Kundera, Milan - the most famous Czech writer. He began his career with poetry, then finding his vocation in prose.
Carier start
Kundera was born in the Czech city of Brno.His father was the rector of the university and a good specialist in music. School of the future writer graduated in 1948. During his studies, he composed poems, tried pen. But, oddly enough, after graduation, he entered the Faculty of Philosophy, where he was actively engaged in musicology. After studying one year, transferred to the faculty of cinema, where later Kundera worked. Milan has always had a hard and complicated relationship with politics. As a teacher in the department and a member of the editorial boards of two literary journals, he was expelled from the Communist Party for individualistic views and anti-party activities. However, he was soon rehabilitated.
The first published work appeared in1953 Fame comes to him after the release of the collection of poems. At this time, Milan Kundera, whose books are gradually gaining popularity, is very much engaged in dramaturgy and essay studies. This success brought a collection of stories "Funny love."
The first novel of the writer
The author’s political views are reflected in hisThe first novel "Joke". Milan Kundera speaks about Stalinism in him, speaking with harsh criticism of this phenomenon. For 1967, the book was quite topical. The novel was translated into many languages and immediately became popular. With incredible brilliance, Kundera Milan shows the history of human torments mixed with the denunciation of the political system. Organically, the theme of jokes and games is woven into the outline of the novel. Louis Yang - the hero of the novel - joking unsuccessfully, his joke changes lives. Kundera brings her story to absurdity. The book looks rather gloomy and gray, but it is very vital.
Kundera, Milan: "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"
Incredibly deep in content novel Kundera.Perhaps it is the most popular and highly regarded book of the author. In it, he tries to philosophically comprehend the freedom of man, his happiness. The writer again attempts to portray a turning point in history through the fates and traditional relationships of ordinary people. Some readers negatively perceive this work: there is too little action in it. The novel is filled with the fabrications of the author, his reasoning and lyrical digression. However, in this lies the charm of this work. In the novel, two story lines. The first is related to the fate of Theresa and Tomas, and the second - Sabina and Franz. They live, as it seems at first glance, the most ordinary life. Love, part, are engaged in professional activities. However, in 1968, there are political events that change everything. Now only those who love Soviet power can live and continue to feel comfortable. As is known, in 1968 Soviet tanks passed through Czech cities. Mass protests began, in which Kundera himself participated. Milan for this was deprived of the right to teach. The feeling of lack of freedom, pressure permeates the novel of the writer. The novel is translated into many languages and filmed.
Characteristics of some novels
Один из самых замечательных романов, которые wrote Milan Kundera, - "Waltz goodbye." There are seven main characters in it. These are ordinary women and men, and their fate will be unclear. The author by some inconceivable mathematical calculations confuses and mixes heroes, gradually reducing them with each other. The novel is full of passion, intrigue, feelings. It can be defined as a psychological novel with a mixture of criminal (detective) genre and drama.
A masterpiece of intellectual prose - a novel thatcreated Milan Kundera, - "Immortality" (1990). This book is built as a chain of associations that have arisen after a single gesture of the heroine. By the way, this is the last novel written in Czech by Kunder. In French, he wrote such novels as Unhelpfulness, Authenticity. The novel "Slowness" consists of several plots in which it is difficult to find one topic (as there are many topics). A novel about how people strive to achieve something without themselves realizing that they are passionate only about the process of achieving the goal, but not the goal itself. There are motives for recognition and appreciation. The novel "Authenticity" opens to the reader endless labyrinths of reflections and inventions, when it is difficult to understand what is actually imaginary and what is genuine. This work actualizes the themes of friendship, memory, memories.
Further life of the writer
As noted above, after the occupation of CzechoslovakiaSoviet troops Kundera was deprived of a position at the university. He continued to work on his novels, but none of his works were printed. Constant surveillance and harassment forced him to leave the country. Even after so many years, the writer has some distrust of the Russians (as Kundera himself says). Milan goes to France. He has lived there since 1975. In 1981 he became a full-fledged citizen of this country. For a long time, he wrote his novels in his native language, and his essays and articles in French. In one of the interviews, Kundera noted that, unlike other writers - forced emigrants, he does not feel separated from his native soil, therefore he can create at full strength.
Kundera Milan on literature
Like any writer, Milan Kundera isan ardent admirer of literature. According to the writer, the works of such great masters of the word as Francois Rabelais and Denis Diderot had a great influence on him. In the works of these authors, Kundera is attracted by the game, the irony, "freedom turned into a novel." Of course, not bypassing Kundera and his compatriot - Franz Kafka. He is rightly called the symbol of the era. Disbelief in progress, some disappointment, the illusiveness of improvements in society, irony - this is what admires Kundera in Kafka's novels.
In Russian literature, the writer highlightscreativity L.N. Tolstoy. In his opinion, Lev Nikolaevich managed better, than other authors, to catch the present, to feel the peculiarities of time. Tolstoy’s special merit is in creating an inner monologue. Milan Kundera believes that it was Tolstoy who became the forerunner of the literature of the "stream of consciousness" developed further in the works of Joyce and other modernist and postmodern writers.
Famous sayings of the author
The deeply philosophical, intellectual novels of the author can literally be cut into quotations. However, there are also such statements of the author that are not included in his works.
"Я ненавижу участвовать в политической жизни, although politics fascinates me as a show, a spectacle. "This quotation was made by the author about the elections in France and about his departure from his native country. Of course, for Kundera, politics is a tragic spectacle.
"Life when you cannot hide from the eyes of others- this is hell. ”Everything is laid in this quotation: both his attitude towards the totalitarian state, and his attitude towards his own glory. Milan once said that he would like to become invisible. The writer never bulged or advertised his personal life.
"The true humanism of society is manifested in its attitude towards the old." According to the writer, one should not judge society only by its attitude towards children. After all, the true future of man is old age.
