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The Joke

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*The Joke* is the debut novel of Czech-French writer Milan Kundera, published in 1967. The narrative follows Ludvík Jahn, a young student whose life is systematically destroyed after he sends a sarcastic postcard mocking Marxist slogans to his girlfriend. Following the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, the novel was banned by the communist regime for its satirical and critical portrayal of the country's totalitarian political system.

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What happens in Milan Kundera's The Joke?

The novel follows Ludvík Jahn, a young Czech student whose life is systematically destroyed after he sends a sarcastic postcard mocking Marxist slogans to his girlfriend. The authorities interpret the joke as political dissent, and he is expelled from the Communist Party and sent to a labor camp.

When was The Joke by Milan Kundera published?

'The Joke' was first published in 1967 in Czechoslovakia as Kundera's debut novel. It became one of the most discussed works of Czech literature before being banned after the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion.

Was The Joke banned in Czechoslovakia?

Yes, after the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, Kundera's works were banned and removed from circulation. Kundera himself eventually emigrated to France in 1975, and 'The Joke' was not available in its original Czech form for years.

How is The Joke narrated?

The novel is structured in seven parts told from multiple first-person perspectives, including Ludvík Jahn and other characters connected to him. Kundera valued this polyphonic structure highly and was frustrated when an early French translation rearranged the chapter order.

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