Ignorance
Milan Kundera
After the Russian occupation in 1968, Irena emigrated to France. Josef decided a year later for the same step, but he chose Denmark. After twenty years, they meet by chance at the airport in Paris, both fly to Prague for a short visit. In Jozef, Irena recognizes a man who once courted her, but their relationship ended before it could even begin. All she had left was a memory. Jozef doesn't recognize Irena, but he doesn't let her know. They agree to meet in Prague. What will their meeting be like? What awaits them in their former homeland?
The road leads to the past, to old friends, family, to places they once liked, but hardly recognize anymore. Would they still be able to feel at home here? And where is their real home? The novel talks about the fact that we make the most important decisions in the age of inexperience and ignorance. The theme is misunderstanding, the unreliability of memory, the treachery of memories, the impossibility of returning those who spent half of their adult life in another country and culture. Kunder's observations are precise and ruthless. He masterfully weaves the threads of an essay and a novel. He discusses the fate of emigrants from all sides and comes to original conclusions.