A review by ziggyreadz
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i loved this book. definitely not for everyone — i would read it if you enjoy books that are about people living their lives in complex ways. there isn’t a lot of “plot” — it’s all about the characters and how they feel about themselves, each other, their bodies, their lives, their countries. it is a fascinating read. 

i think the relationships between the characters really make this book. they’re so messed up and deeply strange, yet resonant and complex. i feel like i think about people differently now.

i don’t want to say too much because i think it’s best to go into this book blind like i did, but it’s extremely compelling. the way Kundera weaves so many disparate strands of the human experience together is astounding.

i had to read this for a class, but the book was so good that that didn’t ruin my enjoyment of it.

i will say that the book definitely plays with period-typical sexism quite a bit. the perspectives of the male characters are suffocating at times, but i think that the female characters interact with this dynamic in (sad and) interesting ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship

Moderate: War