On the surface, an intelligible lie; underneath, the unintelligible truth. — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
In her presence I could dare everything: sincerity, emotion, pathos. — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
To be a writer does not mean to preach a truth, it means to discover a truth. — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
The combination of a frivolous form and a serious subject immediately unmasks the truth about our dramas. — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
What does it mean to live in truth? Putting it negatively is easy enough: it means not lying, not hiding, and not… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“Don't lie!' 'Tell the truth!' are words which we must never say to another person in so far as we consider him… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
It does take great maturity to understand that the opinion we are arguing for is merely the hypothesis we favor, necessarily imperfect,… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“ I think, therefore I am is the statement of an intellectual who underrates toothaches. I feel, therefore I am is a… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“Anyone who thinks that the Communist regimes of Central Europe are exclusively the work of criminals is overlooking a basic truth: the… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
Such are the Splendors and Miseries of memory: it is proud of its ability to keep truthful track of the logical sequence… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“In any case, it seems to me that all over the world people nowadays prefer to judge rather than to understand, to… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“A novel is purposely a-philosophic, even anti-philosophic, fiercely independent of any system of preconceived ideas, it questions, it marvels, it doesn't judge,… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“It is a tragicomic fact that our proper upbringing has become an ally of the secret police. (...) The "Tell the truth!"… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
Isn't beer the holy libation of sincerity? The potion that dispels all hypocrisy, any charade of fine manners? The drink that does… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
Anyone who thinks that the Communist regimes of Central Europe are exclusively the work of criminals is overlooking a basic truth: The… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“ I think, therefore I am is the statement of an intellectual who underrates toothaches. I feel, therefore I am is a… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“I know, brother, that you are a straightforward man, and that you pride yourself on it. But put one question to yourself:… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“Man cannot do without feelings, but the moment they are considered values in themselves, criteria of truth, justifications for kinds of behavior,… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“Why in fact should one tell the truth? What obliges us to do it? And why do we consider telling the truth… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“The moment someone keeps an eye on what we do, we involuntarily make allowances for that eye, and nothing we do is… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
For Sabina, living in truth, lying neither to ourselves nor to others, was possible only away from the public: the moment someone… — Milan Kundera Copy Share Image
“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern. — Milan Kundera Copy Share
Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.” — Milan Kundera Copy Share
“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by… — Milan Kundera Copy Share
Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo. — Milan Kundera Copy Share
