First of all, it should be mentioned that this novel is both a political and a philosophical novel, and the characters and the setting relates to what life was like in a post-WWII Soviet satellite nation. It was the Cold War period; and Prague, where the novel is set, had somehow avoided the terrible destruction that many European cities had to endure. And while the European cities that had been bombed or were otherwise plundered by the Nazis, were using this post-war period to rebuild – in a renaissance-like atmosphere of regeneration and hope – it seems that Prague was falling into a period of stagnation. Meanwhile during the novel the Soviets invade Czechoslovakia in a brutal show of force to put down any thoughts that the citizens may have of becoming a democracy like the west. So politics plays a big part in the novel, and clearly author Milan Kundera is expressing through his literary prowess his own experiences and philosophies with regard to the Soviet Union.
             Kundera is not the kind of writer who uses the traditional tools of literature in expected ways. In fact, he sets the tone for the philosophical mentalities of both protagonists (Tereza and Tomas) in the very beginning of the novel: "The idea of eternal return is a mysterious one, and Nietzsche has often perplexed other philosophers with it: to think that everything recurs as we once experienced it, and that the recurrence itself recurs ad infinitum? What does this myth signify?" But what exactly does he mean? Is he saying that this novel is going to delve into philosophical and psychological issues through the characters and their lives – and so dear reader, pay attention lest you miss something?
             Or is he cynically saying that there is no heaven, there is no second chance for people, and only those who live life in the most dramatic and intense way they possibly can will understand the deeper meanings?
             Meanwhile, philosophically, both Te...