Jacques and his master

Author: Milan Kundera
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-02-01
Features: The Affair of the Four Hands is one of Milan Kundera's influential dramatic works. The play was completed in 1971 and has been staged in places such as Czechoslovakia, France, the United States, and Australia, becoming one of the recognized masterpieces of contemporary drama. It is adapted from the novel Rameau's Nephew by French Enlightenment thinker Denis Diderot. The story begins with the wandering journey of Jacques and his master, where the master and servant not only reflect and debate on contemporary social issues—from religion and class to relationships between men and women and moral ethics—but also recount various amusing anecdotes with a playful tone. These numerous themes, ever-appearing episodes, and endless tangents make the entire plot intricate and form the greatest joy in reading the play. In 1968, the Russians occupied my small country, and all my works were banned. Suddenly, I had no means to make a living. Many people wanted to help me: One day, a director visited me and suggested I adapt Dostoevsky's The Idiot into a play in his name. I therefore reread The Idiot and realized that even if I starved to death, I would not do this job. That world was filled with excessive actions, gloomy profundity, and aggressive sentimentality, which tired me. Suddenly, I felt a nostalgia for Jacques the Fatalist that I couldn't explain. "Do you prefer Diderot to Dostoevsky?"