Commentary/review

The book is getting attention, now that celebrities began to talk about it. It is difficult to talk about this book without spoilers and the spoilers are what makes the story a bit shady. Tokarczuk’s prose is easy to enjoy. Yet this book is clearly sinister, a little like the works by H.P. Lovecraft but this time from the perspective of a woman. Appreciation of small things disguises deeply rooted pessimism. Yes, there is some friendship, almost like a miracle, but how fragile is that. The book left me again with a feeling that contemporary Polish prose is too sombre for me.

The book is read very well, by the translator herself. In terms of performance, it is top level audio production.

Cover: Photo by Jongsun Lee on Unsplash