Czech Novelist Milan Kundera Passes Away At 94

Milan Kundera passed away on Tuesday, in Paris, at the age of 94.

Czech Novelist Milan Kundera Passes Away in Paris At 94

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New Delhi: Author of 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being', Milan Kundera passed away on Tuesday, in Paris, at the age of 94. On Wednesday, Anna Mrazova, spokeswoman for the Milan Kundera Library in his native city of Brno told AFP, "Unfortunately I can confirm that Mr Milan Kundera passed away yesterday (Tuesday) after a prolonged illness."

About Milan Kundera:

Kundera was a Czech-born French writer. He was also a playwright and an essayist. He rose to prominence as the most prominent Czech writer in the second part of the twentieth century, reaching out to the entire world.

Speaking of his most famous novel, 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being,' which begins wrenchingly with Soviet tanks rolling through Prague, the Czech capital that was the author's home until he moved to France in 1975--a tale in which he has spun themes of love and exile, politics, and a touch of emotions deeply personal. This novel brought him critical acclaim and a large readership among Westerners who appreciated both his anti-Soviet subversion and the eroticism that ran through many of his works.

Additionally, Kundera endeavoured to portray all that is captivating and absurd about life through his unique sarcasm and beautiful prose, reflecting on his personal experiences of being stripped of his Czech nationality for dissent.

Kundera was awarded the 1985 Jerusalem Prize, in 1987 the Austrian State Prize for European Literature, and the 2000 Herder Prize. In 2021, he received the Golden Order of Merit from the president of Slovenia

Early Life Of Kundera:

Kundera was born on April 1, 1929, in the town of Brno, in what was then Czechoslovakia. His father was a famous pianist. He studied in Prague, where he joined the Communist Party, translated Apollinaire, and composed his own poetry. He also taught at a film school where his students included the Oscar-winning director Milos Forman.