The Joke quickly became one of the many works of literature to be banned after the Soviet invasion, and Kundera was blacklisted.

On July 11, 2023, the world said goodbye to Czech-born French novelist, Milan Kundera.

For Milan Kundera, who passed away this week, the "misunderstood" usage of the word "world" in World War I has unwittingly trapped every local event in a common global situation.