This is his eleventh fictional work. It is about a man named Alain, who has not seen his mother since his childhood; Ramon, an intellectual who has retired; D’Ardelo, a man who has a narcissistic personality; Charles and “Caliban” are two people who operate a catering firm; and Quaquelique is an old man who remains attracted to women. Milan Kundera is the narrator of the story The Festival of Insignificance and he acts as the lead protagonist amongst his four friends. Book Summary Casting light on the most serious of problems and at the same time saying not one serious sentence; being fascinated by the reality of the contemporary world and at the same time completely avoiding realism - that's The Festival of Insignificance . From the internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, an unexpected and enchanting novel—the culmination of his life's work. Quaquelique … Want to see an expanded study guide sooner? Click the Upvote button below. The Festival of Insignificance is a novel by Milan Kundera. Alain, one of the primary and central characters in the novel, walking down a Paris street, contemplates and philosophises about the different parts of a woman’s body and their powers of seduction. Casting light on the most serious of problems and at the same time saying not one serious sentence; being fascinated by the reality of the contemporary world and at the same time completely avoiding realism - that's The Festival of Insignificance. He values friendship because it establishes long-lasting relationships. The Festival of Insignificance is one of Milan Kundera's lesser known novels as well as an earlier work, but it contains his beloved tone of tortured apathy. In Friends are vital during the time of difficulties such as the Cold War which Kundera and his friends find themselves in. The The Festival of Insignificance Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and … Readers who know Kundera's earlier books know that the wish to incorporate an element of the "unserious" in a novel is not at all unexpected of him. This novel in particular treats political topics, most significantly Stalin.

Thank you for upvoting The Festival of Insignificance. We’re considering expanding this synopsis into a full-length study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why it's important. This summary of The Festival of Insignificance includes a complete plot overview – spoilers included! Upvote. The Festival of Insignificance shares its seven-part structure--as well as its themes of insignificance, philosophy, and sexual promiscuity--with the best-known of Kundera's works, the 1984 novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being ; however, The Festival of Insignifcance received generally negative reviews due to critics' perception of the ironic/satirical aspects as being forced. Kundera is popular for capturing a specific brand of cynicism the result of witnessing the Cold War in Eastern Europe.