unbearable lightness of being

I recently finished Kundera's book and found it incredibly distracting when the author would insert himself in the text. I know authors do this from time to time, but it almost always irritates me. Did anyone else have a similar experience while reading this book?

I couldn't finish this book. It was just so abstract.

It was kind of self-conscious feeling to me. Like it was being abstract for abstract's sake. I'm sure that's completely unhip of me to think that, but it just seemed like the author was trying so hard to be philosophical instead of just writing a book that happened to be a bit philosophical. Does that make any sense?

It made a great movie, however.

I think that his insertion was very intentional so that you couldn't "lose" yourself in the story. I regarded it as a kind of a Brechtian move, just not as abrasive/hostile.

I never read the book, but we did watch the movie in a philosophy class when I was in college. Too weird. I couldn't get into it, which didn't help me want to read the book *LOL* I thought Hitchhiker's Guide was bizarre... but I think ULoB topped it.

You want to read a bizarre book, try The Naked Lunch or The Atrocity Exhibition.

-- M1001