The Unbearable Lightness of Being

I just finished reading Milan Kundera's novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Paige suggested the book, and I trust her literary judgment, so...

Kundera's style reminds me a lot of John Irving, who is one of my favorite authors. Where they differ is Kundera's philosophy sprinkled liberally throughout the book. It made the reading more challenging and more interesting. The original two printings were Czech, and it wasn't translated to English until 1999, four years after the original. The translation coupled with the German explanations reminded me a great deal of living in Germany, and thinking through what the German phrases might have meant literally and figuratively in English. It's challenging, but it lets the reader ponder more than one possible explanation.

Anyway, the title refers to the idea that since we only live once, we usually don't make a very substantial mark on the world or on history. If we had a chance to live twice or more and remember our past decisions, then our lives would have more gravity. It's true with all decisions, I think. We chose a mate, a career, to have kids or not, all based on the information we have on hand, which is normally not much. The book could also be called "Hindsight is 20/20" You do the best you can with what you have and then live to work out the consequences to your best advantage.

Though this was not one of my favorite books, I really enjoyed it, and feel better equipped for life for having read it. This is fiction that can make a difference.