Prague Spring

Prague is a familiar location for our marriage; we have found ourselves here for my work. We were here often enough to have made friends, had favourite local places, and met US friends here as they went on holiday (Hi Brandon!).

While I have been coming here for decades now, it was always with the eyes of Milan Kundera. From the moment I read “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”, the Prague Spring became the lens through which I viewed everything as I explored this stunning city.

Kundera’s book could only work in Prague as far as I am concerned. Sure there was Tomáš, Tereza, Franz, and Sabina. But much like Karenin, Prague is the character and backdrop for which the story resonated with me. Through smiles like Karenin or the square Tereza photographed the tanks, the silent character engages.

I credit this book for growing my interest in the history and struggle of the Czechoslovakian people through the Soviet Era. The people here were not merely part of the communist experiment, but more so the sparks of rebellion that permeated until 1989. For Kundera, not only the source of captivating literature, but the fabric their lives were printed on.