Product Description

A budding poet and his adoring mother are the central characters of this early novel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #181210 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-04
• Original language: Czech
• Binding: Paperback
• 311 pages

Review
The self-deprecation and political cynicism of the Czech writers of Kundera's middle-aged generation appear as fine ironies in this novel about a young poet. It is a remarkable study of an artist dominated by his mother and his narcissism. Jaromil was the exclusive property of his mother from the time of his conception (she wanted to name him Apollo, meaning fatherless) to his early death - the final reconciliation to his mother's embrace. The discovery that words brought magic approbation from Maman and her friends made Jaromil a poet; the desire to achieve manhood made him a Party poet, zealously censoring his betters and relishing the poetry evening at the police academy. How his mother engulfed his Communism and his love affairs could trove been mere if very funny farce, but Kundera also mobilizes a strain of real tenderness, even for Maman, which was not found in the short stories of Laughable Loves (appearing simultaneously). The dramatization of self-dramatization, the light but brutal explicitness about the egoism of love and mother-love, make this a work of instruction in the good, old sense. Winner of a 1973 Medicis Literary Award. (Kirkus Reviews)

Customer Reviews

A beautiful and thought-provoking book that should be better known
Written shortly after the Prague Spring of 1967, this is a neglected masterpiece. While keeping the focus away from the dismal political drama that was unfolding in his country, there is no doubt that every page of this book is imbued with the darkness of the period. At the same time, it is amazing to reflect on the power thet poetry enjoyed in those days - poems could be acts of defiance, rebellion, betrayal or capitulation in a way that would be inconceivable in our consumption obsessed culture.

Kundera's protagonists are not unsympathetic at all, but nor do they invite quick and simple identification and empathy. They are portrayed in all their complexity, ambivalence and looming madness. The book has several unexpected and throughly convincing turns and Kundera's weaving of incidents and stories from different poets (most of whom died young) in his narrative is very skillful.

A wonderful novel then, though one that yields its secrets slowly to the patient reader.

Kundera's forgotten gem
Milan Kundera is an author whose style is so unique and idiosyncratic that you will either love him or hate him. I am firmly in the first category. The psychological examination which he puts his characters through dissects their personas to such a magnificent extent as to believe they are real people. In this novel, one of his lesser known early books, Kundera examines the life of a poet, from the time of his conception, to his untimely death. Against the backdrop of Czechoslovakia's struggle with Communism, the young poet searches for a way to fit into this ever changing world. But in this book it is the poet's alter-ego Xavier - a chameleonic character who emerges from one dream into another, never waking to the awful struggles of reality - who is the touch of genius, living the fantasy life that the poet can only dream of. If you love Milan Kundera then search this little gem out, you will find few better examinations of the literary psyche.

Life Is elsewhere, indeed
LIE is about a poet who is spoilt, infantile and ultimatly a failure. Set against a back-drop of communist Czechoslovakia our (anti?) hero is in a dilemma over whether to write what he wants or what the regime demands. In this respect Kundera seems to be using the story in total as a cipher for these political events.
The communist element is definalty the most interesting theme to the book and gives it a sense of place and purpose that it would otherwise lack- politics also adds to the sense of gloom and despair that permeates the story.
Unfortunatly none of the characters are likable, especially the main protagonist. Kundera, always shaky when portraying women makes an embarassng hash of the mother of the piece which is quite mysoginistic and unrealistic in turns. In fact all of his characters don't seem to inhabit the real world and none of them are remotly engaging. The story line suffers dreadfully from a lack of direction and the end is an anti-climax.
Kundera's more famous work- The Unbearable Lightness of Being- is a far more satisfying read and I would strongly suggest trying that before any of his other work. This is the kind of book to read if it finds its way onto your bookcase but not one, in my opinion, to go out and buy.
For fans of Kundera and his type only.