit together. This can leave the reader feeling perplexed often (The relation between Teresa's bowler hat and violence for example). It adds a lot to that pretentiousness I mentioned earlier. The political plot was comparatively enjoyable, but there wasn't enough of it and what existed felt rather basic. I have never been a fan of the author telling me what to think or feel, so that didn't help either. At the end of the day, if you ask me Do you feel like you gained anything reading this book?, my answer would be no. I didn't care for his thoughts or insight, and the parts I didn't hate seem forgettable now after all this time, while the irritation remains.
P.S. Kundera definitely has a poop fetish... Oh, and don't read this book if you haven't read Anna Karenina and don't want its ending spoiled.
This book reeks of misogyny and features a toxic miserable relationship that goes nowhere. He tries his hand at some philosophy and political commentary, which came off as pretentious and r/Im14andthisisdeep material, rather than anything profound. Some of the excessive and distasteful events or descriptions seemed to me as if the author was fulfilling his lascivious fantasies through these characters, or simply being gratuitous. I don't know if something was lost in translation but it became rather unbearable indeed with the constant focus on sex for the majority of the book. I don't mind reading about shitty characters or sex, but the way Kundera handles it and the things he focuses on.. It just rubs me the wrong way if that makes sense... I didn't care much about the characters with their unnatural inner monologue, although Teresa's traumatic upbringing was well-written.
Kundera occasionally draws conclusions by linking unrelated elements, which can seem illogical, even though they're presented as if they naturally fit together. This can leave the reader feeling perplexed often (The relation between Teresa's bowler hat and violence for example). It adds a lot to that pretentiousness I mentioned earlier. The political plot was comparatively enjoyable, but there wasn't enough of it and what existed felt rather basic. I have never been a fan of the author telling me what to think or feel, so that didn't help either. At the end of the day, if you ask me Do you feel like you gained anything reading this book?, my answer would be no. I didn't care for his thoughts or insight, and the parts I didn't hate seem forgettable now after all this time, while the irritation remains.
P.S. Kundera definitely has a poop fetish... Oh, and don't read this book if you haven't read Anna Karenina and don't want its ending spoiled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Moderate: Excrement and War
Minor: Rape and Death of parent
junglejelly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I've found it quite hard to rate and now review this book. I can see why it's a classic, but it's an odd book for me.
I absolutely adored the characters who were so well written and I felt like I had known them for years (even if they might not be that likeable).
Unbearable is a great delve into how infallible and complex humans are/can be.
I absolutely adored the characters who were so well written and I felt like I had known them for years (even if they might not be that likeable).
Unbearable is a great delve into how infallible and complex humans are/can be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, Car accident, and War
Minor: Violence
crystalline_'s review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Heard a lot of praise for this book, not sure if it lives up to it.
Kundera’s philosophical asides are either intriguing or bizarre. Touching on various topics like kitsch, interpersonal relationships and freedom/distance, body image, the gaze, duality of body/mind, sex and love, synchronicity, et. al., though his insights aren’t particularly novel.
Each of the primary characters seems to be plagued by their unique mixture of some of those questions.
For the story, the plot is non-linear but I found it relatively easy to follow, save for a few dream sequences which it took me awhile to recognize as being dreams. Various events of the Prague Spring and some
communist revolutions play in the background, though the plot otherwise moves pretty slowly. Most of the focus is on the relationships between the characters or their internal reflection.
As for the likeableness of the characters —
Infidelity is a huge theme here with pretty much everyone. Tomas is such an unbearable philanderer that reading passages which focus on him or the relationship between he & Tereza feels tedious and a bit slimy.
The rest have their flaws but seem redeemable. I have heard critiques that the characters, particularly Sabina and Tereza, are flat, but they were actually more interesting to me than Tomas or Franz.
It was an interesting read, varyingly
enjoyable based on the character in whose perspective we’re reading. The style is a little unusual and I wouldn’t recommend it to most people.
Kundera’s philosophical asides are either intriguing or bizarre. Touching on various topics like kitsch, interpersonal relationships and freedom/distance, body image, the gaze, duality of body/mind, sex and love, synchronicity, et. al., though his insights aren’t particularly novel.
Each of the primary characters seems to be plagued by their unique mixture of some of those questions.
For the story, the plot is non-linear but I found it relatively easy to follow, save for a few dream sequences which it took me awhile to recognize as being dreams. Various events of the Prague Spring and some
communist revolutions play in the background, though the plot otherwise moves pretty slowly. Most of the focus is on the relationships between the characters or their internal reflection.
As for the likeableness of the characters —
Infidelity is a huge theme here with pretty much everyone. Tomas is such an unbearable philanderer that reading passages which focus on him or the relationship between he & Tereza feels tedious and a bit slimy.
The rest have their flaws but seem redeemable. I have heard critiques that the characters, particularly Sabina and Tereza, are flat, but they were actually more interesting to me than Tomas or Franz.
It was an interesting read, varyingly
enjoyable based on the character in whose perspective we’re reading. The style is a little unusual and I wouldn’t recommend it to most people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Excrement
valentinedevillefort's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity
iris_garden's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
navayiota's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Not an enjoyable book, but certainly one that has a lot to say. I want to read an analysis of it, because I feel like I have no idea what it was truly about. Very thought provoking though, in many ways...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual assault, Excrement, Car accident, and Alcohol
carmentxx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
my friend told me that this book is quite well known to be pretentious. that annoying philosophers philosophise about it without the slightest clue. and i could see how that’s the case. but really, i think this book is a beautiful and masterful meditation on the tragedy and beauty of human existence. everything we do ultimately leads to nothing, yet we do everything with the utmost self importance. is it that self importance which keeps us living? the studies of the four characters truly felt like meditations on different paths of human life, and i think that is a great achievement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death
perpetually_isolated_being's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"Human life occurs only once, and the reason we cannot determine which of our decisions are good and which bad is that in a given situation we can only make one decision we are not granted a second, third, or fourth life in which to compare various decisions."
Complex yet artistically written, 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' delves into the intricate lives of four individuals (and a dog), weaving a narrative that explores the interconnectedness of their existence against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. This historical event profoundly influences the irreversible choices they make and the consequential burdens they must bear.
The author exhibits a nuanced perspective on the structure of human relationships, delving into their complexities, including the connections with God and nature. Throughout the book, there are moments when the author interrupts the narrative to introduce his own philosophical discussions and meticulously examines each character.
This book is probably one of my most complicated yet insightful reads of this year.
Complex yet artistically written, 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' delves into the intricate lives of four individuals (and a dog), weaving a narrative that explores the interconnectedness of their existence against the backdrop of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. This historical event profoundly influences the irreversible choices they make and the consequential burdens they must bear.
The author exhibits a nuanced perspective on the structure of human relationships, delving into their complexities, including the connections with God and nature. Throughout the book, there are moments when the author interrupts the narrative to introduce his own philosophical discussions and meticulously examines each character.
This book is probably one of my most complicated yet insightful reads of this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
raeviews's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Kundera's writing is so engaging and he is very skilled at weaving together ideas. He was also successful in his blending of philosophical musings and plot. My main gripe with this book is the messaging around gender. Also, he was very ambitious with the sheer amount of ideas he touched upon in this book, and some of them I felt weren't fully developed. I was interested the insight he provided into living through the aftermath of the Prague Spring. Kind of wish there was more about Prague in the book. Overall, though, I found this book to be really enjoyable. Had lots of interesting insights about romantic relationships, family, and politics, and a great narrative voice. There are some scenes in this book that I will definitely remember for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Infidelity, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexism, Police brutality, Abandonment, and War
kajasversion's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I don’t t even know how to begin describing this book. I would dare to say it’s even more traumatising than Saltburn. None of the characters are lovable, every single one makes hurtful and selfish decisions, dragging eachother lower in life than them. Even after studying this book in school I cannot figure out what its point is. To me, it was a waste of my time. I barely made it through and I disagree with the level of praise it has received.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and War