Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera
Milan Kunderais a Czech-born writer who went into exile in France in 1975, and became a naturalised French citizen in 1981. He "sees himself as a French writer and insists his work should be studied as French literature and classified as such in book stores"...
NationalityCzechoslovakian
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth1 April 1929
lying chaos unbearable-lightness-of-being
On the surface, an intelligible lie; underneath, the unintelligible truth.
perfect want unbearable-lightness-of-being
We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come.
strong overwhelming-desire unbearable-lightness-of-being
She had an overwhelming desire to tell him, like the most banal of women. Don't let me go, hold me tight, make me your plaything, your slave, be strong! But they were words she could not say. The only thing she said when he released her from his embrace was, "You don't know how happy I am to be with you." That was the most her reserved nature allowed her to express.
men light discovery
The light that radiates from the great novels time can never dim, for human existence is perpetually being forgotten by man and thus the novelists' discoveries, however old they may be, will never cease to astonish.
animal compassion unbearable-lightness-of-being
True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power.
mean use unbearable-lightness-of-being
Why don't you ever use your strength on me?" she said. Because love means renouncing strength," said Franz softly.
two light compare
If I had two lives, in one life I could invite her to stay at my place, and in the second life I could kick her out. Then I could compare and see which had been the best thing to do. But we only live once. Life's so light. Like an outline we can't ever fill in or correct... make any better. It's frightening".
light darkness intense
Jealousy has the amazing power to illuminate a single person in an intense beam of light, keeping the multitude of others in total darkness.
kitsch unbearable-lightness-of-being existence
Kitsch excludes everything from its purview which is essentially unacceptable in human existence
love-is unbearable-lightness-of-being metaphor
Metaphors are dangerous. Love begins with a metaphor
love-is violence unbearable-lightness-of-being
There are things that can be accomplished only by violence. Physical love is unthinkable without violence.
answers kitsch unbearable-lightness-of-being
In the realm of totalitarian kitsch, all answers are given in advance and preclude any questions.
unbearable-lightness-of-being partners claims
The only relationship that can make both partners happy is one in which sentimentality has no place and neither partner makes any claim on the life and freedom of the other.
strong two light
Seeing is limited by two borders: Strong light, which blinds, and total darkness.