The Joke (Definitive Version)

by Milan Kundera

Book Overview

"A thoughtful, intricate, ambivalent novel with the reach of greatness in it." --John Updike"It is impossible to do justice here to the subtleties, comedy, and wisdom of this very beautiful novel.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006099505X
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

political or not

At the end of the French edition I have there is a short comment of the author about the history of The Joke, including its interdiction in Czechoslovakia and the bad translations it had to go through afterwards. And finally, Kundera seems to feel relieved that now, when everyone forgot about the invasion of his home country, his readers don't see The Joke as a political novel, but simply as a novel. Indeed, some of the reviewers on this site needed to mention that "one does not have to have a particular political interest to enjoy this book", "The Joke is, frankly, not very political" and I simply wonder why such a fear of the political. No doubt, Kundera is way beyond a simple journalist describing life behind the Iron curtain. But why would a romance or science fiction novel or even a "just novel" be better than a political one? Take the political out of The Joke and we're left with an absurd novel. An unexplainable and ridiculous trouble over a post card, the hard life of a worker in the coal mines, where he has to stay for unclear reasons, a "stupid" young lady who doesn't seem to understand a man's idea of love and an equally stupid hateful sex affair which pushes another na?ve woman to suicide. Young, modern Miss Brozova, to whom Zemanek's and Ludvik's past were equally blameable, aberrant and indifferent, was thinking the same way. I have asked someone about the movie made after The Unbearable lightness of being and all I heard was some vague memory of a few hot sex scenes. I have the feeling that both books are reduced to that in the view of many readers and it's a pity. If this is what we are looking for, I would recommend Pascal Bruckner - Bitter Moon: it's brilliant and no trace of politics mixed with sex. The Joke is a masterpiece which combines them. And the postcard is only a minor but well chosen example of the many possible "jokes" of a regime. Kostka, the religious, didn't have to be caught with any postcards to get in trouble and his life is not any less a bitter joke. He tried, humble, the impossible reconciliation of his belief in God with the communist fatalities and still lost. Jaroslav, the folklore lover, tried a similar adaptation and ended up in an ambulance. Their lives, the romance, the sex, are all influenced by political circumstances, more or less directly. Which is why it's simplistic to judge them or Ludvik for his hate, need for revenge and incapability to forget, or the whole situation as a result of a badly misunderstood joke on a postcard. Isn't it why we love Kundera? Because he explains it so well and encourages us not to be simplistic? Some said they found in the book many problems any of us can have at some point in life. Since the "some" come mainly from a democratic USA, I have serious doubts. And serious hopes that no one will ever have such problems. Unless, of course, we are talking about girls refusing to sleep with guys, the masks and stupidities of young age, rape, hate, revenge - all of

Kundera?s first novel, and maybe one of his best.

After reading several books by Kundera -one of my favorite authors-, I decided to try his first novel, "The Joke". Because it's the first one, its natural that the style would differ from his latest production...however, the author is the same and the style is similar in all of his work, he explores human thoughts and emotions beautifully, maybe not in a such profound way like Dostoievsky or Hesse, but close enough to be in the same league.If you want a detail of the plot (I personally don't like to do that before reading a book), you will probably find that in other reviews, I'll just said that the story is about a man that lost all of his achievements just for a misunderstanding, a joke that was not well received in a communism society. Kundera explores the thoughts of this man (in several time periods of his life), but also takes other characters and gives them a protagonic level (the story is written in first person, in the view of all of the characters). The book gets more and more interesting as it develops, and the climax is at the end, the last 50 pages are brilliant. A dramatic story with a great end.Five stars for the way Kundera allow readers to get to know and love his characters.....brilliant narrative, brilliant book.

Beautiful, original and moving.

This was my first experience of a Kundera novel, and I now find myself in awe of this brilliant writer. This cleverly constructed book unfolds gently and gradually to reveal the complexities of the characters involved, all of whom appear to be victims of circumstance. It explores the natural human desire for freedom, happiness, love and mutual understanding. Although the environment may in part stunt these potentials, it is mostly a person's own inner turmoils and imagination that destroys their ability to find happiness. At times I shed tears at the tragedy of the human condition, but also at the sheer eloquence and profundity of Kundera's thoughts. The main characters, whether male or female, are narrated in the first person, which reveals the author's great capacity for empathy, and writing skill in making these transitions believable. Surprisingly, there is often a delightful, underlying humour within the tragedy, perhaps a little like life itself.

A Mystical Thread

In the very first part of The Joke, Kundera begins setting up character types using contrasting religious affiliations. Kostka is the most obvious and continuous religious reference. He not only adheres to Christianity, but to Communism as well. He achieves this contradictory blend of beliefs through a process of rationalization in which everything relates back to God's greater design. Kostka rationalizes most things in his life and in the world around him as God's will. Unable to come to grips with his own image as a seducer, he conveniently clings to the religious notions of martyrship and absolution for sin. While unknowingly adhering to rational thought, Kostka criticizes rationalism as the corrosive force of both Christianity and Communism throughout history. In his final segment, Kostka's false piety is revealed as he suddenly doubts his faith in God and calls out in futility.In this crowning moment of Kostka's development, Kundera is clearly having the last laugh. He seems to be telling us that it is not so easy and obvious to find God. Kostka is definitely not the image of harmony his name would imply, and, like everyone else, Kostka must struggle to find faith, salvation and comfort. Ludvik's later description of Kostka only confirms this interpretation and Kostka's character, with his dual beliefs, also serves as a platform for Kundera to criticize socialism and its hypocrisy.The character of Jaroslav allows Kundera to express ideas much closer to his heart. Jaroslav's notions about fantasy are centered around an ancient belief common to many faiths that the most holy and true things are the oldest things. Jaroslav believes in archaic bad omens and also in Kismet. His love of illogical folk music, whose rhythm cannot be written down in our notation system is mirrored in Kundera's comments about rhythm in The Art of the Novel. Jaroslav, with his strong feelings for the past, struggles to live in the modern world of his wife and son, because, to him, it is a world devoid of meaning. The Ride of the Kings is his bridge between the two worlds, and when Vladimir blatantly rejects being the King, Jaroslav's fantasy world begins to fall apart.At the same time, Ludvik suddenly beings to change places with Jaroslav. In true mystical Kundera form, Ludvik arrives at his changed state through some inexplicable revelation. From his irrational babbling, Ludvik ultimately arrives at a new faith that renounces the false faith of believing in eternal memory and redressibility and perceives the meaning of life as existing only in the moment. Living in the present, Ludvik is finally able to let go of his past and desire for revenge and find peace with himself.The imagery surrounding the character of Lucie is highly mystical. While not a strong character, Lucie is a stark contrast to Helena, Kundera's ultimate joke and most biting object of satire. Along with all of the magical reference to her, Lucie's life is much like that of the tra

funny and sad and brilliant

Is it "arrogant meanspiritedness", "authorial gracelessness",and "publishing astigmatism" to ask for a reasonable and honest translation? To ask that a translator save his "creative" flights for his own works? I say it is not. I say readers are more likely to be offended at and have a right to be offended at an unfaithful translation (as well as at the Kirkus review above). This is a brilliant book well worth the care Milan Kundera took with it, well worth the care Milan Kundera took with its re-translation. Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.