Milan Kundera | Literary Fiction

The Joke by Milan Kundera

Name: The Joke by Milan Kundera
Brand: Fehmerling Books
SKU: 006099505
Price: 11.00 USD
Availability: InStock

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.

Edition & Specifications

Publisher: HarperPerennial

Pages: 317

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: 1993

ISBN: 9780060995058

Condition Note:

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