The Unbearable Lightness of Being [Key Word: Unbearable]

[Lilias]

Aw, this is one of my favorite books ever despite it making me cry in public on a subway during rush hour. o man. I've also been called contrived, soulless, meandering, egotistical AND overrated- I'm pretty sure of it- so it makes sense that I would like this book. But I like Camus and am head over heels for Stewart so what can I say.

[Nathan]

Somehow this book turned me off of sex. I can't explain it, but I've been celibate for years now since reading it. It somehow convinced me that the human race must be stopped at all costs. That's what this book taught me.

Yes, it was dross.

NC

[Lilias]

It's hard for me to articulate why I love a book. I either feel it or I don't. Obviously this one moved4e5? I 34can certainly see why someone would not like him, but he's my kind of guy even if he 4oes occasionally make me roll my eyes. dfhe's asking for that ... but just understanding him. He writes about life the way I see it, and that's a rare thing for me to find.

I'm sorry if you fbe talked into liking a book. I certainly have disliked bo546 that most other people fawn over like its the333ir dfjust like my opinion man."

[Laurel]

this is my review of this book:

ugh. it could have been great without the philosophy 101 crap in
the last quarter of the book. cringe-worthy, over-rated drivel. it's,
like, deep and stuff. if you're 16 and bored.

and his essays are so good! he should stick with that.

[MaryAnna]

I couldn't get through the book. I tried three times. Just couldn't get through it...

[Daniela]

I have been truly wondering if there is anyone who might dislike Kundera. Here you are...! I can't see what's not to like, I read it in 8 hours (in the communist times, we only had ONE copy and each person was allotted a limited period of time) and wish I started all over again. You find some far-fetched similarities with camus and call Kundera pretentious, he's anything BUT that. I remember a Czech woman (who called herself) a feminist literary critic judged Kundera as been mysogynistic because his utterances are 'constantives' (sic! instead of 'constatives') not 'performatives'. Why such preposterous trouvailles, folks?

[Mark]

I think it's perfectly fine if somebody doesn't like Kundera's writing. To each his/her own. I tried his books and the sex was interesting, but the rest I thought Updike could have done better. Oh yeah, that's a major slam on Kundera's writing. Note, I say his writing, not him personally. I don't know him personally, so I don't know if I like him or not, but I don't think his writing is all that good. And, as Jack Handy would have said, that's okay.

[Jason]

I'm not touching this balogna (but I do so love baloney!) with a ten foot stick. Thanks for the stimulating conversation. The world is not so black and white. Too bad no one else had anything to say...

Thanks for the recommendations, Norm. As far as Czech lit goes, I'd say they're stronger in the playwriting area, though there is still that quintissential Czechiness to all their work. Here's a country that elected a writer as their first democratic president! Anything by him (Vaclav Havel) is highly recommended (for those who enjoy absurd social commentary). "R.U.R." by Karel Capek invents the word "robot" and is quite ahead of its time for the 1920s (for the sci-fi buffs). "Tales of Ordinary Madness" (title cribbed from a Bukowski book) by Peter Zelenka was written this century and is sort of a cross between Kundera, Woody Alan, and Seinfeld (for everyone else).

cheers.

[Kate]

Hello critics. Nice thread -- to an extent. I am not down with the personal attacks in this group, and so I am deleting posts to this thread that stirke me as offensive or hostile. Sorry, but the rules are clearly stated. A shame, too, since there is a lot of good lit crit. Oh well.


- The Moderator

[Jason]

i can only speak for myself, but i was not offended by anything. however, this is the discourse we are operating under and so i must shrug and say "so long, chomsky." just goes to show that tone, rather than content is what people pay attention to (whether this is a good thing or not is a matter for another thread).

"Truth can never be told so as to be understood and not be believed."

[Dianna]

I wanted to put my 2 cents worth into this interesting discussion. I think I will read ULOB now to see what all the bruh ha ha is about!

I have enjoyed reading this particular thread and have to say that you all seem quite intelligent and stimulating. Thanks!

I love Chomsky... (he he...my own warped sense of humor here about ellipses...I like them...ha ha)

I loved the movie "Unbearable Lightness of Being" but it was strange. I have noticed that not everyone likes things that are strange and different like I do.

Oh, I had a big long train of thought but my family is demanding food and banging balls on the outside walls of the house so I can't think.

I hope to see more intelligent discussion in the future. Oh, by the way I got banned from another chat community because people could not understand my use of irony on the internet. Whether on the internet or in real life, irony is underappreciated, in my humble opinion.

[Dianna]

I just realized that my comment about irony doesn't make sense because half the stuff got deleted. Anyway, that is sad that the discussion had to be deleted; I didn't really notice too much personal attacking, I just noticed two people who are passionate about what they believe and disagree.

[Kate]

Hi ME and all,

I was sad to lose the posts, too. Unfortunately some people were uncomfortable with the tone and were avoiding this group because of it. As the moderator, I want everyone to feel welcome to come and join in the discussion. I realize that I may not have been explicit enough about the rules of the group, so I will be sure to amend the group profile. It's important to me to maintain a tone of friendly debate. Though this thread had not descended into, say, namecalling, there was too much "how could you think xyz" and snideness. Controversial is fine; nasty is not. I mean this place to be for literary criticism only -- any criticism of individuals or of their taste should be taken elsewhere. I hope you will stay and play.

Best,
Kate

[Kate]

ME,

I have been thinking about it and I'm sorry for deleting the posts without warning. I can appreciate that you were enjoying each other, and certainly the actual literary debate was strong. I'm sorry for not giving a head's up in time for you to save your exchange.

Kate

[Dianna]

Kate, I do appreciate your stand as moderator. If people were coming to you saying they felt uncomfortable with the discussion I can understand why you thought it best to delete certain exchanges. I also appreciate your willingness to say that there will be more warning next time. Like I said, I didn't read anything extremely negative and I saw some very lively debate. I did not see the 'f' word myself; though I am difficult to offend with things like that I can see how someone might have been offended.

Sadly, I have noticed in my 42 short years that when any real intellectual or thought-provoking dialogue gets started in one group or another (whether it be on the internet or in real life) it seems like someoene must always come forward and put a stop to it because they are "uncomfortable?" I think, for the most part, too many people are just uncomfortable with thinking in general.

I did hope a site dedicated to bibliophilia would be different. I could say to those who are "uncomfortable"... "you don't have to particpate in or read what you don't like. In fact, I often skim over posts that I don't find interesting.

[Norman]

Wow! I am gobsmacked (dumbfounded) to open this thread and find so many stimulating arguments have been deleted! Mary E. is right on in the post above - if someone was concerned about our posts, why wasn't this mentioned BEFORE the posts were deleted? Ironically, this thread has become a warped version not unlike what was happening to intellectuals and writers during the 1960's - 1980's in Czechoslovakia! Suddenly...BOOM...Big Brother (who you weren't even aware was watching) is knocking on your door. Will our names be effaced from Goodreads and all will pretend that our discussion never happened?

Now I am wondering how long the post I am presently writing will last. Let's see, right now in Jakarta it is 10.55 am, November 9. I'll assume the first 5 minutes are safe and start my timer at 11 am.

[Norman]

One hour and a half and still posted! (It must be the wrong time zone in BB's part of the world.)

Anyway, Kate, I scrolled back up the page and was somewhat mollified by your admission that you could have allowed a bit of lead time before your blue pen...well scissors, actually...came unsheathed and obliterated our comments. I sincerely hope this will be the case in future, because I was doing my best (and I think others were as well) to keep the argument on an intellectual level...but without being stiffly formal or completely lacking a sense of humor.

We all have different styles of argumentation, and I was neither offended nor intimidated by any of the posts. It is not an attack on a person if you attack their style of logic (or lack thereof), or question their use of quotes from other 'authorities' be it the Bible, the Koran, Noam Chomsky, or Bill Shakespeare. No one called anyone else 'stupid' or 'evil' or even 'foul-mouthed', and all of us were enjoying this heated debate.

Please warn me in future if you are about to delete one of my comments, and if possible let me know exactly where I am going astray beforehand.