The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

A Novel

By: Milan Kundera

Narrated by: Richmond Hoxie

""An absolutely dazzling entertainment. . . . Arousing on every level—political, erotic, intellectual, and above all, humorous."" —Newsweek

""The Book of Laughter and Forgetting calls itself a novel, although it is part fairy tale, part literary criticism, part political tract, part musicology, and part autobiography. It can call itself whatever it wants to, because the whole is genius."" —New York Times

Rich in its stories, characters, and imaginative range, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting is the novel that brought Milan Kundera his first big international success in the late 1970s. Like all his work, it is valuable for far more than its historical implications. In seven wonderfully integrated parts, different aspects of human existence are magnified and reduced, reordered and emphasized, newly examined, analyzed, and experienced.

Brilliant but/and complex,

Narration superb, ideas and questions outstanding, story line... a bit hard to follow, and that gets in the way.

Too Much Authorial Prodding

3.5 stars. I'm aware this is a philosophical novel, important in criticizing the Czech communist regime then in power and, indeed, resulted in that regime's revocation of Kundera's citizenship.

Nonetheless, I cannot in good conscience give a novel 4 or 5 stars on that basis when I dislike the type of author interactivity in a work of fiction that pervades this "novel." That is to say, I have a hard time reading as a story, i.e., enjoying or being vivified by a fictional narrative in which the author repeatedly reminds me that he is making it all up, such as saying why he picked out this name or that and why he decided the character would take off her clothes in a public place or make whoopee with the protagonist or go to an island of misfit 12 year old boys, be made to disrobe then be touched repeatedly and privately as a kind of gross anti-goddess.

Kundera Never Disappoints.

Just amazing. People who don’t appreciate Kundera are to me just simply stupid. Richmond Hoxie gives beautiful life and richness to Kundera’s works of art.

Mostly Forgetting....

Not a rivetting experience for me. But then I though F.Scott was a bit wishy washy because his characters were lost. Maybe that's what I feel here. If you are chasing Kundera to understand him, go ahead. It didn't make a lasting impression on me.

Thoroughly enjoyed

Enjoyed it enough to try more books by the author.
This was my first and I found the characters to share a lot of those weird thoughts we all have that don't share.