Festival of insignificance
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Festival of insignificance
by Bethan H Mon Jun 05, 2017 12:32 pm
Hello,
Just to start with a 'marmite', I was given Milan Kundera's Festival of Insignificance for my birthday, after a positive recommendation.
With the short anecdotal chapters and memorable incidents, I can see the appeal, but I'm afraid that I found it to be pretentious clap-trap, with an assortment of self-centered characters navel-gazing. Indeed almost literally navel gazing, since the central motif of the seductive qualities of the female umbilicus got rather wearing! The narrative was punctuated by some pretty shocking incidents, and it felt almost voyeuristic, but with those incidents not really contributing to the narrative in any meaningful way.
On the positive side at 115 pages it is mercifully short.
I include it because it certainly provoked a reaction, even if a negative one, and it would be interesting to see if I have just completely missed the point.
Just to start with a 'marmite', I was given Milan Kundera's Festival of Insignificance for my birthday, after a positive recommendation.
With the short anecdotal chapters and memorable incidents, I can see the appeal, but I'm afraid that I found it to be pretentious clap-trap, with an assortment of self-centered characters navel-gazing. Indeed almost literally navel gazing, since the central motif of the seductive qualities of the female umbilicus got rather wearing! The narrative was punctuated by some pretty shocking incidents, and it felt almost voyeuristic, but with those incidents not really contributing to the narrative in any meaningful way.
On the positive side at 115 pages it is mercifully short.
I include it because it certainly provoked a reaction, even if a negative one, and it would be interesting to see if I have just completely missed the point.
Bethan H- Posts : 6
Join date : 2017-05-30
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