The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Summary
Milan Kundera

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Summary

Throughout the novel, the theme of laughter, memories and the past are explored in a variety of vignettes that cover these themes in different manners. Through the main character Tamina and the other sub-characters, these concepts are analyzed and interpreted through the character's actions, thoughts and impulses.

The novel begins with a man named Clementis leaving his fur hat on a political colleague's head, which later becomes the only symbol that he ever existed. With this idea in mind, the novel continues to analyze how the past impacts the current lives of many of his characters. For Marketa and Jan, for example, their love relationship is established in the first few weeks of knowing one another. He is a woman chaser and she is the martyr, making him feel guilty for his action. It is because of this foundation that Eva can suggest Marketa come visit her and her husband... View more of the The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Summary