An invigorating novelistic essay, rich in literary wisdom, from the i nternational superstar author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

'A masterpiece.' Independent

'Nothing so much as a gauntlet, thrown down by Kundera for both novelists and their readers to pick up - if we dare. ' Observer

Stravinsky and Kafka meet with their friends Ansermet and Brod; Hemingway with his biographer; Janácek with his little nation; and Rabelais with his heirs. In Kundera's unique essay written in the form of a novel, our greatest novelists become characters who repeatedly cross paths, shedding light on the great aesthetic questions of our time along the way. Through their wise encounters, we explore the moral trials of twentieth century culture; the boundaries between past and present; the twilight of individualism; and the betrayed testaments of European art. Characteristically rich in revelatory ideas about the time in which we live, eloquently exposing how we have become who we are, this is a landmark work from a legendary writer and critic.