Slowness

About “Slowness”

Slowness is Milan Kundera's lightest novel, written in French and described by the author as having "not a single serious word." It follows a narrator through a midsummer's night, weaving two stories of seduction separated by two centuries. In the 18th century, Madame de T. gives a young nobleman an unforgettable lesson in love and seduction. In the late 20th century, an intellectual named Vincent fails to connect with a woman named Julie, distracted by his desire for attention at an entomologists' convention. The novel ends with a meeting between the two men from different times, as one moves on from his humiliation and the other relives his pleasure.