Immortality continues, in heightened fashion, many of the philosophical questions posed in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and may usefully be discussed in conjunction with that novel.

In addition, some of Kundera's signature tropes here — immortality, the culture of spectacle, sentimental man — may well be approached in general, as sweeping critiques of contemporary cultural manifestations as well as metaphors within this particular text.

1. To what extent is Kundera's voice still that of an "exile"? Despite his protestations to the contrary, is classifying him as a "dissident" writer a useful conceptual move?

2. Identify and discuss some recent instances of the 11th Commandment, as perceived in the popular media. To what extent is Kundera's analysis of the power of media probing reflective of current conditions, and to what extent is that analysis inadequate to explain the phenomenon?

3. Is "imagology" a useful concept?

Why does no analogous...