The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Author:	Milan Kundera

I certainly did not expect this book to be this kind of book. It was way too intellectual for me. I was never updated with all the revolutionary invasions happening in the Czech Republic and Soviet Russia, I don’t know anything about exitensialism, I didn’t know the story of Oedipus (I just know the Oedipus complex), I am not familiar with Beethoven music.. I probably would have recognized a tune or two but to know the titles?? Not me! I don’t know the concept of kitch, I don’t know how Communism really works, I have a vague idea, but not the real deal. (Really? Do I know anything at all?)

Given that state of mind, that’s how I started when I began reading the book. The unbearable lightness of being does not delve much into the plot, but on the reflections on each though or movement of each character. It’s like the plot is just a way for you to know the four major characters in this book. Stripped of the thoughts and reflections on lightness and heaviness, the plot would be as simple as.. “I walked down the street and bought groceries.” That’s how simple it was. Halfway through the book you’ll already know what becomes of our protagonists, but you’ll read it not for what will happen, but what were they thinking before it happened? Where they happy?

I’ve never cried for an animal dying in any kind of book. But I cried for Karenin here, the dog of Tomas and Tereza. It was, I think the saddest part of the book.
Also while reading the book, I felt like watching a French art film. Why? Because for every thing that happens there’s this whole virtual metaphor explaining what’s happened. There’s this metaphor feast in terms of Tereza’s dreams or sometimes Tomas’ thoughts and comparisons. But as a read them all, everything became more and more interesting. All these thoughts and points of view are new to me.
What is the unbearable lightness of being? The author says that we only have one life. So every decision that we make is inexperienced. And we’ll never know if that decision we made is the right one because we do not have a different life to compare it to. Every moment only happens once. Then he compares heaviness with lightness . Heaviness in an image of life’s intense fulfillment while the absence of weight/heaviness let’s man be free. He becomes light, insignificant, meaningless. Thus is unbearable to live only one life and have this lightness making your one life insignificant.

I’ve also liked how the author compared the life of Oedipus in the story. The set is the Russians are invading Prague. Much like in the Marcos regime, there were so many political prisoners. The free thinkers and journalists were thrown in prison. The Intellectuals where stripped of their jobs. Everyone had to be very careful on what they said, if you make the slightest error, it’ll be your demise. But to the communists, they think that mean well for the people. They do not believe that they are making the people suffer. They are just trying to make the world a better place, a place with equality and happiness.

So, back to Oedipus, in a nutshell, he was the king of Thebes. Oedipus’ story was that he killed his father and married his mother (had four children with her) without knowing about it. Then a plague came, and they found out his true origins. He could not bear what he’d done so he blinded himself and when to the forest and soon died. His mom, also killed herself. The question is , should he punish himself? Even if he didn’t know that it was his father that he killed and mother that he loved? They even compared this to what Jesus said upon crucifixion, “Forgive them, for they do not what they are doing”. It was said in t he book, that you still have to take responsibility, like the communists, they should not hide behind their ignorance. And yet, punishing the ignorant is also barbaric!
I forgot to mention the other two characters, Sabina and Franz. All in all, it was a very short book, it got a little boring, but all the ideas, some a blasphemous, are very interesting and intriguing. I think I’m going to watch the movie!


Short Summary:
Tomas a womanizer falls in love with Tereza. Although still not abandoning his womanizing ways they married. Prague turmoil starts so they move to Switzerland. Tereza could not bear it there so she goes back to Prague, Tomas follows. Tomas then writes this article attacking the communist and lost his job as a surgeon because of it. He started washing windows and Tereza worked as a bar tender. In the end, they moved to the country and found true love. Although they both died in a car accident.

Sabina, on of Tomas’ lovers is a painter. She started from Prague, moved to Switzerland where she met Franz, moved to Paris and then to America. Her life is a life of unending betrayals. When Franz finally left his wife for Sabina, she left him alone.