A review of the novel “Identity” by Milan Kundera

The only other work that I’ve read by this Czech novelist – who now writes in French – was “The Unbearable Lightness Of Being”. But that was over 30 years ago and I confess that I did not understand much of the imagery in that work. Three lockdowns into the covid crisis of 2020, I was looking for something short and “Identity” is only 150 pages, so i gave Kundera another chance.

Narratively the novella is simple: a short period of time in the relationship between a middle-aged French couple called Chantal and Jean-Marc. But things are never straightforward with Kundera. There is a lot of dreaming here, some of it signalled, but most of it uncertain. There are some interesting ideas but overall I found the opaqueness irritating.


 




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