The Unbearable Lightness of Being - A Series of Works by Milan Kundera

Author: Milan Kundera (translated by Xu Jun)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: Praised by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Le Monde as a contemporary classic! Xu Jun, one of China's most influential translators (who has translated works such as The Complete Works of Marguerite Duras and In Search of Lost Time), presents a brand-new French edition translation of The Unbearable Lightness of Being—the globally acclaimed bestseller. This is Kundera's most popular and critically acclaimed work, making him an internationally renowned author. In 2002, Shanghai Translation Publishing House was the first to obtain Milan Kundera's authorization, marking the first and only official copyright grant in China. In July 2003, Shanghai Translation Publishing House officially launched the first printing of 150,000 copies of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, translated by the influential French expert Xu Jun.
The heavy burden oppresses us, forcing us to succumb to it, crushing us to the ground. Yet in love poetry across the ages, women have always longed to bear the weight of a male body. Thus, the heavy burden has also become an image of vigorous life. The heavier the burden, the closer our lives are to the earth, and the more real and tangible they become. Conversely, when the burden is entirely absent, a person becomes lighter than air, floating away from the earth and the life on it. Such a person is merely a half-true existence, and their movements become free yet meaningless. So, what should one choose? Heavy or light?