The Joke
Milan Kundera
1967
Around 370 pages
600!! We are definitely over the hump and the end is *somewhat* in sight. It's not always easy slogging through some of the clunkers on the List, and it's even harder to come up with something to post about for the complete snores. So this is definitely a milestone worth celebrating, and here's to 401 more posts!
Ludvik Jahn was a popular student who supported the communist regime in college. He made a joke to a female classmate after she raved about the healthy spirit of young Marxists, by replying "Optimism is the opium of mankind! A healthy spirit stinks of stupidity! Long live Trotsky!" The Party isn't exactly known for their sense of humor, so he is expelled from school. This means he also has to serve in the Czech military, since he lost his student exemption. So one joke causes his life to careen off in an unexpected way. I'm sure this is a very relatable fear, even without an oppressive government, since we can all easily ruin our lives by posting one dumb comment on social media.
I like Kundera, he has a really good sense of humor. He cares about his characters, even the ones he chooses to humiliate. I'm excited to explore his other novels on the List.
RATING: ****-
Interesting Facts:
Banned in 1968 when the Soviet Union invaded and crushed the Prague Spring.
UP NEXT: Pilgrimage by Dorothy Richardson
2 comments:
Again. I will need to read this one. I love being able to pick and choose books from this list. I admire your stamina reading all of them!
I am back because I just finished this book. I really enjoyed it. I am fascinated by the stories that show how the world was in the forties. That was a very strange time. I thought it a bit too long, but maybe that's why I feel like I know the characters and time well. I'm glad I read it!
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