Immortality: A Novel (Perennial Classics)

Milan Kundera is the best novelist I have ever read. His power lies in his great intellect, keen and unerring observations of human behaviors, and his immaculate control of language to yield the exact effect he desires. Even though I cannot read his works in the original Czech or French, the English translations are as, if not more, satisfying than the greatest of original English works. "Immortality" proves to be even better than the already awe-inspiring "The Book of Laughter and Forgetting." The point really is not the plot, but how it's plotted. It's the originality of working his voice into the surface of the text without subverting the comfortable author-reader decorum. It's the exploration of the nature (or un-nature?) of relationships, the impossibity of understanding between "different" kinds of people, and the longing for those with whom such understanding is possible. Agnes for her father. Her father for a woman that he might have met too late in life. Milan Kundera for an ideal reader.The other part of the plot is centered on the anecdotal relation between Goethe and Bettina. It's a long discussion of how the title of the book, immortality, figures in in a relationship such as that between Goethe and Bettina. The story itself is fascinating enough that I never raised a question as to why the two plots are set side by side. I might come upon some insight later on, but one thing is pretty clear, Bettina is what Agnes is not. Even though the book seems to caste Agnes' sister Laura as Agnes' opposite, Bettina is the real counterpart to Agnes. One yearns for immortality in the public memory, the other for a quiet, private understanding. And from the sympathy he bestows upon Agnes, it is quite obvious that Kundera is partial to Agnes' kind yearning. But he also understands Bettina perfectly well. After all, he shares the same yearning for immortality.

I love Kundera and this was a typical novel of his. Light and deep, funny and compelling, wistful and philosophically stimulating

No argument about the material and the major point of the story, It is a pleasant read.I felt that Milan Kundera's viewpoint on immortality is more geared towards the artists' community.There are definitely very many points that I started feeling it is now becoming more general, but a lot of interruptions in the story made it sometimes hard to follow the main point.I personally enjoyed his other work better, i.e. The unbearable lightness of being, primarily due to less interruptions in the main story.

A late-comer to Kundera, my little grey cells must work overtime for it all to sink in--but it is worth it. I finish each book then begin again to pull all the pieces together. At my 3rd reading I begin to underline passages. Unlike any author I've read, I find myself putting down his books after each chapter to cogitate.

I will open my review with a quote from Kundera (supposedly) himself: "...I was becoming sadder and sadder: if a reader skips a single sentence of my novel he won't be able to understand it, and yet where in the world will you find a reader who never skips a line? Am I not myself the greatest skipper of lines and pages?"If you are considering this book because you had just finished "The unbearable lightness of being" then I would advise you to reconsider. If you are a die-hard fan of Kundera then this is the book for you. I personally lost interest in following the story lines about 1/3 into the novel. And thus I find myself fast-pacing and skipping lines to the end. This is a brilliant work for an author to create but quite a laborious read (if not boring at time) for a reader. The story line(s) is (are) faintly recognizable and difficult to follow until the end. There are just too much details in between (and vulgarities as well as obscenities) that I personally think ended up inundating the readers. This could have been written better personally if Kundera had intended for his readers to enjoy (and not to skip lines). Instead, I believe he was just satisfying his creativity. Is that good or bad? It depends. I'm not a critic so it somewhat annoys me when I anticipate an enjoyable read. If I am to write a formal review then it could be quite interesting.

By alternating narratives M.Kundera introduces the story of the main character and some insights that he has about the life of Goethe. The reflection revolves around a topic that torments man: death. Immortality like the desperate attempt to overcome that hideous fear of dissapearing...

"Immortality" is so rejuvenating to the reading experience, pulling Goethe and Hemingway from beyond, effortlessly using literary magic devices in pleasing ways. It should leave its mark on the way you view a novel. One cannot describe the plot/theme without spoiling the trip.

That was amazing and affected me. I strongly recommend it to people who are interested in Kundera's writing styleIt's like "unbearable lightness of being"

Great novel. I think this is Kundera's best work so far. It's a mystery why he's still not got Nobel Prize.

Good

I am happy with this book.

fantastic read; inspiring, emotional, funny and real.made me feel that I was getting an insight into the workings of Kundera's mind. A special treat, and a highly recommended read.

Perfect quality, as expected from Amazon.