The Festival of Insignificance

Nothing to dislike

The latest and probably the last novel of Milan Kundera is a very short work at just 130 pages. Though admittedly not upto the quality of The Unbearable or Immortality, the book is still easily recognisable for a fan of his work. His ability to take up the most trivial of human affairs and use it brilliantly illuminate our modern condition stands out. Non-fans may want to wait for a cheaper paperback edition, but a diehard Kundera fan like me can hardly wait. There's not another writer in this world I would pay 600 bucks to read 130 pages of.

After months of having sat sedately on my shelf, the book finally found its way into my December reading list. It was refreshing to read a book by Milan Kundera after almost a year or so. Like all his other books, this book encompasses Kundera’s wisdom and profound thoughts that percolate the little/grand events of our lives. Having introduced his heroes, Kundera sets out to explore the questions of eroticism, meanings, representations, history, relationships, and choices one makes in life. In a span of hundred pages, he lets his characters unravel themselves through introspection, lies, jokes, sickness, theatre and story-telling. In this book, Kundera artfully searches for the meaning of existence, to locate what it means to exist. He makes the reader question- Is existence the grand truths of our lives? Is existence the wider reality we share with each other? What is this existence? Where does it lie? Can we ever understand existence while existing in this reality? Or is it a festival we celebrate?

This is definitely unlike Milan Kundera. Obsession of women's navel being an erotic symbol, attractiveness of insignificance, Stalin and his story of 24 partridges get so convoluted and boring I just didnt know what to do with this book. Recommend to give it a pass. His other works - Immortality, The Unbearable Lightness of Being are top shelf.

Kundera at its best in smoothly depicting varied characters with their flaws and idiosyncracies.

Excellent

Milan Kundra a master writer at his best.

Worth reading.

Enjoyed this book,a mixture of affection and wit, peppered with real objective, politics ! If you have not read Kundera then you should but read the story of his life and understand where he is co.omg from! Enjoy!

This recent book by Kundera was hard to put down. It is short and I savoured the absurdity of the narrative and style. This little gem is well worth adding to your Kundera collection.

Excelente libro de Milan Kundera! Me sacó las más insospechadas risas. Lo compré en inglés para practicar mi lectura y fortalecer mi comprensión del idioma inglés. Lo recomiendo ampliamente. El único detalle es que llego algo maltratado...

This is a provocative, intellectual novel that any fan of Kundera will appreciate and probably read twice, as I did. He is ever-aware of life's pitfalls and connections. I have always found him interesting and compelling.

Spiritoso, bel linguaggio poetico e ricco di aspetti umani con tutte le sue fragilità. Conferma la linea dei romanzi precedenti.