Zert (The Joke)

Milan Kundera's novel tells the story of Ludvik, a student who is in love with Marketa, a cheerful college gin who joins the socialist euphoria after the foundation of the Republic in 1949 by spending her holiday joining the brick workers. Ludvik is skeptical about all this and he sends an ironic postcard telling her that "Optimism is opium for the people. Enthusiasm smells of stupidity. Long live Trotsky!" Soon he is sent away from the university and forced to do military service on the suspicion of Trotskism. 15 years later, Ludvlk hopes to take revenge on Pavel Zemanek, the fellow student who caused him years of misery, by making love to Pavel's wife...