A new novel by Tomasz Jedrowski.
The novel Swimming in the Dark has been recommended to me by several people, and it hit the mark fully. My love for writers like Aciman and Baldwin, as well as my interest in Polish culture
and history made this a perfect match for my taste. It’s an amazing and at the same time very important novel, which will hopefully be widely read and discussed both in Poland and abroad.
The author, Tomasz Jedrowski, has quite an unusual background. Bone in Germany to Polish parents, he later studied in England and France, and is multilingual. He writes in English, so that this first
edition of his novel is the original (and not a translation from Polish as I had initially assumed because of his Polish name). He first studied to become a lawyer and only later started to write,
looking for a more fulfilling profession. Swimming in the Dark is his first novel.
The novel is set mainly in Poland, in Wroclaw and Warsaw, in protagonist Ludwik‘s adolescence and during his studies, as well as flashbacks to his childhood. The country described in the novel is setin the 70s and 80s, therefore undergoing struggles with its system towards the end of communism. You don’t need to know all about Polish history of the times to understand the novel, but some background reading is definitely helpful. (In a nutshell, the Polish People‘s Republic was the system in place from 1945-1989, and some important elements of this time described in the novel are workers strikes, food shortages and the imposition of martial law in 1981.)
The main content of the novel is not related to politics, it is rather the backdrop that influences the characters‘ lives and choices. The plot is related to the coming of age of protagonist Ludwik, who is trying to find his identity and happiness. After struggling for a while and moving to Warsaw to study and explore a more open-minded surrounding, he needs to spend a summer in a government-mandated agricultural project. There he meets another young man, who changes his life.
Without wanting to spoil any of the plot elements, I can say this much: the topic of living in a country which doesn’t allow you to be yourself is a very current one, not only in Poland. Making compromises to be able to live freely, while also needing to be smart regarding the political situation and survive somehow - these are challenges still existing today, in some countries more than ever. In his novel, Jedrowski weaves a beautiful, touching tale set in the past, which happens to be a strong statement about the present as well. And possibly also a call for action in the future.
Besides the historical and social elements, literature is also important in this novel. I don’t want to give away too much, but there are references to two of my favorite novels, one very openly, as the protagonist is reading and discussing one novel essential to his mindset, and one hidden homage...I believe. Let me know your thoughts if you‘ve read it.
In any case, this is a wonderful debut novel, which is a page turner and has a deep impact on the reader. One of my favorite books of the year.
The novel is set mainly in Poland, in Wroclaw and Warsaw, in protagonist Ludwik‘s adolescence and during his studies, as well as flashbacks to his childhood. The country described in the novel is setin the 70s and 80s, therefore undergoing struggles with its system towards the end of communism. You don’t need to know all about Polish history of the times to understand the novel, but some background reading is definitely helpful. (In a nutshell, the Polish People‘s Republic was the system in place from 1945-1989, and some important elements of this time described in the novel are workers strikes, food shortages and the imposition of martial law in 1981.)
The main content of the novel is not related to politics, it is rather the backdrop that influences the characters‘ lives and choices. The plot is related to the coming of age of protagonist Ludwik, who is trying to find his identity and happiness. After struggling for a while and moving to Warsaw to study and explore a more open-minded surrounding, he needs to spend a summer in a government-mandated agricultural project. There he meets another young man, who changes his life.
Without wanting to spoil any of the plot elements, I can say this much: the topic of living in a country which doesn’t allow you to be yourself is a very current one, not only in Poland. Making compromises to be able to live freely, while also needing to be smart regarding the political situation and survive somehow - these are challenges still existing today, in some countries more than ever. In his novel, Jedrowski weaves a beautiful, touching tale set in the past, which happens to be a strong statement about the present as well. And possibly also a call for action in the future.
Besides the historical and social elements, literature is also important in this novel. I don’t want to give away too much, but there are references to two of my favorite novels, one very openly, as the protagonist is reading and discussing one novel essential to his mindset, and one hidden homage...I believe. Let me know your thoughts if you‘ve read it.
In any case, this is a wonderful debut novel, which is a page turner and has a deep impact on the reader. One of my favorite books of the year.
(Image: by myself)