I’m currently reading ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ for the first time and have come across the following line:
“but although they had a clear understanding of the meaning of the words they exchanged, they failed to hear the semantic susurrus of the river flowing through them”
This part describes Sabina and Franz’s relationship but I seem to have a hard time interpreting it. Any thoughts to share?
by anonymousalways101
3 Comments
They don’t understand what other person really means.
I haven’t read the book so lack context on the conversation, but it seems to be saying that these two characters understood the words they were saying to each other, but that there was some deeper thing passing between then which held more meaning that they were not aware of.
Semantic sussurus of the river is roughly “meaningful whisper or the river” and the river flowing through them is metaphor for some deeper meaning/undercurrent that is not consciously understood
They didn’t know what they really wanted. Basically. But they themselves weren’t aware of it.
Edit: And I meant each of them separately. About themselves.