The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

In this extraordinary novel, Milan Kundera explores the role of memory in art and politics, love and war. Written in Czech, it is almost impossible to translate into English without seriously damaging its structure and rhythm. But with striking clarity and wit, Michael Heim has done more than reproduce Kundera's fascinating story lines and elaborate metaphors; he has reproduced their profound impact on the reader. The result is a much-awaited masterpiece that will give pleasure to newcomers as well as making long-time followers of this most important of contemporary novelists welcome this translation again. '