The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Jonathan Oliver employs a husky-voiced tone that proves the right match for this darkish story, one that requires of listeners a dollop of patience. Set first in Czechoslovakia, then in Switzerland, Kundera's story tells the sometimes laborious story of a womanizing Czech surgeon forced to flee the Russian invasion and take on menial roles, giving his passion for the flesh a slighly different perspective, as he is no longer a doctor but just a window-washer. His relationship with this current female-of-choice, the interesting and puzzling Tereza, is at the center of the novel. Oliver is good, very good, pausing with great effect, having just the right amount of low-key drama and contemplative musing in his narration. He's a good fit for a book that not everyone will like, but those who stay the course will generally be pleased they did. T.H. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Published to critical acclaim in 1984, Kundera's complex novel continues to intrigue and confound. Kundera uses the upheaval of Czechoslovakia in the 1960s to explore the insignificance, the lightness, of human existence. In an appealing performance, Richmond Hoxie lets his subtle use of inflection and tempo deliver the necessary action and character differentiation. For the passages of philosophical and political musings that interrupt the romantic plot, he employs a suitably pensive tone. Hoxie's mellow voice and skilled pacing provide a steady guide as the characters move through tortured relationships and situations seeking the purpose that will make their lives bearable. The political landscape that defines this book has changed, of course, but the story remains timely because the search for life's meaning has not. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine