Surematus

Immortality (L’Immortalité, 1990) is a novel by Czech-born author Milan Kundera, originally written in French. The book opens with the narrator observing an elderly woman making a youthful gesture, which sparks a meditation on identity, existence, and the human desire for lasting legacy.

Blending fiction with philosophical inquiry, the novel features both invented characters—such as Agnes and Laura—and real historical figures like Goethe and Bettina von Arnim. Kundera interrupts the narrative with self-reflective commentary, creating a layered and metafictional structure that challenges the boundaries between the author, the narrator, and the reader.

Immortality explores the nature of memory, fame, and the impulse to transcend death through art, relationships, and recognition. It is a deeply reflective novel that questions whether immortality is a blessing or a burden.