Laughable - but not because these stories are in any way funny. I think Kundera has captured the raw, somewhat pathetic, frustrations and painful existence of the characters created in this book. The only "laughing" done is through a shared sense of solidarity the reader feels with the characters as they suffer, usually by their own acts. Foolishness, misunderstanding, over-inflated ego, pointless repetition of habit and lack of courage all get a look in, and even the most repellant characters are deserving of our sympathy, since to err is a very human trait.