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- Author: Milan Kundera
- Genre: Literary Fiction
- Publication Date: 1984
- Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
- Pages: 320 (Harper trade paperback)
- ISBN 0060932139 (Harper trade paperback)
- Adaptations: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (film)
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Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being explores the lives and relationships of artists and intellectuals in the years before and after the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia.
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Plot Synopsis
The Unbearable Lightness of Being follows the interconnected lives of four Czechs. Each struggles with the "lightness" and "heaviness" of life, and each must face the consequences of their chosen approach to dealing with that dichotomy. The story orbits Tomáš, a doctor who masks his frustrations with politics (heaviness) by engaging in sexual affairs (lightness.) He is in love with one woman, Tereza, who cannot reconcile Tomáš' womanizing with the fidelity (heaviness) she needs. Tomáš best friend and mistress, Sabrina, attempts to embrace lightness through her self-defined war on kitsch, but struggles with her puritanical past. Finally, Sabrina's lover Franz wishes to escape the heaviness of his life of by participating in political protests and casting Sabrina as a tragic Russian dissident -- a role she rejects.Critical Reception
Upon its publication in the United States, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Kundera's book was widely praised. Vanity Fair claimed, "Kundera has raised the novel of ideas to a new level of dreamlike lyricism ..." The New York Review of Books called it "a work of the boldest mastery, originality, and richness."
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The Unbearable Lightness of Being Questions
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What is light? 1 AnswerLight is a form of electromagnetic radiation, particularly radiation of a wavelength that is visible to the human eye. To understand light, we need to understan... read more -
Does the energy use of a light with a dimmer switch vary with the lights brightness? 1 AnswerYes, it uses less power. From Popular Mechanics: "Dimmer switches save energy by switching the light on and off 120 times per second, which reduces the energy m... read more -
When is the last episode of Guiding Light? 3 AnswersThe last episode of the Guiding Light will run on September 18, 2009, ending a 72 year run. CBS has not explained the cancellation, but the show has low ratings... read more
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