elizabethc17 's review for:

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

DID NOT FINISH: 31%

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This book started off okay but it quickly descended into the unbearable realm (I admit that I am exaggerating it because I wanted to make a pun but it really was approaching that realm). From the start, I could not sympathise with the main characters, especially Tomas, and I attributed it to his status as a man (which admittedly is part of the reason why and would require a separate review), but this sentiment was also echoed in Teresa's and Sabina's chapters. I think the author tried too hard to make meaning out of nothing and it really showed. It came off as pretentious, and was exacerbated by the fact that the characters were not as well fleshed out as they should be in order to make me sympathise with them. However, I can also acknowledge that this might be the author's goal but it was still really difficult for me to resonate with a lot of the things that were brought up (which was one of the things I hoped I'd be able to do given the premise of the book). I could have powered through it but that would take some semblance of effort which I would prefer to exert on other things (like starting The Maniac). Overall, extremely overrated and I have similar testimonies from others to back it up.