Milan Kundera, one of the most important Czech writers, died at the age of ninety-four. This Brno-born novelist has lived in Paris since the seventies of the last century, where she emigrated from communist Czechoslovakia. Author of the novels Joke, The Unbearable Lightness of Being or The Celebration of Insignificance, he is one of the greatest figures in world literature and the most widely translated author of the Czech Republic.
Kundera was born in Brno and lives in Králové Pola. In the metropolis of Moravia, he graduated from the gymnasium in the class of Captain Jaroš. He then moved to Prague, where he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy. In his youth, he joined the Communist Party, and he was even expelled twice.
In 1968, he became one of the main figures of the Prague Spring. His famous speech at a meeting of the Czechoslovak Writers’ Union in 1967, in which he sharply criticized the condition. Even so, he was one of the most important literary figures in Czechoslovakia. He is best known for his novel Žert, written in 1967.
At one time, literature, praised by the communist regime, fell out of favor after the Soviet intervention. After the purge of the party, he was fired from FAMU, where he taught world literature, and from Czechoslovak Television. In 1975, he and his wife Věra emigrated to Paris. He later worked and wrote in France. He created works in French and paid attention to the accuracy of the translations. This is also the reason why his work is still not fully translated into Czech. However, in recent years, the books have also become available to Czech readers thanks to translator Anna Karenina, with whom the author has worked for a long time.
The author of the novels The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Joke, The Celebration of Insignificance, Immortality, Ridiculous Loves or Ignorance did not appear in public or give interviews after emigration. He returned to Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic only to see his close friends. He also lost his nationality, which was returned to him by the Czech Republic in 2019. In addition, relations with his homeland have been strained by a scandal exposed in 2008 by the weekly Respekt. The magazine carried the testimony of historian Adam Hradilk, who Kundera said allegedly reported his classmate from the School of National Security over the left case. The owner of the luggage, who was condemned by the regime as an agent of the West, was sent to prison for 22 years by the communists.
But recently he has symbolically returned to his hometown. He donated many of the archives to the State Library of Moravia. The cultural institute then opened its own library for this year’s writer on the artist’s birthday, which it celebrates on April 1. The personal ties of the institution’s directors contributed to this Milan cube and Kundery.
“Kundera was actually a kind, kind, caring and friendly person. Two forms must be distinguished. Kundera disappeared from public life in 1985. Then, after a bad experience with a French journalist, he stopped giving interviews and did not appear in public. But he did not withdraw from life. He is always in touch with his friends and also keeps a close eye on Brno.” stated in an interview for Drbna Kubíček.
“Certified bacon geek. Evil social media fanatic. Music practitioner. Communicator.”
