The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Set against the backdrop of the Prague Spring period of Czechoslovak history, the novel explores the philosophical concept of Nietzsche's eternal return through the intertwined lives of four characters: a womanizing surgeon, his intellectual wife, his naïve mistress, and her stoic lover. The narrative delves into their personal struggles with lightness and heaviness, freedom and fate, love and betrayal, and the complexities of human relationships, all while offering a profound meditation on the nature of existence and the paradoxes of life.
The 120th greatest book of all time
Ranking Details:
Our ranking system awards points to books based on their appearance and position on curated lists. Here's how it works:
Unranked Lists: For lists without specific rankings, each book receives points equivalent to the list's weight. This approach recognizes the book's inclusion on prestigious lists.
Ranked Lists: Books on ranked lists receive points in two ways:
- Base Points: Initially, every book is awarded points equal to the list's weight, acknowledging its significance.
- Bonus Points: Additionally, books earn bonus points based on their ranking. The total bonus pool, equal to 100% of the list's weight, is distributed among the books, with higher-ranked books receiving more points.
Exponential Distribution: The distribution of bonus points follows an exponential model. This means the top-ranked book (#1) receives significantly more bonus points than those further down the list (e.g., #100). Our algorithm ensures that higher placements are rewarded more generously, reflecting the achievement of a top rank on any given list.
This scoring system ensures that each book's ranking reflects both its presence on multiple lists and its positions within those lists, providing a comprehensive measure of its acclaim and popularity.
Total Points: 2371
Since this book was first published in 1984, there is a penalty of 16.0%. The age adjusted score is 1991.64.
This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.
- score: 150 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (Weight: 150)
- score: 133 -- The Ideal Library (Weight: 129)
- score: 126 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature (Weight: 126)
- score: 126 -- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (Weight: 126)
- score: 120 -- 50 Memorable Books from 50 Years of Books to Remember (Weight: 120)
- score: 115 -- 100 Books of Classical and Modern Foreign Literature (Weight: 114)
- score: 114 -- 100 Books to Read from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Weight: 114)
- score: 111 -- Big Read (Bulgarian) (Weight: 111)
- score: 102 -- The Bigger Read List (Weight: 102)
- score: 96 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (Weight: 96)
- score: 96 -- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Weight: 96)
- score: 93 -- Big Read (Hungarian) (Weight: 93)
- score: 90 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books (Weight: 90)
- score: 90 -- Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (Weight: 90)
- score: 86 -- Big Read (German) (Weight: 84)
- score: 84 -- The Big Read (Weight: 84)
- score: 79 -- Waterstone's Books of the Century (Weight: 78)
- score: 78 -- Kanon na koniec wieku (Canon at the end of the century) (Weight: 78)
- score: 78 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Weight: 78)
- score: 74 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition (Weight: 72)
- score: 69 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (Weight: 69)
- score: 69 -- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Weight: 69)
- score: 63 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (Weight: 63)
- score: 58 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read (Weight: 57)
- score: 45 -- The 100 Best Books in the World (Weight: 45)
- score: 21 -- Zeit Literaturkanon (Weight: 21)