A review by chaneywrites
The Farewell Party by Milan Kundera

4.0

The Farewell Party is more approachable than many of Milan Kundera's other works. He still uses the novel as a way to ponder deeper issues concerning humanity and a human's place in the greater world along with the undertones of government repression that appear in many of his works. However, unlike some of his other shorter novels, the ideas do not weigh down the flow of the narrative itself.
There are virtually no characters to like in this novel as all written with the flaws of their humanity on their sleeves and it is these exact flaws that drive most of the farce of the story forward. The tight construction on the narrative moves propels the narrative forward and I didn't notice the pages flying by until about ten from the end.
Each character deals with the imposing behemoth of a controlling state, which in this novel is only alluded to by character's actions rather than by actual representation. In this way, each character shows how they respond to a lack of control in their lives and how one of the common denominators of life, love, can be wielded as a tool to try and exert control over one's fate.
Overall, this is an enjoyable short novel that fans of Milan Kundera will enjoy.