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Laughable Loves
Milan Kundera is a master of graceful illusion and illuminating surprise. In one of these stories a young man and his girlfriend pretend that she is a stranger he picked up on the road—only to become strangers to each other in reality as their game proceeds. In another a teacher fakes piety in order to seduce a devout girl, then jilts her and yearns for God. In yet another girls wait in bars, on beaches, and on station platforms for the same lover, a middle-aged Don Juan who has gone home to his wife. Games, fantasies, and schemes abound in all the stories while different characters react in varying ways to the sudden release of erotic impulses.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Milan Kundera
176 books19.8k followersMilan Kundera (1 April 1929 – 11 July 2023) was a Czech and French novelist. He went into exile in France in 1975, acquiring citizenship in 1981. His Czechoslovak citizenship was revoked in 1979, but he was granted Czech citizenship in 2019.
Kundera wrote in Czech and French. He revises the French translations of all his books; people therefore consider these original works as not translations. He is best known for his novels, including The Joke (1967), The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1979), and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984), all of which exhibit his extreme though often comical skepticism.
Kundera wrote in Czech and French. He revises the French translations of all his books; people therefore consider these original works as not translations. He is best known for his novels, including The Joke (1967), The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1979), and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984), all of which exhibit his extreme though often comical skepticism.
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February 17, 2010
Kundera is a beautiful writer but that is my only positive comment on the matter. This man is so far beyond sexist, there is no word for it. HIs depictions of women are not necessarily filled with sexist language - they are just totally devoid of respect. Kundera seems incapable of seeing women as anything other than sex objects. Every story, every female character, and every male character revolve around the same abusive sex game of cat-and-mouse. It gets old.
January 11, 2021
"ينبغي علي الإنسان أن يركب دوماً مغامرات جديدة.."
كونديرا..إسمه لوحده بيخوفني...فما بالك بقي بدماغه:)
بس هنا في غراميات مرحة كونديرا كان سهل وبسيط ..عميق طبعاً بس مفهوم:)
٧ قصص قصيرة متفاوتة المستوي بتدور معظمها حول العلاقات الإنسانية والنفس البشرية ومحاولة فهمها ..وبما إن كونديرا كاتب جرئ فهو يجعلنا نفهم شخصيات الرواية من خلال علاقتهم الجنسية بالأخرين....
الكتاب دمه خفيف في بعض القصص..القصة الأولي "لا أحد سيضحك "عجبتني جداً ..والخمس قصص الأخري يعتبر مستواها متوسط ...تقييمي للكتاب كان حيكون ٣ نجوم..إلي أن قرأت القصة الأخيرة "إدوارد والرب"...
قصة عن الصراع النفسي بين التدين و الفضيلة من ناحية والرغبة في الحب والشهوة الجنسية من ناحية أخري..الصراحة مكتوبة بعبقرية..😍
كتاب جميل ..ممتع..ترجمة ممتازة...
القراءة التالتة لكونديرا بالنسبة لي وفي رأيي غراميات مرحة مناسب جدا لدخول عالم هذا الباشا بطريقة سهلة وبسيطة بدل ما انا إتضربت علي دماغي جامد في كائن لا تحتمل خفته:)
كونديرا..إسمه لوحده بيخوفني...فما بالك بقي بدماغه:)
بس هنا في غراميات مرحة كونديرا كان سهل وبسيط ..عميق طبعاً بس مفهوم:)
٧ قصص قصيرة متفاوتة المستوي بتدور معظمها حول العلاقات الإنسانية والنفس البشرية ومحاولة فهمها ..وبما إن كونديرا كاتب جرئ فهو يجعلنا نفهم شخصيات الرواية من خلال علاقتهم الجنسية بالأخرين....
الكتاب دمه خفيف في بعض القصص..القصة الأولي "لا أحد سيضحك "عجبتني جداً ..والخمس قصص الأخري يعتبر مستواها متوسط ...تقييمي للكتاب كان حيكون ٣ نجوم..إلي أن قرأت القصة الأخيرة "إدوارد والرب"...
قصة عن الصراع النفسي بين التدين و الفضيلة من ناحية والرغبة في الحب والشهوة الجنسية من ناحية أخري..الصراحة مكتوبة بعبقرية..😍
كتاب جميل ..ممتع..ترجمة ممتازة...
القراءة التالتة لكونديرا بالنسبة لي وفي رأيي غراميات مرحة مناسب جدا لدخول عالم هذا الباشا بطريقة سهلة وبسيطة بدل ما انا إتضربت علي دماغي جامد في كائن لا تحتمل خفته:)
October 2, 2019
L’INSOSTENIBILE AMBIGUITÀ DELL’AMORE
Non so se siano davvero amori ridicoli.
Sono sicuramente amori. Sono storie d’amore analizzate, indagate. Spinte verso il paradosso. Con una parete, per quanto sottile, tra amore sentimento e amore fisico, il che le rende un pochino fuori epoca.
E forse anche la voce del narratore onnisciente, molto superiore, giudicante, contribuisce a far sentire i cinquant’anni passati dalla loro composizione.
Scritti tra il 1959 e il 1968, quindi precedenti rispetto al suo titolo più celebre, L’insostenibile leggerezza dell’essere, che mi chiedo quanta parte della sua fortuna debba a un titolo memorabile, azzeccato come pochi.
Sono solo sette racconti e uno in particolare mi ha colpito: il terzo, Falso autostop. e in questo caso il titolo è ben meno memorabile, ma punta dritto al cuore del racconto, ne coglie l’aspetto più appariscente.
Il falso autostop è un gioco che per caso s’innesca tra due fidanzati appena partiti per la loro vacanza insieme.
Un gioco che parte senza premeditazione, spinge i due a recitare una parte, a diventare attori per interpretare un ruolo, in un certo senso a indossare una maschera e mostrarsi per una volta, forse per la prima volta, diversi da quello che sono.
La bravura di un regista si misura anche dal cast che sceglie. Qui, Daniel Day Lewis, forse il più grande attore di sempre, tre Oscar, 62 anni di cui 48 di carriera ma solo una ventina di ruoli, attore parsimonioso – aveva alle spalle “My Beautiful Laundrette” ma non era ancora esploso – questo è il film che lo ha imposto. Juliette Binoche, lanciata da “Rosso sangue” ma neppure lei ancora esplosa: anche per lei questo fu il trampolino di lancio internazionale, e poi è arrivato un Oscar, non così comune per gli attori che non sono di madre lingua inglese. La terza è Lena Olin, splendida, sensuale come poche, quella su cui si sarebbe potuto scommettere: e invece per lei è stato un finto salto, non si è mai più ripetuta a questo livello.
Lei si trova a recitare la disinvolta e disinibita, mentre nella realtà ha tanto pudore da non riuscire a dire che ha bisogno di fare pipì.
Lui che proprio da questo pudore è attratto, la scopre sfrontata e senza remore, e non sa più chi ha davanti (in realtà, chi ha accanto, visto che buona parte del racconto si svolge all’interno della macchina, fianco a fianco, lui guida, lei seduta nel sedile del passeggero). Comincia a chiedersi se sia davvero innamorato, perché qual è la vera lei: interpreta la parte così bene, con tale convinzione, che viene da pensare, e credere, che il ruolo sia la sua vera natura, e che finga quando sembra invece spontanea.
Altrettanto succede a lei, per lei.
Il gioco si spinge nel terreno della brutalità, dell’offesa, della cattiveria, della rabbia, della paura.
Quando lei si spoglia, quando è nuda spera che il gioco abbia termine e si torni alla realtà, alla verità.
Ma forse si sono spinti troppo oltre. E qual è la verità? L’equivoco e l’errore di valutazione hanno ormai preso il sopravvento, la vita recitata ha attaccato la vita reale e si direbbe aver vinto.
Si parla di Pirandello per questo e le altre sei brevi storie. Io che non sono molto familiare con il nostro autore siciliano, penso piuttosto a Choderlos de Laclos e alle sue liaisons dangereuses, a quei colpi di fioretto verbali, a quei giochi di ruolo.
Sapeva che lei lo amava ed era gelosa. La gelosia non è certo una qualità piacevole, ma se non se ne abusa (se è unita a una certa moderazione) ha in sé, a parte i suoi inconvenienti, anche qualcosa di commovente.
Splendidi
Non so se siano davvero amori ridicoli.
Sono sicuramente amori. Sono storie d’amore analizzate, indagate. Spinte verso il paradosso. Con una parete, per quanto sottile, tra amore sentimento e amore fisico, il che le rende un pochino fuori epoca.
E forse anche la voce del narratore onnisciente, molto superiore, giudicante, contribuisce a far sentire i cinquant’anni passati dalla loro composizione.
Scritti tra il 1959 e il 1968, quindi precedenti rispetto al suo titolo più celebre, L’insostenibile leggerezza dell’essere, che mi chiedo quanta parte della sua fortuna debba a un titolo memorabile, azzeccato come pochi.
Sono solo sette racconti e uno in particolare mi ha colpito: il terzo, Falso autostop. e in questo caso il titolo è ben meno memorabile, ma punta dritto al cuore del racconto, ne coglie l’aspetto più appariscente.
Il falso autostop è un gioco che per caso s’innesca tra due fidanzati appena partiti per la loro vacanza insieme.
Un gioco che parte senza premeditazione, spinge i due a recitare una parte, a diventare attori per interpretare un ruolo, in un certo senso a indossare una maschera e mostrarsi per una volta, forse per la prima volta, diversi da quello che sono.
La bravura di un regista si misura anche dal cast che sceglie. Qui, Daniel Day Lewis, forse il più grande attore di sempre, tre Oscar, 62 anni di cui 48 di carriera ma solo una ventina di ruoli, attore parsimonioso – aveva alle spalle “My Beautiful Laundrette” ma non era ancora esploso – questo è il film che lo ha imposto. Juliette Binoche, lanciata da “Rosso sangue” ma neppure lei ancora esplosa: anche per lei questo fu il trampolino di lancio internazionale, e poi è arrivato un Oscar, non così comune per gli attori che non sono di madre lingua inglese. La terza è Lena Olin, splendida, sensuale come poche, quella su cui si sarebbe potuto scommettere: e invece per lei è stato un finto salto, non si è mai più ripetuta a questo livello.
Lei si trova a recitare la disinvolta e disinibita, mentre nella realtà ha tanto pudore da non riuscire a dire che ha bisogno di fare pipì.
Lui che proprio da questo pudore è attratto, la scopre sfrontata e senza remore, e non sa più chi ha davanti (in realtà, chi ha accanto, visto che buona parte del racconto si svolge all’interno della macchina, fianco a fianco, lui guida, lei seduta nel sedile del passeggero). Comincia a chiedersi se sia davvero innamorato, perché qual è la vera lei: interpreta la parte così bene, con tale convinzione, che viene da pensare, e credere, che il ruolo sia la sua vera natura, e che finga quando sembra invece spontanea.
Altrettanto succede a lei, per lei.
Il gioco si spinge nel terreno della brutalità, dell’offesa, della cattiveria, della rabbia, della paura.
Quando lei si spoglia, quando è nuda spera che il gioco abbia termine e si torni alla realtà, alla verità.
Ma forse si sono spinti troppo oltre. E qual è la verità? L’equivoco e l’errore di valutazione hanno ormai preso il sopravvento, la vita recitata ha attaccato la vita reale e si direbbe aver vinto.
Si parla di Pirandello per questo e le altre sei brevi storie. Io che non sono molto familiare con il nostro autore siciliano, penso piuttosto a Choderlos de Laclos e alle sue liaisons dangereuses, a quei colpi di fioretto verbali, a quei giochi di ruolo.
Sapeva che lei lo amava ed era gelosa. La gelosia non è certo una qualità piacevole, ma se non se ne abusa (se è unita a una certa moderazione) ha in sé, a parte i suoi inconvenienti, anche qualcosa di commovente.
Splendidi
February 18, 2018
“We pass through the present with our eyes blindfolded. We are permitted merely to sense and guess at what we are actually experiencing. Only later when the cloth is untied can we glance at the past and find out what we have experienced and what meaning it has.”
One of Kundera's earlier works, Laughable Loves is a collection of short stories that illustrate familiar themes of sexual politics and seduction using his trademark dark humor. Each story is marked with a stroke of tragic nuance from the characters' expectations.
One of Kundera's earlier works, Laughable Loves is a collection of short stories that illustrate familiar themes of sexual politics and seduction using his trademark dark humor. Each story is marked with a stroke of tragic nuance from the characters' expectations.
May 17, 2019
لم تقرأ لكونديرا و تريد أن تبدأ بشيء مشجع و سهل الفهم و ممتع و عميق في الوقت نفسه.
إذا عليك بهذه المجموعة ذات القصص السبعة و التي تنتهي بقصة إدوارد و الرب التي أعتبرها أجمل ما كتب كونديرا و تتباين باقي القصص بين الجيد جدا و الممتاز.
و لكن لا تنس أبدا أن فلسفة كونديرا تتمحور حول الحرية و لا تتورع عن استخدام الجنس كأداة مفضلة لفضح و تعرية النفس البشرية.
01
و أعلنت أن معنى الحياة هو على وجه التحديد التسلي بها. و إذا ما ألفينا الحياة أجمل من أن تطاوع ذلك. وجب أن نعطيها دفعة خفيفة. ينبغي على الإنسان أن يركب دوما مغامرات جديدة. أن يسرج أحصنة جديدة. من دونها سيجد نفسه معفرا بالتراب مثل جندي مشاة متعب.
02
أدركت فجأة أنني واهم لما اعتقدت أننا نحن من يسرج حصان مغامراتنا. بل هي مفروضة علينا من الخارج. و أنها لا تخصنا اطلاقا. و أننا لسنا مسئولين البتة عن مجراها الغريب. فهي تسوقنا بتوجيه من قوى غريبة موجودة في مكان مجهول.
03
احتجت لبعض الوقت حتى أدرك أن قصتي رغم الصمت القاتل الذي خيم من حولي لم تكن من النوع المأسوي بل بالأحرى من النوع المضحك. و هو ما منحني بعض العزاء.
04
شعرت بنفسها فجأة هادئة تماما. فحياة المرأة الأخرى التي وجدت نفسها منغمسة فيها فجأة كانت حياة بلا حياء. متحررة من اكراهات حياتها السابقة. بلا ماض و لا مستقبل. بلا التزام. كانت حياة حرة بشكل استثنائي. لما صارت امرأة مجهولة أصبحت قادرة على فعل أي شيء. و استباحة كل شيء. قادرة على قول و فعل أي شيء. و على الشعور بأي شيء.
September 25, 2019
This collection of seven artful stories which were rich in philosophising, eroticism, cynicism and humour, again shows Kundera in top form. Maybe not one his best, but this was still such fun to read. Generally speaking, these stories mostly deal with the consolation of middle-class Central European men, who, fuelled by desire and sometimes despair, are out to impress each other by seducing women, both the adoring young, and the lustful older, and what's different here compared to some of his other work is that there are hardly any bureaucratic political references. A bohemian and sharp-witted Kundera writes with an unrelenting lust, and puts the male sexual psyche under the microscope, whilst also dealing with the implications of his characters playing jokes and games, or pretending to be somebody else, leading to confusion and misunderstanding. Of the seven stories, 'The Golden Apple of Eternal Desire', 'The Hitchhiking Game', 'Symposium' (probably my favourite), and 'Let the Old Dead Make Room for the Young Dead' were so good. Ever present with Kundera's trademark perceptiveness, this is the sort of book that would make even someone like Vladimir Nabokov jealous.
August 24, 2014
متاسفانه این کتاب چند داستانش حذف و بقیه هم کلی سانسور دارد
کوندرا شاید بیشتر از هر نویسنده دیگری جملات و فصل های کتابش در کشور ما حذف شده اند
و خواننده ایرانی با یک اثر ناقص روبه روست که هیچگاه نمی تواند به برداشتی که از کتاب دارد اطمینان داشته باشد
:داستان هیچکس نخواهد خندید
بیشتر به مسخره بودن دلسوزی در دنیای مدرن می پردازه.اینکه نمی خواهی کسی رو ناراحت کنی ولی آخرش این توئی که مورد حمله قرار می گیره.یه چیزایی تو مایه اصل تنازع بقا
:منو یاد این جمله معروف قیصر می انداخت
این مرام روزگاره؛ نکشی می کشند
:داستان اتو استاپ
در این داستان دختری خجالتی بخاطر یک بازی و اصرار دوس پسرش، از مرز شرم و حیا رد میشه و دوس پسرش در این می ماند که معشوقش هم مثل همه زنهای بدکاره این بی شرمی در وجودش داره!؟
و در نتیجه علاقه و احترامی که به معشوقش داشت کمرنگ می شود.او این زنها را می شناسد چون بارها با آنها بوده است و از دوست دخترش انتظار دیگری دارد.این جنبه طنز قضیه است
:مرده های قدیم باید برای مرده های جدید جا باز کنند
این مبارزه زنی با خودش است با خودی که پسرش او را به این زندگی ناخواسته محکوم کرده است
او باید انتخاب کند بین از زندگی روی گرداندن بخاطر ماندن یادگارها و خاطرات زیبا
یا در زندگی غوطه ور شدن برای لذت بردن از آن
هیچ دلیلی وجود نداشت که یادگار ها را به زندگی ترجیح بدهد؛
مرد جوانی که 15 سال از وی کوچکتر بود کنارش نشسته بود احتمالا آخرین مردی
..بود که به او التماس میکرد و در عین حال ،می توانست داشته باشدش
این افکاری است که در ذهن زن داستان می گذرد و میل به زندگی،زندان خود ساخته پیری و بدون لذت را در هم می شکند
و به مرد جوان می گوید که حق باتوست، چرا باید باتو بجنگم؟
یعنی چرا باید با زندگی جنگید؟
:داستان ادوارد و خدا
!آدمی که نمیتواند هیچ کس و هیچ چیز را جدی بگیرد زندگی غم انگیزی دارد
جوانی که از چیزی هایی چون ریا و دروغ و.. متنفر است وقتی بعنوان معلم مدرسه انتخاب می شود باید چنین نقشی را بپذیرد. وی این نقش را فقط شوخی می داند تا بتواند به زندگی در این جامعه ادامه بدهد
شاید کوندرا یک جوری دارد تصمیم به مهاجرت از چک را توجیه می کند که اگر بماند سرنوشتی بهتر از ادوارد نخواهد داشت
کوندرا شاید بیشتر از هر نویسنده دیگری جملات و فصل های کتابش در کشور ما حذف شده اند
و خواننده ایرانی با یک اثر ناقص روبه روست که هیچگاه نمی تواند به برداشتی که از کتاب دارد اطمینان داشته باشد
:داستان هیچکس نخواهد خندید
بیشتر به مسخره بودن دلسوزی در دنیای مدرن می پردازه.اینکه نمی خواهی کسی رو ناراحت کنی ولی آخرش این توئی که مورد حمله قرار می گیره.یه چیزایی تو مایه اصل تنازع بقا
:منو یاد این جمله معروف قیصر می انداخت
این مرام روزگاره؛ نکشی می کشند
:داستان اتو استاپ
در این داستان دختری خجالتی بخاطر یک بازی و اصرار دوس پسرش، از مرز شرم و حیا رد میشه و دوس پسرش در این می ماند که معشوقش هم مثل همه زنهای بدکاره این بی شرمی در وجودش داره!؟
و در نتیجه علاقه و احترامی که به معشوقش داشت کمرنگ می شود.او این زنها را می شناسد چون بارها با آنها بوده است و از دوست دخترش انتظار دیگری دارد.این جنبه طنز قضیه است
:مرده های قدیم باید برای مرده های جدید جا باز کنند
این مبارزه زنی با خودش است با خودی که پسرش او را به این زندگی ناخواسته محکوم کرده است
او باید انتخاب کند بین از زندگی روی گرداندن بخاطر ماندن یادگارها و خاطرات زیبا
یا در زندگی غوطه ور شدن برای لذت بردن از آن
هیچ دلیلی وجود نداشت که یادگار ها را به زندگی ترجیح بدهد؛
مرد جوانی که 15 سال از وی کوچکتر بود کنارش نشسته بود احتمالا آخرین مردی
..بود که به او التماس میکرد و در عین حال ،می توانست داشته باشدش
این افکاری است که در ذهن زن داستان می گذرد و میل به زندگی،زندان خود ساخته پیری و بدون لذت را در هم می شکند
و به مرد جوان می گوید که حق باتوست، چرا باید باتو بجنگم؟
یعنی چرا باید با زندگی جنگید؟
:داستان ادوارد و خدا
!آدمی که نمیتواند هیچ کس و هیچ چیز را جدی بگیرد زندگی غم انگیزی دارد
جوانی که از چیزی هایی چون ریا و دروغ و.. متنفر است وقتی بعنوان معلم مدرسه انتخاب می شود باید چنین نقشی را بپذیرد. وی این نقش را فقط شوخی می داند تا بتواند به زندگی در این جامعه ادامه بدهد
شاید کوندرا یک جوری دارد تصمیم به مهاجرت از چک را توجیه می کند که اگر بماند سرنوشتی بهتر از ادوارد نخواهد داشت
Read
February 26, 2007how can somebody be so clever to create stories from things we don't think would deserve to be a story!
August 5, 2009
Short stories from Milan Kundera, author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being. These stories are fiction, of course, with the subject matter typically dealing with romance, sex, and relationships. It's an easy, enjoyable read, but there's a genius to it, in that the stories contain so many lessons, that if they weren't fictionalized, the book could appropriately be labeled self-help, philosophy, or psychology. (Most of the stories contain some combination of the three.) In this sense, Kundera reminds me of Dostoevsky. But Kundera is more cerebral and observation based; whereas Dostoevsky seems to be more from the gut, with perhaps deeper, but less widely canvassed probing.
Despite all the sex, Kundera's world is not happy one -- nor is it a sad one. Like all of our lives, the lives of his characters go back and fourth between happiness, sadness, and desperation, with varying levels of confidence inbetween -- some due to situation and external circumstance, some due to personal psychology. They constantly go through changes in perception, and undergo new realizations. Some of these paradigm shifts are foolish, while some are accurate and profound: our misunderstandings of others, ourselves, and our relationships, yes: but the stories are also about our misunderstandings of situations, and our screwed up concepts of life in general.
I wonder if a great book can altogether avoid the subject of death. Death is a part of a pulsing existentialism that permeates my three favorite stories from this collection: Symposium (read this when you're drinking wine: it may be the funniest short story I've ever read: light, happenstance irony, but with a masterfully profound ending), Let the Old Dead Make Room for the Young Dead, and Eduard and God (the book's last story, which has an intelligent, life affirming intensity to it, making it the perfect closing to this impressive collection).
It's true that some of these stories are heartbreaking, and, some of the relationships within them, fucked up. But frankly, relationships are fucked up, and life is unfortunately, sometimes heartbreaking.
Brilliant work here: I can't wait to read my next Kundera.
Despite all the sex, Kundera's world is not happy one -- nor is it a sad one. Like all of our lives, the lives of his characters go back and fourth between happiness, sadness, and desperation, with varying levels of confidence inbetween -- some due to situation and external circumstance, some due to personal psychology. They constantly go through changes in perception, and undergo new realizations. Some of these paradigm shifts are foolish, while some are accurate and profound: our misunderstandings of others, ourselves, and our relationships, yes: but the stories are also about our misunderstandings of situations, and our screwed up concepts of life in general.
I wonder if a great book can altogether avoid the subject of death. Death is a part of a pulsing existentialism that permeates my three favorite stories from this collection: Symposium (read this when you're drinking wine: it may be the funniest short story I've ever read: light, happenstance irony, but with a masterfully profound ending), Let the Old Dead Make Room for the Young Dead, and Eduard and God (the book's last story, which has an intelligent, life affirming intensity to it, making it the perfect closing to this impressive collection).
It's true that some of these stories are heartbreaking, and, some of the relationships within them, fucked up. But frankly, relationships are fucked up, and life is unfortunately, sometimes heartbreaking.
Brilliant work here: I can't wait to read my next Kundera.
February 20, 2020
so boring - Kundera is trying to be comedically self-aware and philosophically profound but is simply just a misogynist trying to pass off woman-hating blabbering as a deep and true portrait of the inner male psyche. maybe this is a true portrait of his inner psyche? which makes me like it even less. by the end, i thought i would die if i had to read one more sentence about the game of chasing women and getting them into bed or the importance of an attractive female body. We seriously don’t need to canonize this narrative of straight male seduction and female objectification anymore - this is old news, and not interesting or inspiring.
July 29, 2020
نجتاز الحاضر بعيون معصوبة، وأقصى ما نستطيعه هو ان نشعر ونخمّن ما نعيشه
- سبع قصص قصيرة، من أعمال كونديرا الأولى، كتبها بين عامي 1959 و 1968. القصص تدور حول الغراميات المرحة، فن الإغواء، سياسة التلاعب بالألفاظ في العلاقة الجنسية، الألعاب العاطفية، الدعابات السوداء – الخبيثة احياناً-، مثلث الدين-الجنس-السياسة وغيرها من الثيمات التي تدور في الفلك ذاته.
نحن لا ندرك ما عشناه ونفهم معناه إلا لاحقاً، عندما تزول العصابة عن أعيننا، ونعيد تفحّص الماضي
- تراوحت القصص من حيث المستوى، كلها كانت جيدة، لكن الفارق في قيمة الإستطرادات الفلسفية او تحميل المعاني الذي يبرع فيه كونديرا، فأتت القصة الثالثة والأخيرة على رأس المجموعة.
اظن ان الحب بين الرجل والمرأة يترابط عندما لا يعيشان معاً، وحين لا يعرف أحدهما عن الآخر سوى شيء واحد: أنه موجود، وان كلاهما ممتنّ للآخر لأنهما موجودان، ويعرفان انهما موجودان. وهذا يكفيهما ليشعرا بالسعادة
- استعمل كونديرا تقنية الرواي العليم، وأجرى ما اجراه على لسان الشخصيات من تحليل للحركة (اي حركة) واعطائها ابعاداً وجودية وخلق التناقضات او التوقعات المختلفة بين شخصية واخرى.
- كل نهاية لقصة كانت بداية جديدة مفتوحة على العديد من الإحتمالات رغم ان كونديرا يترك أثراً بسيطاً لقارئه بأن يتبعه، لكنه ايضاً لا يلزمه بهذا الخط للنهاية ويتركه ليتخيّل النهاية على مزاجه.
- "لا احد سيضحك" كانت قصة جيدة جداً، ستظهر لك خطورة معاني كلمات الثناء، "التفاحة الذهب للشهوة الخالدة" كانت مضحكة جداً، "المسامرة" كانت جيدة بنى كونديرا العديد من التضادات فيها بصورة ممتازة، "ليخل الموتى القدامى المكان للموتى الجدد" كانت رائعة، واقعية بشكل رهيب، "الدكتور هافيل بعد عشرين عاماً" كانت ايضاً جيدة.
* "لعبة الأوتوستوب"، هي القصة الأفضل بعد الأخيرة (تالياً)، لن اتحدث عنها بل سأتحدث عما يشبهها في ثقافتنا، لعبة "الأمر والحقيقة" التي اعتدنا لعبها لنسأل او لنقول ما لا نجرؤ على قوله او فعله بالحالة العادية، والجميع يستقبلها برحابة صدر رغم ان الرسالة التي نخشاها او نوّد سماعها تكون قد قيلت. الألعاب تكشف نفسية اللاعب، راقب مجموعة تلعب بالورق وستعرف من طريقة حديثهم من يكّن الكره للآخر او يدفن الحقد، من تقلت ضحكته الساخرة لخسارة الآخر! القصة عبقرية.
- "إدوارد والرب"، أفضل قصة قصيرة كتبها كونديرا، وقد قرأتها سابقاً، مثلث الدين – الجنس – السياسة، كان هائلاً وهذه مراجعتها المفصلة:
إدوارد والرب
ان الصيّاد الحق يعيد الى الماء الأسماك الصغيرة
- مجموعة ممتعة، مضحكة وايروتيكية بأغلبها
April 5, 2023
We pass through the present with our eyes blindfolded. We are permitted merely to sense and guess at what we are actually experiencing. Only later when the cloth is untied can we glance at the past and find out what we have experienced and what meaning it has.
Laughable Loves ~~ Milan Kundera
My friend, Thomas & I were talking books back in February when the topic of Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being came up. I said it was my favorite read of 2022, and that I wanted to explore more Kundera. It turns out so did Thomas. We also wanted to do another buddy read and so we settled on reading Laughable Loves. It was a win/win ~~ a buddy read with one of my best friends, and the chance to explore an author whose work really intrigues me.
This collection of seven short stories by Kundera first appeared in Czechoslovakia in 1968, during the thaw in the communist dictatorship known as the Prague Spring ~~ it was soon banned after the Russian invasion of August 1968 to reassert communist censorship and oppression.
These stories are about sex ~~ not love ~~ SEX ~~ well to be honest, these are about the absurd delusions and preposterous behavior sex provokes in people ~~ especially men. One thing that struck both Thomas and me was that Kundera’s protagonists are rarely, if ever likeable.
Once more, Kundera focuses on people who are deeply rooted in their core beliefs. The stories present young couples, the elderly, divorcees who look back at missed opportunities and now desire a new chance to experience those missed opportunities. There are people who play pranks on lovers with dramatic consequences on their life; there are men who resort to religion, not because they believe in God, but because it offers an escape from a tough life that should not be taken too seriously; there are women who want a new chance not so much to love, but to feel loved and be able to give themselves away the way they had never allowed themselves to do it before.
Before I conclude this review, I want to give a shoutout to my bestie, Srđan he introduced me to Kundera, and for that I am very grateful.
Laughable Loves is filled with brilliance throughout and does not disappoint in anyway. Kundera shares splendid gems of wisdom, quirky characters and an animal eroticism that made me fall in love with his work all over again. Highly recommended.
Laughable Loves ~~ Milan Kundera
My friend, Thomas & I were talking books back in February when the topic of Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being came up. I said it was my favorite read of 2022, and that I wanted to explore more Kundera. It turns out so did Thomas. We also wanted to do another buddy read and so we settled on reading Laughable Loves. It was a win/win ~~ a buddy read with one of my best friends, and the chance to explore an author whose work really intrigues me.
This collection of seven short stories by Kundera first appeared in Czechoslovakia in 1968, during the thaw in the communist dictatorship known as the Prague Spring ~~ it was soon banned after the Russian invasion of August 1968 to reassert communist censorship and oppression.
These stories are about sex ~~ not love ~~ SEX ~~ well to be honest, these are about the absurd delusions and preposterous behavior sex provokes in people ~~ especially men. One thing that struck both Thomas and me was that Kundera’s protagonists are rarely, if ever likeable.
Once more, Kundera focuses on people who are deeply rooted in their core beliefs. The stories present young couples, the elderly, divorcees who look back at missed opportunities and now desire a new chance to experience those missed opportunities. There are people who play pranks on lovers with dramatic consequences on their life; there are men who resort to religion, not because they believe in God, but because it offers an escape from a tough life that should not be taken too seriously; there are women who want a new chance not so much to love, but to feel loved and be able to give themselves away the way they had never allowed themselves to do it before.
Before I conclude this review, I want to give a shoutout to my bestie, Srđan he introduced me to Kundera, and for that I am very grateful.
Laughable Loves is filled with brilliance throughout and does not disappoint in anyway. Kundera shares splendid gems of wisdom, quirky characters and an animal eroticism that made me fall in love with his work all over again. Highly recommended.
July 22, 2026
Laughable Loves was a colorful, entertaining collection of short stories from acclaimed Czech-French writer Milan Kundera. In quintessential Kundera style every story by hook or crook has some connection to the hedonistic "pursuit of pleasure" (to put it euphemistically). Like in the Unbearable Lightness of Being debauchery, lust and infidelity are central themes in this anthology. While it is understandable that this topic might be triggering or off-putting to some people, I nevertheless found Laughable Loves to be an intriguing read from the standpoint of the art of storytelling.
Kundera, is undeniably masterful in weaving these tales, which often start in a mundane fashion and end bizarrely. Almost to the point of hilarious absurdity - which perhaps inspired the book's title, Laughable Loves. My favorite stories from this collection of seven tales, are The Hitchhiking Game, Symposium, and Eduard and God. Each of these stories are somehow relatable to everyday life - a roadtrip by a young couple in love, a literature professor avoiding writing a book review because he cannot tell the author no to his face, and a young man who feigns being religious to pursue a girl that he has a crush on. Yet, Kundera succeeds in masterfully twisting these narratives in unexpected, creative ways which are enthralling despite the "low brow" subject matter. This was definitely a solid 4 ⭐ read, purely for the finesse in Kundera's storytelling!
Kundera, is undeniably masterful in weaving these tales, which often start in a mundane fashion and end bizarrely. Almost to the point of hilarious absurdity - which perhaps inspired the book's title, Laughable Loves. My favorite stories from this collection of seven tales, are The Hitchhiking Game, Symposium, and Eduard and God. Each of these stories are somehow relatable to everyday life - a roadtrip by a young couple in love, a literature professor avoiding writing a book review because he cannot tell the author no to his face, and a young man who feigns being religious to pursue a girl that he has a crush on. Yet, Kundera succeeds in masterfully twisting these narratives in unexpected, creative ways which are enthralling despite the "low brow" subject matter. This was definitely a solid 4 ⭐ read, purely for the finesse in Kundera's storytelling!
February 17, 2007
I like Kundra because he doesn’t imprison me in a fastened frame of a classic narration. Reading Kundra seems as if you meet an old friend after ages in a cafe shop, and while she/he relates her / his life story, you zip your coffee, listen to the cafe music, hear some chats and laughs at nabouring tables, look at the peddlers at side walk, or a passing tramvay, … as life is flowing around, ….
کوندرا را به این دلیل بسیار دوست دارم که مرا در چهارچوب بسته ی یک روایت زندانی نمی کند. خواندن کونرا مثل این است که دوستی را پس از سال ها در یک کافه ملاقات کنید و در حالی که به قصه ی روزگار رفته ی او گوش می دهید، قهوه تان را می نوشید، به موسیقی که از بلندگوی کافه پخش می شود، گوش می کنید، گهگاه متوجه ی صحبت ها و خنده هایی از میزهای کناری می شوید، صدای عبور و مرور خیابان در پس پشت این همه جاری ست، دوره گردی چیزی می فروشد، عبور تراموای، و همه چیز، درست مثل خود زندگی، ...
عشق های خنده دار، با ترجمه ی فروغ پوریاوری به فارسی منتشر شده1371
کوندرا را به این دلیل بسیار دوست دارم که مرا در چهارچوب بسته ی یک روایت زندانی نمی کند. خواندن کونرا مثل این است که دوستی را پس از سال ها در یک کافه ملاقات کنید و در حالی که به قصه ی روزگار رفته ی او گوش می دهید، قهوه تان را می نوشید، به موسیقی که از بلندگوی کافه پخش می شود، گوش می کنید، گهگاه متوجه ی صحبت ها و خنده هایی از میزهای کناری می شوید، صدای عبور و مرور خیابان در پس پشت این همه جاری ست، دوره گردی چیزی می فروشد، عبور تراموای، و همه چیز، درست مثل خود زندگی، ...
عشق های خنده دار، با ترجمه ی فروغ پوریاوری به فارسی منتشر شده1371
September 30, 2023
Poruszające, niektóre absurdalne, ale w jakiś sposób wszystkie równie mocno chwytające za serce. Kundera z wielką lekkością i ulotnością pisze o miłościach i miłostkach, smutku i radości, skrytych pod skomplikowanymi relacjami.
May 18, 2008
well, though i'm currently not quite winning at the game of love, it's some consolation to know that the rest of the human race is losing right along with me. and isn't that just hilarious??
July 9, 2024
Ach, meine Damen und Herren, traurig lebt der Mensch, wenn er nichts und niemanden ernst nehmen kann. Dieser Satz aus der letzten Erzählung fasst das ganze Buch zusammen. Die handelnden Personen lieben sich links und rechts, leben die ansonsten beschränkte Freiheit in ihren erotischen Beziehungen aus, finden aber keine Erfüllung. Selbst die ehrliche tiefe Liebe stellt sich als ein lächerliches Missverständnis heraus.
Ich tue mich schwer mit dem Männer- und Frauenbild in diesen Erzählungen. Trotz Sozialismus sind sie geprägt von einem steinzeitlichen Rollenverständnis von Jäger und Gejagter, wobei dem Jäger natürlich ein Harem zusteht. Trotzdem habe die Erzählungen mit Interesse und Freude an Konstruktion, Konstellation und Sprachwitz gelesen.
Ich tue mich schwer mit dem Männer- und Frauenbild in diesen Erzählungen. Trotz Sozialismus sind sie geprägt von einem steinzeitlichen Rollenverständnis von Jäger und Gejagter, wobei dem Jäger natürlich ein Harem zusteht. Trotzdem habe die Erzählungen mit Interesse und Freude an Konstruktion, Konstellation und Sprachwitz gelesen.
July 14, 2013
عجيب هذا الميلان كونديرا... لم أقرأ لمن يكتب بمثل هذا العمق في النفس البشرية مثله الى الآن، وان كنت منذ فترة قد أُخذت بغريب ألبير كامو فلا أعرف حقاً ماذا أصف غراميات كونديرا هاهنا!!
شخصياته هنا حقيقية الى درجة مخيفة، فأنت لا ترى أي من أقنعة كارل يونغ على هذه الشخصيات بل تصدمك بواقعيتها، وقاحتها، تكرهها الى درجة المقت وتلعنها... ويا لبؤس الفتيات في هذه المعادلة.
تحدث هنا عن الكذب، الاخلاص، الشيخوخة، الوحدة، الشباب، الحب، الجسد، ألاعيب الرجال، مكر الشيوخ، سذاجة الفتيات وذلك الولع اللعين بالاستمرار باللعب حتى لو انتهت اللعبة... اللامبالاة والعبثية المشوبة بفلسفة عميقة لا تستطيع أن تنكر أنك صادفت احداها في حياتك ان لم تكن فلسفتك أنت!!
يقول كونديرا على لسان أحد شخصياته: "تصوّر أنك صادفت مجنونًا و ادّعى أمامك أنّه سمكة، و أننا جميعًا سمك. أتراك تجادله؟ أتراك تتعرى أمامه لتقنعه بأنك لا تملك زعانف؟ أتراك تقول له صراحة ما تفكر فيه؟ هيّا قل لي! لو أنك قلت له الحقيقة فحسب، و اقتصرت على إخباره برأيك الحقيقي فيه، فمعنى هذا أنك توافق على الخوض في نقاش جاد مع مجنون، و أنّك أنت نفسك مجنون كذلك. ينطبق هذا بالضبط على العالم الذي يحيط بنا. فإذا أصررت على أن تقول له الحقيقة بصراحة، فهذا معناه أنّك تأخذهُ على محمل الجد. و أخذُ شيئ غير جاد على محمل الجدّ معناه أننا نفقد كل جدّيتنا. فأنا مضطر للكذب لكي لا آخذ مجانين على محمل الجدّ و كي لا أصاب أنا أيضًا بالجنون."... وغيرها الكثير من العبارات التي تجعلك تتوقف وتطلق صفير الاعجاب أو تصفق لا لشيء بل لتلك الجمل التي تحفزك رغماً عنك على التفكير... بفلسفتك وفلسفة اللآخرين من حولك في هذه الحياة.
كونديرا بأسلوبه السلس المشوب بالسخرية الواقعية تدفعك الى حافة البؤس أحياناً والى حافة الشقاء أحياناً أخرى وتستوقفك عبارة تلك الأرملة وتفكر هل يا ترى: "على الموتى القدامى أن يخلوا المكان للموتى الجدد"؟
شخصياته هنا حقيقية الى درجة مخيفة، فأنت لا ترى أي من أقنعة كارل يونغ على هذه الشخصيات بل تصدمك بواقعيتها، وقاحتها، تكرهها الى درجة المقت وتلعنها... ويا لبؤس الفتيات في هذه المعادلة.
تحدث هنا عن الكذب، الاخلاص، الشيخوخة، الوحدة، الشباب، الحب، الجسد، ألاعيب الرجال، مكر الشيوخ، سذاجة الفتيات وذلك الولع اللعين بالاستمرار باللعب حتى لو انتهت اللعبة... اللامبالاة والعبثية المشوبة بفلسفة عميقة لا تستطيع أن تنكر أنك صادفت احداها في حياتك ان لم تكن فلسفتك أنت!!
يقول كونديرا على لسان أحد شخصياته: "تصوّر أنك صادفت مجنونًا و ادّعى أمامك أنّه سمكة، و أننا جميعًا سمك. أتراك تجادله؟ أتراك تتعرى أمامه لتقنعه بأنك لا تملك زعانف؟ أتراك تقول له صراحة ما تفكر فيه؟ هيّا قل لي! لو أنك قلت له الحقيقة فحسب، و اقتصرت على إخباره برأيك الحقيقي فيه، فمعنى هذا أنك توافق على الخوض في نقاش جاد مع مجنون، و أنّك أنت نفسك مجنون كذلك. ينطبق هذا بالضبط على العالم الذي يحيط بنا. فإذا أصررت على أن تقول له الحقيقة بصراحة، فهذا معناه أنّك تأخذهُ على محمل الجد. و أخذُ شيئ غير جاد على محمل الجدّ معناه أننا نفقد كل جدّيتنا. فأنا مضطر للكذب لكي لا آخذ مجانين على محمل الجدّ و كي لا أصاب أنا أيضًا بالجنون."... وغيرها الكثير من العبارات التي تجعلك تتوقف وتطلق صفير الاعجاب أو تصفق لا لشيء بل لتلك الجمل التي تحفزك رغماً عنك على التفكير... بفلسفتك وفلسفة اللآخرين من حولك في هذه الحياة.
كونديرا بأسلوبه السلس المشوب بالسخرية الواقعية تدفعك الى حافة البؤس أحياناً والى حافة الشقاء أحياناً أخرى وتستوقفك عبارة تلك الأرملة وتفكر هل يا ترى: "على الموتى القدامى أن يخلوا المكان للموتى الجدد"؟
October 23, 2009
Little white lies turn into existential crises, and hefty debates arise between knowledge and truth: It's Kundera. As one of his earlier works, Laughable Loves is more simple and honest than others that I've read, and therefore extremely subtle its nuances. It's not as beautiful as his later writing, but there's beauty in that.
Kundera is a master at pointing out the flaws in intimate relationships that nobody ever cares to mention: the love of impossible imperfections, the desire to cheat (and the ease of getting away with it), and he captures perfectly the empty feeling that comes with the first time you sleep with someone with no emotional attachment and then spend the night anyway. His characters are lost in love, lost in lust, lost in politics, lost in education -- and he reveals the fact that in this world, we all have "other" passions, but nothing drives us more than the anticipation of the next time we'll get laid.
Free love in the 60's, comrade. There is no God.
Kundera is a master at pointing out the flaws in intimate relationships that nobody ever cares to mention: the love of impossible imperfections, the desire to cheat (and the ease of getting away with it), and he captures perfectly the empty feeling that comes with the first time you sleep with someone with no emotional attachment and then spend the night anyway. His characters are lost in love, lost in lust, lost in politics, lost in education -- and he reveals the fact that in this world, we all have "other" passions, but nothing drives us more than the anticipation of the next time we'll get laid.
Free love in the 60's, comrade. There is no God.
August 23, 2014
I dunno. I remembered liking this more, but it is a tell-tale sign when I can't remember anything else about a book—as the really good'uns sear themselves into your poetic memory, don't they, so that you have to carry them with you, like it or lump it, through time (it does get kinda heavy, then, don't it, reelin' in the years).
But with this one? No, nothing, as re-reading each story was like an entirely new encounter. And an encounter, not a love story—and yes, Kundera is one of my top faves, up there with Pynchon, DeLillo and Amis(-fils), so it kinda hurt to see some stories going nowhere, or ending nowhere (and I don't just mean in terms of plot). Or, worse, showing signs of the misogyny MK has been accused of (and which I have never detected in his other books, but what do I know?)
But they are early stories, admittedly, with the earliest dating back to 1958, so it is wrong to expect of them the breadth of learning or the depth of feeling or the sheer polyphonic and structural chutzpah of, say, these two gems:
or
.
What is most interesting about them is seeing Kundera's later obsessions taking root—the dichotomy of body and soul, the unreality or inessential nature of a life beset by chance events ("fortuities"), the fumbling, stumbling, ultimately futile assertions/arrogations of the conscious subject to master (if not comprehend or come to terms with) the outrageous, often conflicting demands of whatever is unconsciously driving it through weightless time. That was most gratifying. But this is not the parthenogenetic Kundera, nor seminal Kundera. This is Kundera in utero. So to speak.
But with this one? No, nothing, as re-reading each story was like an entirely new encounter. And an encounter, not a love story—and yes, Kundera is one of my top faves, up there with Pynchon, DeLillo and Amis(-fils), so it kinda hurt to see some stories going nowhere, or ending nowhere (and I don't just mean in terms of plot). Or, worse, showing signs of the misogyny MK has been accused of (and which I have never detected in his other books, but what do I know?)
But they are early stories, admittedly, with the earliest dating back to 1958, so it is wrong to expect of them the breadth of learning or the depth of feeling or the sheer polyphonic and structural chutzpah of, say, these two gems:
or
. What is most interesting about them is seeing Kundera's later obsessions taking root—the dichotomy of body and soul, the unreality or inessential nature of a life beset by chance events ("fortuities"), the fumbling, stumbling, ultimately futile assertions/arrogations of the conscious subject to master (if not comprehend or come to terms with) the outrageous, often conflicting demands of whatever is unconsciously driving it through weightless time. That was most gratifying. But this is not the parthenogenetic Kundera, nor seminal Kundera. This is Kundera in utero. So to speak.
March 15, 2021
“Yes, it's a well-known fact about you: you're like death, you take everything.”
― Milan Kundera, Laughable Loves
Laughable Loves contains seven of Milan Kundera's short stories about love, absurdity, jokes, and the consequences of jokes. Some of the stories were almost painful to read, but all were well-crafted and had me questioning several assumptions about pleasure and experience. After reading several Kundera it is hard, however, to not take notice of his hostility toward women. It isn't just objectification, it is a meanness that exists. But, I also notice the men in his stories aren't treated with much more affection, so I'm trapped wondering if it is a bold misogyny or a general misanthropy where the accent falls on the female of our species.
The stories were:
1. The Hitchhiking Game ★★★★
2. Let the Old Dead Make Room for the Young Dead ★★★
3. Nobody Will Laugh ★★★★★
4. The Golden Apple of Eternal Desire ★★★★
5. Symposium ★★★★★
6. Dr. Havel After 10 Years ★★★★
7. Edward and God ★★★★
I didn't like many of the characters, but Kundera winds the absurd clocks in these stories and you can almost feel the tension of the consequences getting closer and closer. This is probably the third book in the Penguin series 'Writers from the Other Europe' that I've read. I've started off with Kundera because he seems like a sensible and familiar place to start this series, but I'm excited to examine others in the series.
― Milan Kundera, Laughable Loves
Laughable Loves contains seven of Milan Kundera's short stories about love, absurdity, jokes, and the consequences of jokes. Some of the stories were almost painful to read, but all were well-crafted and had me questioning several assumptions about pleasure and experience. After reading several Kundera it is hard, however, to not take notice of his hostility toward women. It isn't just objectification, it is a meanness that exists. But, I also notice the men in his stories aren't treated with much more affection, so I'm trapped wondering if it is a bold misogyny or a general misanthropy where the accent falls on the female of our species.
The stories were:
1. The Hitchhiking Game ★★★★
2. Let the Old Dead Make Room for the Young Dead ★★★
3. Nobody Will Laugh ★★★★★
4. The Golden Apple of Eternal Desire ★★★★
5. Symposium ★★★★★
6. Dr. Havel After 10 Years ★★★★
7. Edward and God ★★★★
I didn't like many of the characters, but Kundera winds the absurd clocks in these stories and you can almost feel the tension of the consequences getting closer and closer. This is probably the third book in the Penguin series 'Writers from the Other Europe' that I've read. I've started off with Kundera because he seems like a sensible and familiar place to start this series, but I'm excited to examine others in the series.
October 3, 2017
آه أيها السادة كم هو حزين أن يعيش المرء وهو غير قادر على أن ياخذ شيئًا أو "شخصًا على محمل الجد"
September 25, 2018
بعد هذه المجموعة أيقنت أنني لا بد أن أنتهي من عالم كونديرا كله. منذ شهور لم يدفعني كاتب للخوض في عالمه والكتابة عنه.
عالم كونديرا بسيط في ظاهره وأحداثه، معقد في تشابك شخصياته وبلورة تعقيدات الشعور الإنساني. معه نلمس مختلف لعبثية الجد وجدية العبث.
عالم كونديرا بسيط في ظاهره وأحداثه، معقد في تشابك شخصياته وبلورة تعقيدات الشعور الإنساني. معه نلمس مختلف لعبثية الجد وجدية العبث.
February 6, 2013
تذكرت عنوانا لفيلم نحن لا نكذب ولكننا نتجمل !
وهكذا فيم يبدو
كلنا نكذب بشكل أو بآخر
ولكل منا أسبابه وأسراره هناك من يفعلها لتحسين صورته وهناك من يفعلها
لمجرد العادة ليصبح الواقع مزيجا ساخرا ما بين الحقيقة والمظاهر الزائفة
عن هذا وعن الوحدة الشيخوخة ، الرفض والخضوع كتب كونديرا سبعة قصص تدور في مجملها ما بين حب الذات وحب الآخر ، الإنجذاب وبلا شك الجنس
وفي الوقت الذي يدعوك هذا الكتاب أن تبتسم بسبب أسلوبه المدهش والساخر إلى شخصياته المستفزة إلا إنه يدفعك للتأمل لأنه خاض عميقا في تغير المواقف الإنسانية وتقلباتها وتناقضاتها وجنونها التي ينتج عنها غرابة في التصرفات وفي بحر تتشابك وتتعقد فيه العلاقات الإنسانية ..العاطفية والعقلانية فتبدو تلك العلاقات وكأنها لعبة تنتهي إما بالفوز أو الخسارة
والمزعج فيه أن المرأة لا تبدو أكثر من أداة مثيرة للغواية
إلى جانب هذه النزعة الفلسفية في أسلوب القص كونديرا
يكتب بأسلوب سهل وممتع قادر على شدك للمتابعة من أول صفحة وحتى حتى آخر صفحة
كونديرا حقا عبقري
December 11, 2014
I never expected that this book by Kundera would be so captivating, that it almost transfixed me in one place for one whole night and left me laughing. Human relationships, its intricacy and playfulness along with the subsisting absurdity which almost always creeps in, is excellently portrayed by Kundera. There is a doctor who rejects the ostensible proposal of a beautiful nurse to sleep with him although he almost makes out with uglier and older women than her; a young doctor who perfectly cooks up things in his head, to the point of rationalizing a suicide of a women that have no connection with him; a professor who loses his love yet take it as a comical tragedy; a book lover who hangs out with his promiscuous friend just for out of curiosity and as an interesting disorder from his routine. Although, at the outset, this seems like a fun, jolly read full of ironies, it is way beyond any imagination how the author came up with these themes. The stories are invariably light veined and good humoured without reducing any of the characters as caricatures. Perhaps, the poetic and lyrical prose of the author comes to his aid and saves him from slipping these stories to be records of mere incidents and accidents.
But, what makes me feel a bit disappointed about Kundera is his women. They are a bunch of irrationality, ironies, soft headed with weak attitudes, and too-often falls for men too-soon. While men, on the other hand, are the attractive variety, macho dudes, who can make any women to fall for them, and are ingenious enough to get away with it too. And, to my surprise and delight, most women who are married never cheats on her husband, remain faithful and honest to her man under all conditions, and it is always the men who goes for extra marital flings and relationships (Is that because that in reality too men cheat more? Is that the point?). That part, when I learn that Kundera is unable to sketch a strong woman character, breaks my heart. How much is missed in his glorious world by him by not bringing a complete woman!
My favorite stories in this collection are: The Golden Apple of Eternal Desire - About all those good number of men who are happily married but do chase women, if not for anything just for the sake of uncomplicated fun and and to all friendships with the so-called bad ones that comes into existence just for the sheer joy of curiosity. The Hitchhiking Game - Perhaps, one of the best short stories I have read. Kundera perfectly encaptures why some things or words should never be done or said in a relationship, not even as a joke or as a game. He says how all that is beautiful is sometimes killed by actions and words we slip around carelessly, and under the pretext of fun.
An excellent read!
But, what makes me feel a bit disappointed about Kundera is his women. They are a bunch of irrationality, ironies, soft headed with weak attitudes, and too-often falls for men too-soon. While men, on the other hand, are the attractive variety, macho dudes, who can make any women to fall for them, and are ingenious enough to get away with it too. And, to my surprise and delight, most women who are married never cheats on her husband, remain faithful and honest to her man under all conditions, and it is always the men who goes for extra marital flings and relationships (Is that because that in reality too men cheat more? Is that the point?). That part, when I learn that Kundera is unable to sketch a strong woman character, breaks my heart. How much is missed in his glorious world by him by not bringing a complete woman!
My favorite stories in this collection are: The Golden Apple of Eternal Desire - About all those good number of men who are happily married but do chase women, if not for anything just for the sake of uncomplicated fun and and to all friendships with the so-called bad ones that comes into existence just for the sheer joy of curiosity. The Hitchhiking Game - Perhaps, one of the best short stories I have read. Kundera perfectly encaptures why some things or words should never be done or said in a relationship, not even as a joke or as a game. He says how all that is beautiful is sometimes killed by actions and words we slip around carelessly, and under the pretext of fun.
An excellent read!
August 31, 2014
تبدو هذه القصص كأنها سقطت سهوًا من رواية (أو مجموعة روايات) لم تكتمل. ربما كانت فعلاً مشاريع لروايات قادمة، وربما أدرك كونديرا –في لحظةٍ ما- أنه لا يمكن أن يكتب هذه الروايات فقرر أن يقدمها كقصص طويلة!
ولكن من أنا لأحدد إن كانت "غراميات مرحة" رواية أم لا، وكونديرا أصلاً يرفض القالب النمطي للرواية ولا يعترف بالتعريف المتعارف عليه للرواية! لهذا السبب –ربما- ارتأت دار النشر أن تصنف هذا الكتاب كرواية لا كمجموعة قصصية
هذا وإن كان تصنيف الكتاب كرواية يخدع القارئ، من ناحية عدم اتفاقه مع المضمون، إلا أن العنوان –في المقابل- كان دقيقًا وصادقًا في المواءمة بينه وبين مضمون الكتاب!
في "غرامياته المرحة" هذه يشتغل كونديرا على العلاقات الإنسانية بين مجموعة متنوعة من الأشخاص، محاولاً النفاذ، كما هو دأبه، من خلالها إلى أعماق النفس البشرية ومعرفة خباياها وميولها الغامضة ومخاوفها ومباهجها. هذا بالضبط ما يميز كونديرا عن غيره من الأدباء، فبينما يسعى أبطال معظم الروايات إلى إثارة إعجاب القارئ، نجد أن شخصيات روايات كونديرا لا تبحث سوى عن قارئ يفهمها!
في القصة الأولى، وهي القصة التي أعجبتني أكثر من أي قصة أخرى لذلك سأخصص هذه المساحة للحديث عنها، يستعرض كونديرا مأزق أستاذ الفن التشكيلي المرموق، وهو مأزق وضع نفسه فيه بيديه، فقد كتب إطراءً سخيفًا على مسودة مقال ردئ أُرسل إليه بالبريد، وبدلاً من أن تُفهم كلماته على أنها مجاملة لا علاقة لها بالمقال، يعتبر صاحب المقال التعليق مدحًا وثناء، فيطلب من أستاذ الفن التشكيلي أن يكتب خطاباً لهيئة تحرير إحدى المجلات المتخصصة، التي ترفض نشر المقال، لكي ترضى بنشره. وعلى الرغم من تهرب الأستاذ من صاحب المقال، إلا أن الأخير يتحول إلى ما يشبه اللعنة التي تطارده في كل مكان، ويكشف –خلال ذلك- علاقة الأستاذ بعشيقته ويورطها في الموضوع.
في نهاية القصة يدرك الأستاذ حجم الخطأ الذي ارتكبه، فعبارات الإطراء التي نلقيها بصورة عفوية وعن حسن نية لأناس حمقى قد تتحول إلى مصدر بلاءٍ، يكشف الستار عن علاقة غرام مرحة كانت قبل ذلك تدور بعيداً من أعين الفضوليين
ولكن من أنا لأحدد إن كانت "غراميات مرحة" رواية أم لا، وكونديرا أصلاً يرفض القالب النمطي للرواية ولا يعترف بالتعريف المتعارف عليه للرواية! لهذا السبب –ربما- ارتأت دار النشر أن تصنف هذا الكتاب كرواية لا كمجموعة قصصية
هذا وإن كان تصنيف الكتاب كرواية يخدع القارئ، من ناحية عدم اتفاقه مع المضمون، إلا أن العنوان –في المقابل- كان دقيقًا وصادقًا في المواءمة بينه وبين مضمون الكتاب!
في "غرامياته المرحة" هذه يشتغل كونديرا على العلاقات الإنسانية بين مجموعة متنوعة من الأشخاص، محاولاً النفاذ، كما هو دأبه، من خلالها إلى أعماق النفس البشرية ومعرفة خباياها وميولها الغامضة ومخاوفها ومباهجها. هذا بالضبط ما يميز كونديرا عن غيره من الأدباء، فبينما يسعى أبطال معظم الروايات إلى إثارة إعجاب القارئ، نجد أن شخصيات روايات كونديرا لا تبحث سوى عن قارئ يفهمها!
في القصة الأولى، وهي القصة التي أعجبتني أكثر من أي قصة أخرى لذلك سأخصص هذه المساحة للحديث عنها، يستعرض كونديرا مأزق أستاذ الفن التشكيلي المرموق، وهو مأزق وضع نفسه فيه بيديه، فقد كتب إطراءً سخيفًا على مسودة مقال ردئ أُرسل إليه بالبريد، وبدلاً من أن تُفهم كلماته على أنها مجاملة لا علاقة لها بالمقال، يعتبر صاحب المقال التعليق مدحًا وثناء، فيطلب من أستاذ الفن التشكيلي أن يكتب خطاباً لهيئة تحرير إحدى المجلات المتخصصة، التي ترفض نشر المقال، لكي ترضى بنشره. وعلى الرغم من تهرب الأستاذ من صاحب المقال، إلا أن الأخير يتحول إلى ما يشبه اللعنة التي تطارده في كل مكان، ويكشف –خلال ذلك- علاقة الأستاذ بعشيقته ويورطها في الموضوع.
في نهاية القصة يدرك الأستاذ حجم الخطأ الذي ارتكبه، فعبارات الإطراء التي نلقيها بصورة عفوية وعن حسن نية لأناس حمقى قد تتحول إلى مصدر بلاءٍ، يكشف الستار عن علاقة غرام مرحة كانت قبل ذلك تدور بعيداً من أعين الفضوليين
July 28, 2016
Ritorno a leggere Kundera dopo un paio di anni e riesce sempre a stupirmi questo suo modo di raccontare.
"Amori ridicoli" è una raccolta di 7 racconti in cui Milan Kundera dà voce alle emozioni, alle sensazioni dei personaggi e anche il lettore si sente parte integrante, parte del tutto, come se fosse parte della storia.
I personaggi hanno qualcosa di Pirandelliano. Sembra fuggano da se stessi, da ciò che sono e si inventano altre vite, un'altra personalità, come accade in "Il falso autostop" con la protagonista che vorrebbe essere altro da sé:
"Spesso aveva desiderato di sentirsi libera nel proprio corpo, spensierata e serena, come accadeva alla maggioranza delle donne che le stavano accanto".
Un altro racconto molto bello è "Il simposio" in cui il rapporto tra amore e morte, morte e amore è talmente labile, tangibile, come se si potesse toccare.
Sono racconti in cui l'autore è molto bravo a raccontare le emozioni, le sensazioni, anche contrastanti del rapporto uomo - donna con le sue peculiarità e stranezze tipiche dell'animo umano.
"Amori ridicoli" è una raccolta di 7 racconti in cui Milan Kundera dà voce alle emozioni, alle sensazioni dei personaggi e anche il lettore si sente parte integrante, parte del tutto, come se fosse parte della storia.
I personaggi hanno qualcosa di Pirandelliano. Sembra fuggano da se stessi, da ciò che sono e si inventano altre vite, un'altra personalità, come accade in "Il falso autostop" con la protagonista che vorrebbe essere altro da sé:
"Spesso aveva desiderato di sentirsi libera nel proprio corpo, spensierata e serena, come accadeva alla maggioranza delle donne che le stavano accanto".
Un altro racconto molto bello è "Il simposio" in cui il rapporto tra amore e morte, morte e amore è talmente labile, tangibile, come se si potesse toccare.
Sono racconti in cui l'autore è molto bravo a raccontare le emozioni, le sensazioni, anche contrastanti del rapporto uomo - donna con le sue peculiarità e stranezze tipiche dell'animo umano.
September 2, 2019
به اندازه آهستگی دوسش نداشتم ولی در کل بد نبود.
بنظرم مهارت کوندرا توی داستان های کوتاه نوشتن کمتره ولی همچنان قلم و بیان خاص خودشو حفظ کرده بود.
از ویژگی های قلم کوندرا که خیلی دوسش دارم درونیات و افکار و احساسات انسانه که خیلی خیلی واقعی و در عین حال ساده بیان میکنه بدون این که در تلاش دائم برای توصیفات اغراق آمیز و حوصله سر بر باشه.
داستان ادوارد و خدا رو بیشتر از بقیه دوس داشتم. خیلی قشنگ ذات ناپایدار آدم ها و پایبندی های بی ثبات آدم ها رو در طول داستان نشون داد.
بنظرم مهارت کوندرا توی داستان های کوتاه نوشتن کمتره ولی همچنان قلم و بیان خاص خودشو حفظ کرده بود.
از ویژگی های قلم کوندرا که خیلی دوسش دارم درونیات و افکار و احساسات انسانه که خیلی خیلی واقعی و در عین حال ساده بیان میکنه بدون این که در تلاش دائم برای توصیفات اغراق آمیز و حوصله سر بر باشه.
داستان ادوارد و خدا رو بیشتر از بقیه دوس داشتم. خیلی قشنگ ذات ناپایدار آدم ها و پایبندی های بی ثبات آدم ها رو در طول داستان نشون داد.
March 1, 2020
The title should be: how to deprive women of dignity and turn them into sexual objects. I regret reading it, left me feeling sick.
July 3, 2026
I was surprised that this book is not a novel but a collection of seven short stories. The link is that there always is an alter ego of Kundera. And that with Kundera, love is seduction, not fidelity.
The alter egos
- The scientific assistant getting into a trouble very similar to Kundera's The Joke when he chooses to blame his girlfriend in order to avoid an unpleasant task.
- The ageing husband still out for the chase but not interested in the prey anymore.
- The young man getting aroused and angry by a roleplay with his inhibited girlfriend who suddenly performs in an unexpected way against her character.
- Story #4 has three of them dwelling on the erotic illusions men give themselves to, what attracts and deters erotic interest: the old doctor getting women by power, the middle-aged doctor being indiscriminating in his choices and the young doctor lying to himself regarding his attractiveness.
- The young man lusting for a widow of 50 years (facing the internal struggle between egoistic lust and maintaining her younger image) he meets again after 15 years.
- The middle-aged doctor from story #4, now 20 years older faced with the challenge to stay attractive.
- The assistant pretending to be religious to get his girlfriend to have sex with him, getting into trouble due to this.
The publishing year given for this collection is 1979. But the stories were written between 1963 and 1968. Three of them were already published in 1963, making them the earliest belletristic book publication of Kundera. The others were added later.
This explains why two of the stories (the first and the last) share the topic of a careless action leading to political trouble and ultimately the destruction of careers with Kundera's The Joke. He expanded this idea into this novel. The two stories also are the weakest stories of the book for me. I prefer Kundera's musings on men and women to his political statements. Even though these musings always are the same ones of a notorious womanizer (not sure if real or only in spirit).
The alter egos
- The scientific assistant getting into a trouble very similar to Kundera's The Joke when he chooses to blame his girlfriend in order to avoid an unpleasant task.
- The ageing husband still out for the chase but not interested in the prey anymore.
- The young man getting aroused and angry by a roleplay with his inhibited girlfriend who suddenly performs in an unexpected way against her character.
- Story #4 has three of them dwelling on the erotic illusions men give themselves to, what attracts and deters erotic interest: the old doctor getting women by power, the middle-aged doctor being indiscriminating in his choices and the young doctor lying to himself regarding his attractiveness.
- The young man lusting for a widow of 50 years (facing the internal struggle between egoistic lust and maintaining her younger image) he meets again after 15 years.
- The middle-aged doctor from story #4, now 20 years older faced with the challenge to stay attractive.
- The assistant pretending to be religious to get his girlfriend to have sex with him, getting into trouble due to this.
The publishing year given for this collection is 1979. But the stories were written between 1963 and 1968. Three of them were already published in 1963, making them the earliest belletristic book publication of Kundera. The others were added later.
This explains why two of the stories (the first and the last) share the topic of a careless action leading to political trouble and ultimately the destruction of careers with Kundera's The Joke. He expanded this idea into this novel. The two stories also are the weakest stories of the book for me. I prefer Kundera's musings on men and women to his political statements. Even though these musings always are the same ones of a notorious womanizer (not sure if real or only in spirit).
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