Play Book Tag discussion

It took me years to finally pick up this classic set in the Czech Republic. I always loved the title, so even when I read bad reviews, I knew I’d read it anyway. I can easily understand why some love this book and some hate it. I enjoyed it overall, but found some sections unbearably sexist or arrogant. I frequently put the book down, but curiosity always won out, and I’m glad I finished it. The book begins with an awkward philosophical discussion, and moves into a romantic drama centered on a womanizing doctor, his wife, his mistress and her lover. The political backdrop of the soviet invasion and communism gives the story more weight and urgency. It started with parades, kitsch, and forced conformity, and led to secret police, interrogations, job loss or worse.

The author explores some thought provoking ideas about life, relationships, and philosophy. His dictionary of misunderstandings made me recognize some in my own relationships. I liked the discussions of personal vs public, strength, betrayals, attitudes about being “seen” and perceptions of reality. There were many scenes that made me angry, but they often turned out to be dreams. The book has magical realism tags, but I’m not sure if that fits. There were some inconsistencies in the story about how two of the characters died, and I’m still confused about the details. The timelines jumps around quite a bit, and I’ll have to go back to the middle to find out how their lives ended. I’m giving the book a 3.5 rating for now. I still need to process this book, so I’ll round up or down later.