What is it about?
It considers Kundera’s essay in the context of the Reagan/ Thatcher/Kohl era, examining the mythical elements of ‘Central Europe’, its diversity and its unifying elements.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Rather than regard the essay as a museum piece, the article reflects on Kundera’s 'lasting and unresolved' concern with the impact of totalitarianism – communist, Nazi and capitalist – on European identity and culture. It also raises questions about the nature of the place, its culture and traditions that with the rise of the right wing, authoritarian governments in Poland, Hungary and the Czech and Slovak Republics, have again come to the fore as part of their clash with the European Union.
Perspectives
The novelist Robert Musil referred to east-central Europe as 'kakania' - meaning 'shitty'. By this he indicated that in this part of Europe national and religious identities would always be mired in competition, would always hold it back, make it unpredictable and - in spite of the the contributions it made in literature and the arts - would probably hold it back in the areas in terms of politics and economic development. In this essay Kundera in part blames western Europe for the fate of east-central Europe , but at the same time, has to admit that Musil had a point. In retrospect this essay serves as a warning about what underlay protest at communism and what lurked in the thinking of the opposition.
Prof Carl Tighe
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Kundera’s kidnap revisited, Journal of European Studies, May 2014, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0047244113508364.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
