Milan Kundera, Author of ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being,’ Dead at 94

Photo:Francois LOCHON/GAMMA/Gamma-Rapho via GettyCzech author Milan Kundera has died at 94, according to French publishing houseGallimardand other outlets.Kundera died on Tuesday at his Paris apartment after “a long illness,” perReuters, who spoke with the Moravian Library (MZK) in the Czech city of Brno, which holds Kundera’s personal collection.The news site reported that Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala spoke on his works, which “reached whole generations of readers across all continents.” Additionally, President Petr Pavel praised Kundera as a “world-class writer” in a tribute.“With his fate in life, he symbolized the eventful history of our country in the 20th century,” Pavel said. “Kundera’s legacy will live on in his works.“Louis MONIER/Gamma-Rapho via GettyThe novelist is most known for his bookThe Unbearable Lightness of Being,which was published in 1984 and developed into the 1988 film of the same name starringDaniel Day-LewisandJuliette Binoche.The film was nominated for two Oscars and scored aBAFTAaward for Philip Kaufman and Jean-Claude Carrière for Best Adapted Screenplay.The Wrapnoted that Kundera, who appeared to be highly private in his personal life, tended to write about “men behaving badly,” which drew criticism from feminists over the course of his career. He rarely gave any interviews and though his Czech citizenship was revoked after his exile, as the outlet reported, it was restored in 2019.Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“Like all great writers, Milan Kundera leaves indelible marks on his readers' imaginations,” fellow novelist Salman Rushdie toldThe Guardian."‘The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.’ Ever since I read this sentence in his The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, it has remained with me, and illuminated my understanding of events all over the world.“Before taking up writing, the outlet reported that Kundera worked at Prague’s film academy lecturing about world literature in 1952. He grew up studying music with his father and was a “noted pianist.”

Photo:Francois LOCHON/GAMMA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

Francois LOCHON/GAMMA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

Czech author Milan Kundera has died at 94, according to French publishing houseGallimardand other outlets.Kundera died on Tuesday at his Paris apartment after “a long illness,” perReuters, who spoke with the Moravian Library (MZK) in the Czech city of Brno, which holds Kundera’s personal collection.The news site reported that Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala spoke on his works, which “reached whole generations of readers across all continents.” Additionally, President Petr Pavel praised Kundera as a “world-class writer” in a tribute.“With his fate in life, he symbolized the eventful history of our country in the 20th century,” Pavel said. “Kundera’s legacy will live on in his works.“Louis MONIER/Gamma-Rapho via GettyThe novelist is most known for his bookThe Unbearable Lightness of Being,which was published in 1984 and developed into the 1988 film of the same name starringDaniel Day-LewisandJuliette Binoche.The film was nominated for two Oscars and scored aBAFTAaward for Philip Kaufman and Jean-Claude Carrière for Best Adapted Screenplay.The Wrapnoted that Kundera, who appeared to be highly private in his personal life, tended to write about “men behaving badly,” which drew criticism from feminists over the course of his career. He rarely gave any interviews and though his Czech citizenship was revoked after his exile, as the outlet reported, it was restored in 2019.Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“Like all great writers, Milan Kundera leaves indelible marks on his readers' imaginations,” fellow novelist Salman Rushdie toldThe Guardian."‘The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.’ Ever since I read this sentence in his The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, it has remained with me, and illuminated my understanding of events all over the world.“Before taking up writing, the outlet reported that Kundera worked at Prague’s film academy lecturing about world literature in 1952. He grew up studying music with his father and was a “noted pianist.”

Czech author Milan Kundera has died at 94, according to French publishing houseGallimardand other outlets.

Kundera died on Tuesday at his Paris apartment after “a long illness,” perReuters, who spoke with the Moravian Library (MZK) in the Czech city of Brno, which holds Kundera’s personal collection.

The news site reported that Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala spoke on his works, which “reached whole generations of readers across all continents.” Additionally, President Petr Pavel praised Kundera as a “world-class writer” in a tribute.

“With his fate in life, he symbolized the eventful history of our country in the 20th century,” Pavel said. “Kundera’s legacy will live on in his works.”

Louis MONIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

The novelist is most known for his bookThe Unbearable Lightness of Being,which was published in 1984 and developed into the 1988 film of the same name starringDaniel Day-LewisandJuliette Binoche.

The film was nominated for two Oscars and scored aBAFTAaward for Philip Kaufman and Jean-Claude Carrière for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Wrapnoted that Kundera, who appeared to be highly private in his personal life, tended to write about “men behaving badly,” which drew criticism from feminists over the course of his career. He rarely gave any interviews and though his Czech citizenship was revoked after his exile, as the outlet reported, it was restored in 2019.

Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“Like all great writers, Milan Kundera leaves indelible marks on his readers' imaginations,” fellow novelist Salman Rushdie toldThe Guardian."‘The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.’ Ever since I read this sentence in his The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, it has remained with me, and illuminated my understanding of events all over the world.”

Before taking up writing, the outlet reported that Kundera worked at Prague’s film academy lecturing about world literature in 1952. He grew up studying music with his father and was a “noted pianist.”

source: people.com