Should I read pic related I've heard bad things bout it

Its well written and the characterization of the characters aren't half bad
The name dropping is kind cringe imho, like calling the fucking dog after anna karenina and the whole beethoven catchphrase

read and form your own opinion, in this case even if you don't like it won't be a waste of time

>>8426623
A person being considerate on 4chan is not something you see very often

It's an easy read, enjoyable at times, but there's better ways to talk about sex every page and infidelity then the way it was done in this book, less is more.

I hate his philosophizing too, it's drivel.

>>8426623
I don't see how calling a dog after Anna Karenina is name dropping, it's a popular book, and there were a lot of popular film adaptations. It's not like it's a secret novel that only few people have read.

>>8426609
If you want to read Kundera go for The Joke. It's much better.

>>8426658
by itself it wouldn't be so bad, but he name drops the most famous persons in each area, Beethoven, Tolstoy and Nietzsche in a way that don't really stick to me as necessary, I say read the book and see for yourself. The phrase by Beethoven ("es muss sein") is an important concept for the book, but the way the character keep parroting this phrase was really cringe for me, it really makes the phrase loses its nuance

like I've said, it won't be a waste of time and if you don't have a decent baggage of literature you will probably like this book, also imho its way better than waste time reading fight club, american psycho, a clockwork orange and other books /lit/ in general likes so much

>>8426637
I see it too often, and then I see stupid fucks like you bother to mention it. Lay off the memes, kid.

it's not the worst book you'll read but it's not good

it's literature for people who don't read a lot of literature. half a step above murakami

It has interesting themes that were done better in other soviet satire that came before it.

Read Master and Margarita instead, or even I Served the Queen of England if you want something Czech.

>>8426609
I read it because I am czech but I think it is worth it when it already caught your attention. Also read Master and Margarita

I must add something to the thread just because how much this board quotes and loves Bloom, this book is part of Bloom's western canon, also is one of the few Czech book in his canon

>>8426609
i dunno. the book of laughter and forgetting was the only kundera book that didn't bore me. I've always read lightness of being and immortality. kundera the person seems like an alright dude...i can not really get into his books.

>>8427007
Bloom has very little knowledge of literature of smaller nations because every pick for those is something they raise an eyebrow to.

>>8427137
of course he does have little knowledge of some countries literature, no man can have a deep knowledge of the whole world literature
that being said, the book is listed in his canon, if it is good or not its up to you to decide, I'm just telling the facts