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 99th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 2357
This book was first published in 1984
49 Lists
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- score: 121 -- The Ideal Library - 2024 (Weight: 120)
- score: 105 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 100 -- Zeit Literaturkanon - 2012 (Weight: 146)
- score: 93 -- Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers - 2006 (Weight: 170)
- score: 90 -- Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher - 2005 (Weight: 160)
- score: 89 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 140)
- score: 85 -- The Bigger Read List - 2003 (Weight: 160)
- score: 83 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 105)
- score: 78 -- Magnesia Litera: The Books of the Century - 2018 (Weight: 100)
- score: 77 -- The 100 Novels That Have Most Enthralled "Le Monde" Since 1944 - 2019 (Weight: 96)
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- score: 66 -- Books Of The Century - 1999 (Weight: 150)
- score: 66 -- TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) - 2023 (Weight: 80)
- score: 65 -- Books that Shaped the Century - 2020 (Weight: 80)
- score: 60 -- The 100 Most Important Translations - 2018 (Weight: 80)
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- score: 53 -- 100 Books of Classical and Modern Foreign Literature - 2013 (Weight: 80)
- score: 50 -- Our Users' Top 100 Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 60)
- score: 43 -- The 101 Favorite Novels of 'Le Monde' Readers - 2019 (Weight: 50)
- score: 37 -- The 100 Greatest Novels - 2008 (Weight: 61)
- score: 35 -- The Big Read - 2003 (Weight: 70)
- score: 33 -- Big Read (German) - 2004 (Weight: 60)
- score: 29 -- Books of the Decade (1980s) - 1989 (Weight: 107)
- score: 29 -- "Our Readable Century", The Best Books of the 20th Century -- Honorable Mention - 2000 (Weight: 60)
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- score: 24 -- Vendela Vida's Book Choices from "The Writer's Library" - 2020 (Weight: 30)
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- score: 22 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 60)
- score: 20 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 33)
- score: 17 -- The 100 Novels You Must Read in Your Lifetime - 2023 (Weight: 20)
- score: 16 -- Waterstone's Books of the Century - 1997 (Weight: 40)
- score: 16 -- NY Times Editors Choice 1980-1989 - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 79)
- score: 15 -- The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time - 2004 (Weight: 30)
- score: 13 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users - 2008 (Weight: 20)
- score: 11 -- 150 Great Reads - 1988 (Weight: 40)
- score: 8 -- Readers’ Top 100 Novels Of All Time - 2026 (Weight: 10)
- score: 6 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read - 2009 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- PEOPLE Picks the Best Books From the 1980s - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 125 Books We Love for Adults - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 500 Must Read Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 75 Books Every Woman Should Read - 2008 (Weight: 1)
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- score: 1 -- The 100 Best Books in the World - 2021 (Weight: 1)