SKU: 30836181581

The Joke

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Description

The JokeAll too often, this brilliant novel of thwarted love and revenge miscarried has been read for its political implications. Now, a quarter century after The Joke was first published and several years after the collapse of the Soviet imposed Czechoslovak regime, it becomes easier to put such implications into perspective in favor of valuing the book (and all Kundera 's work) as what it truly is: great, stirring literature that sheds new light on the

All too often, this brilliant novel of thwarted love and revenge miscarried has been read for its political implications. Now, a quarter century after The Joke was first published and several years after the collapse of the Soviet-imposed Czechoslovak regime, it becomes easier to put such implications into perspective in favor of valuing the book (and all Kundera 's work) as what it truly is: great, stirring literature that sheds new light on the eternal themes of human existence.

The present edition provides English-language readers an important further means toward revaluation of The Joke. For reasons he describes in his Author's Note, Milan Kundera devoted much time to creating (with the assistance of his American publisher-editor) a completely revised translation that reflects his original as closely as any translation possibly can: reflects it in its fidelity not only to the words and syntax but also to the characteristic dictions and tonalities of the novel's narrators. The result is nothing less than the restoration of a classic.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 01/01/1994
ISBN: 9780060995058
Pages: 336
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 8.01h x 5.32w x 0.84d

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SKU: 30836181581

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Amy J
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Wonderful
Format: Paperback
This book is amazing. I purchased for a reading competition but quickly fell in love. Highly recommend for a middle school level student. Written in verse but easy to read.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2025
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Marie Phillips
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 4
Meaningful and Emotionally Engaging Story
Format: Paperback
Meaningful and Emotionally Engaging Story
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2026
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Razan Abdin-Adnani
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
This gorgeous MG novel in verse is a MUST READ!
Format: Hardcover, Format: Hardcover
Words cannot adequately express how much Jordanian-American author Jasmine Warga’s novel “Other Words for Home” means to me. Growing up, I never read stories about people like me or families like my own because they simply didn’t exist. Books with Arab and/or Arab-American characters, being wholly human, navigating issues of identity and belonging, interrogating what “home” means were never written. Too bad. I’m elated that that’s changing, though, and that there are Arab-Americans who are writing these stories *with such immense skill and heart.* This is the first middle grade novel I’ve read in literally decades and it just encouraged me to order many more. It is poetic and hopeful and so thoughtfully written. I can barely remember the last time I loved a character as much as I love brave and precious Jude. I cried and cheered many times along this journey. Seriously, if you work with middle graders, have middle graders, or are a lover of children’s literature yourself—YOU MUST check out this gorgeous novel in verse. The only downside (and it's a big one) is that it ends.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2021
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Karen
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
One of the best books I have read this year!
Format: Hardcover
This is a beautiful novel-in-verse that will stay with me for a very long time. It is a must read for anyone middle grade or older. What I loved: - The Poetry- intriguing similes and metaphors, emotions captured on the page, powerful language - The Perspective- I appreciated that the protagonist was not from Aleppo, but from a vacation town on the sea in Syria. This shows a different perspective than I have seen, but one that is equally as important. Jude and her mother then come to stay with her uncle in America, and again, the perspective was different than other "refugee" stories but equally powerful. - The People- Jude is protagonist to cheer for, however, there are so many dynamic, diverse characters in this story. #LitReviewCrew
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Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2019
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@bandofmgbooks
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Timely, Necessary & Important
Format: Hardcover
Oh, I absolutely adored Jasmine Warga’s Other Words for Home, a moving story told in verse of a Syrian girl and her mother fleeing from their home in their war torn country. It’s impossible not to feel empathetic towards the family as they are split up over the turmoil. I was immersed in Jude’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences in America as it was so poetically and honestly written. The Arabic proverbs referred to in the story were so beautiful and poignant, enhancing an already authentic, necessary and emotional look into the life of immigrants. This novel should be in every school library as it unabashedly encourages the need for kindness and understanding for all...important messages we should always be teaching and promoting...and students . I love having and supporting students like Jude in my class as they beam with pride learning and overcoming challenges—it warms my heart when they feel accepted and loved as they should.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2019

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