In The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984), distinguished Czech novelist Milan Kundera tells the story of two couples following the Prague Spring of 1968: a young woman in love with a man fighting between his love for her and his unending womanizing, and one of his mistresses and her faithful lover. Kundera combines pieces of philosophical brilliance and artistic beauty to create snapshots of imperfect humans facing life-changing decisions. When The Unbearable Lightness of Being was first published in English, critic Elizabeth Hardwick, writing in Vanity Fair , described it as a “a work of the boldest mastery, originality, and richness.” It was named one of the best books of 1984 by the New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction. It quickly became an international bestseller.
7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 8, 2022 (Parts 1-4)
George A. Spiva Library Room 413A, MSSU
Admission: Free
Pick up a copy of the book in Webster Hall 337 or Kuhn Hall 203 while supplies last.
6 p.m. Thursday, September 22, 2022 (complete book)
Joplin Public Library, Community Room East, 1901 E. 20th St.
Admission: free
Check it out from the Library's collection!
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by
A young woman in love with a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing; one of his mistresses and her humbly faithful lover--these are the two couples whose story is told in this masterful novel. In a world in which lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and by fortuitous events, a world in which everything occurs but once, existence seems to lose its substance, its weight. Hence, we feel "the unbearable lightness of being" not only as the consequence of our pristine actions but also in the public sphere, and the two inevitably intertwine.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by
A young woman in love with a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing; one of his mistresses and her humbly faithful lover--these are the two couples whose story is told in this masterful novel. In a world in which lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and by fortuitous events, a world in which everything occurs but once, existence seems to lose its substance, its weight. Hence, we feel "the unbearable lightness of being" not only as the consequence of our pristine actions but also in the public sphere, and the two inevitably intertwine.
Pick up a copy of the book in Webster Hall 337 or Kuhn Hall 203 while supplies last.
The Czech-themed book club would not be complete without one of Prague-born, German-speaking novelist Franz Kafka’s best-known works, his famous novella The Metamorphosis (1915).
Picture this… your life consists of the monotonous day in and day out of a job that society tells you is the most important aspect of your life. You are the sole provider for your household. Then one morning, you wake up to discover you have been transformed into a giant insect and are unable to continue your daily duties. In The Metamorphosis , readers are taken on a journey with Gregor Samsa as he deals with life after being transformed into a “monstrous insect.” The story explores themes of family duty, alienation, economic effects on human relationships, and feelings of guilt. The phrase “Kafkaesque” was coined to describe the most unpleasant and bizarre aspects of modern life because of the nightmarish scenarios in Kafka’s novels and stories. Join us to find out more!
The Czech Semester Book Club is hosted by the Missouri Southern chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English honor society. Light refreshments will be provided. (The illustration is Metamorphosis of Kafka by James LeGros.)
6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022
Bookhouse Cinema, 715 E. Broadway
Admission: free
Check it out from the Library's collection!
The Metamorphosis by
"This fine version, with David Cronenberg's inspired introduction and the new translator's beguiling afterword, is, I suspect, the most disturbing though the most comforting of all so far; others will follow, but don't hesitate: this is the transforming text for you."--Richard Howard Franz Kafka's 1915 novella of unexplained horror and nightmarish transformation became a worldwide classic and remains a century later one of the most widely read works of fiction in the world. It is the story of traveling salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect. This hugely influential work inspired George Orwell, Albert Camus, Jorge Louis Borges, and Ray Bradbury, while continuing to unsettle millions of readers. In her new translation of Kafka's masterpiece, Susan Bernofsky strives to capture both the humor and the humanity in this macabre tale, underscoring the ways in which Gregor Samsa's grotesque metamorphosis is just the physical manifestation of his longstanding spiritual impoverishment.
The Metamorphosis by
The Metamorphosis begins almost comically. A man wakes up to find he has turned into an insect. But the claustrophobic, dirty room and the increasingly distressed narrator soon turn this into a tale of slow horror. Most horrifying of all is his family's reaction to his metamorphosis and their final solution to the problem.
The Metamorphosis by
"This fine version, with David Cronenberg's inspired introduction and the new translator's beguiling afterword, is, I suspect, the most disturbing though the most comforting of all so far; others will follow, but don't hesitate: this is the transforming text for you."--Richard Howard Franz Kafka's 1915 novella of unexplained horror and nightmarish transformation became a worldwide classic and remains a century later one of the most widely read works of fiction in the world. It is the story of traveling salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect. This hugely influential work inspired George Orwell, Albert Camus, Jorge Louis Borges, and Ray Bradbury, while continuing to unsettle millions of readers. In her new translation of Kafka's masterpiece, Susan Bernofsky strives to capture both the humor and the humanity in this macabre tale, underscoring the ways in which Gregor Samsa's grotesque metamorphosis is just the physical manifestation of his longstanding spiritual impoverishment.
The Metamorphosis by
"This fine version, with David Cronenberg's inspired introduction and the new translator's beguiling afterword, is, I suspect, the most disturbing though the most comforting of all so far; others will follow, but don't hesitate: this is the transforming text for you."--Richard Howard Franz Kafka's 1915 novella of unexplained horror and nightmarish transformation became a worldwide classic and remains a century later one of the most widely read works of fiction in the world. It is the story of traveling salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect. This hugely influential work inspired George Orwell, Albert Camus, Jorge Louis Borges, and Ray Bradbury, while continuing to unsettle millions of readers. In her new translation of Kafka's masterpiece, Susan Bernofsky strives to capture both the humor and the humanity in this macabre tale, underscoring the ways in which Gregor Samsa's grotesque metamorphosis is just the physical manifestation of his longstanding spiritual impoverishment.
This site is maintained by the librarians of George A. Spiva Library.
If you have a question or comment about the Library's LibGuides, please contact the site administrator.
