I know that fiction is fictional and the events in a fictional book are in no way meant to resemble real life, but the following statement by Tomas, a main character in the Unbearable Lightness of Being, seems wholly out of place. Quick set up: a male name is being debated as a viable name for a female dog:

It is entirely possible that a female dog addressed continually by a male name will develop lesbian tendencies.

And so far, this is my general impression of the book. It’s a riot. Page after page is filled with wry observations about daily life as told from someone more jaded than myself. The characters are zany and witty and the writing is concise yet descriptive: an aged mother that likes walking around the house naked, a female dog with a male name that gets annoyed when the living room is rearranged, a married man who will only make love to his mistress when on business trips (though they live in the same city), and a photographer who keeps a her late grandfather’s bowler hat on a red wig stand by her bed, just to name a few. In short, I’m really enjoying this book.

As for those ‘ideas’ that are planted firmly in the background, they help give the book more depth. It feels like an old wise man is narrating, all the while humoring me with the many philosophical tidbits he’s gathered over the years.

A final note: if you intend on reading Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, read it before The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Kundera spoils the ending.