The Joke

I remember reading the Unbearable Lightness of Being many years ago, by Milan Kundera, and thinking wow, that was a pretty intense experience. His ability to crystallize and capture the moment, the thought process and the meaning itself, is uncanny. As intense as that experience was, I was delighted to find another title by the same author that on it's face would be a little bit of an easier read, The Joke, as it turned out was even darker and more intense. An odd thing happens in those places where you find your mind scrambling to keep up with your thought process, your palms sweat, your stomach turns, almost like flying upside down, you can't quite get your bearings. One of the best parts of The Joke, is that amidst all of the chaos, there is an undeniable sense of humor that resonates through the situations he finds himself in. I have always kept that feeling with me and if things ever get tense or terse, I make myself laugh with a joke I have heard a hundred times before. At least you know it's funny, on the other hand if you have to explain The Joke, where would the fun be in that?