The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

By: Milan Kundera

"a lesson that 'to laugh is to live profoundly'"

Published in 1979 soon after Kundera’s escape from behind the iron curtain in today Czech Republic, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting provides a fascinating perspective on love, relationships, philosophy, poetry, and personal struggles. Accomplished in seven separate stories with the overarching title themes, Kundera combines a reflection on history and a unique viewpoint to create an enjoyable and fast read.

Written for an older audience with often raw and blunt language, Kundera’s humor and attitude draws readers to a different culture within the first few pages. Be open to a different understanding of life and soak up the atmosphere as you walk through the cobblestone streets of Prague with a character.

Follow Mirek as he hopes to settle his life before being arrested; Marketa, Karel, and Eva’s complicated relationship when a mother-in-law visits; the enduring love of an exiled Tamina; Kundera’s time as a secret writer; Kristyna and the student; and the Clevis family.

A warning to those wanting to erase the memories of an undesirable time, and a lesson that “to laugh is to live profoundly.”

-Caroline C.