在機械化的現代世界，哲學和科學對人類自身的存在正日趨淡忘，昆德拉堅信小說能夠完成對「存在」的喚起與追問，於是小說擔當起敞亮「被遺忘的存在」的職責。他將小說的本質定義為「關於存在的詩意沉思」，這種結合「文學詩意」與「哲學思辨」的創作理念代表了當今小說的價值取向。昆德拉的存在之思植根于對現代社會人文精神生態的憂慮、思索和建設，他從政治批判走向人性批判，向讀者展示了一個悖謬與錯位的現實與未來。然而正如存在主義哲學一樣，他宣導以積極的反抗行動面對荒誕的世界，以人的自覺建設自由的未來。小說的智慧在於向現實提出問題，探討人類存在的多種可能性。當今小說不應是作家對現實世界的說明或論證，而應是小說家對一個多元的、不確定的世界的探索、質詢和批判。融詩思史為一體的昆德拉小說體現了人類追尋自我存在的執著與堅定，為中國文學的創新和發展提供了重要參照。

In the modern world of mechanization, both philosophy and science tend to forget the human existence. Kundera insists that novels can evoke and cross-question the “existence,” thus it takes up the responsibility of illuminating “the forgotten existence.” He defines the essence of fiction as “the poetic meditation on human existence.” The creation concept combining “literary poetry” and “philosophical speculation” representsthe value orientation of contemporary novels. Kundera’s meditation on existence originates from his concern, reflection and construction about the humanistic spirit in modern society. Moving from political critique to criticism of human nature, he shows readers the paradoxical and misplaced reality and future. However, same as existentialism, he advocates facing the absurd world with active resistance and constructing the free future based on consciousness. The wisdom of fiction lies on questioning the reality as well as exploring various possibilities of human existence. Instead of being an explanation or demonstration of the world, modern fiction should be a novelist’s exploration, interrogatory and criticism about a pluralistic and uncertain world. Kundera’s fiction, which associates poetry, thought and history together, represents the firm pursuit of human existence. It is an important reference for the innovation and development of Chinese literary.