• The Joke by Milan Kundera - Front Cover - Fehmerling Books
  • The Joke by Milan Kundera - Back Cover - Fehmerling Books
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Literary Fiction, Political Fiction, and Psychological Fiction

The Joke by Milan Kundera

The Joke by Milan Kundera

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A Satirical Czech Masterpiece of Totalitarian Postcards, Forced Labor, and Failed Revenge

In 1950s Communist Czechoslovakia, university student and loyal party member Ludvik Jahn sends a playful, sarcastic postcard to a girl he is courting, writing: "Optimism is the opium of the people! Long live Trotsky!" Denounced by classmate Pavel Zemanek, Ludvik is expelled from university and forced into penal military labor in coal mines.

Fifteen years later, an embittered Ludvik attempts to exact revenge by seducing Pavel's estranged wife Helena, only to discover that historical circumstances and shifting politics render his carefully planned retribution absurd.

Why You’ll Love This Book

Milan Kundera's famous debut novel offers a scathing, brilliant critique of totalitarian bureaucracy and human irony. Essential reading for fans of Franz Kafka, George Orwell, and Václav Havel.

Book Details

ISBN: 9780060995058

Binding: Paperback

Pub Date:

Publisher: HarperPerennial

Pages: 317

Author:

  • Milan Kundera

Language: English

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$11.00 USD
$11.00 USD
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