Comments on: Remembering Prague Spring http://atlasnetwork.org/networknews/2008/08/remembering-prague-spring/ Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:02:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Whitney.Garrison http://atlasnetwork.org/networknews/2008/08/remembering-prague-spring/#comment-79 Whitney.Garrison Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:30:16 +0000 http://atlasnetwork.org/?p=564#comment-79 I knew I dug that book in h.s. for a reason! I knew I dug that book in h.s. for a reason!

]]> By: Luke http://atlasnetwork.org/networknews/2008/08/remembering-prague-spring/#comment-78 Luke Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:07:35 +0000 http://atlasnetwork.org/?p=564#comment-78 Kundera's writings are mostly anti-communist polemics that celebrate the individual over the collective. A leitmotif common in his most popular novels, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting and The Unbearable Lightness, is one of his protagonists battling totalitarian policies (e.g. secret police, speech censorship, human rights violations, etc.) Behind Fascism, Communism, behind all the occupa- tions and invasions lurks a more basic pervasive evil and that the image of that evil was a parade of people marching with raised fists and shouting identical syllables in unison. - The Unbearable Lightness of Being While his novels suggest that he is an ardent individualist, he was also a card-carrying communist until 1970 (an experience that I imagine was the inspiration behind many of his works). He was once expelled for his "individualistic tendencies", but rejoined. However, his subversive writing later in his career lead me to believe he rejected communism. Perhaps he remained in the party to conduct "research" for his novels? Kundera’s writings are mostly anti-communist polemics that celebrate the individual over the collective. A leitmotif common in his most popular novels, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting and The Unbearable Lightness, is one of his protagonists battling totalitarian policies (e.g. secret police, speech censorship, human rights violations, etc.)

Behind Fascism, Communism, behind all the occupa-
tions and invasions lurks a more basic pervasive evil
and that the image of that evil was a parade of people
marching with raised fists and shouting identical syllables
in unison. – The Unbearable Lightness of Being

While his novels suggest that he is an ardent individualist, he was also a card-carrying communist until 1970 (an experience that I imagine was the inspiration behind many of his works). He was once expelled for his “individualistic tendencies”, but rejoined. However, his subversive writing later in his career lead me to believe he rejected communism. Perhaps he remained in the party to conduct “research” for his novels?

]]> By: Whitney http://atlasnetwork.org/networknews/2008/08/remembering-prague-spring/#comment-77 Whitney Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:11:36 +0000 http://atlasnetwork.org/?p=564#comment-77 I loved reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being back in high school - is Kundera free market? I'll have to dig up a copy... I loved reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being back in high school – is Kundera free market? I’ll have to dig up a copy…

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