Swimming in the Dark: ‘One of the most astonishing contemporary gay novels we have ever read … A masterpiece’ – Attitude
£8.50
LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI PRIZE 2021
A Guardian Book of the Year
‘The highest talent at work’ Sebastian Barry
‘Beautiful . A masterpiece’ Attitude
Poland, 1980. Shy, anxious Ludwik has been sent along with the rest of his university class to an agricultural camp. Here he meets Janusz – and together they spend a dreamlike summer falling in love.
But with summer over, the two are sent back to Warsaw. Confronted by the scrutiny, intolerance and corruption of life under the Party, Ludwik and Janusz must decide how they will survive; and in their different choices, find themselves torn apart.
‘An affecting and unusual romance’ Observer
‘A new classic’ Evening Standard
‘A beautiful novel, and at its heart an amazing love story’ BBC Radio 4 Open Book, Editor’s Pick
‘Jedrowski is an authentic new international star’ Edmund White
‘A remarkable, beautiful tale, utterly new and entirely credible … This book radiates sensuality, humour, and human truths’ Literary Review
Read more
Additional information
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing, 1st edition (18 Feb. 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 256 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1526604981 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1526604989 |
| Dimensions | 19.7 x 2.4 x 12.9 cm |
by Leecad
Good but second half felt rushed. Feels like there was more story to tell.
by BevS
I remember watching the TV during the Solidarność trade union uprising in 1980, hoping and praying that the Polish people’s misery would soon end, justice would be done, and the corrupt Communist leadership of Edward Gierek, and his band of cronies would be disbanded. Poland had already suffered dreadful atrocities during the Second World War, and millions of people, including many, many Jews were killed and forced to leave by the Germans. At the end of the war, the Poles were left to the tender mercies of the Russians…disgracefully, the Western alliance abandoned them and several other countries to their fate.
This story brought everything back. The dark, dangerous times that people lived in, looking over their shoulder to see who was watching them, staying silent in case their words were overheard and repeated to officials who would report them. Who on earth could you trust? It was very atmospheric; the sombre, dispirited mood of the citizens, the hardships endured day after day, and in the middle of it all, Ludwik meets Janusz and begins his swim in the dark…the title is very apt. This story is a BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN CLASSIC, and not at all pretentious…unlike Call Me By Your Name IMHO.
What I find particularly saddening about it all is that despite Poland ‘fighting’ for their freedom and embracing Western ideals and democracy, they seem to have learned nothing from their past and are now regressing into a country with strict religious morals where LGBT people are no longer an acceptable part of their society, and I’ve no doubt archaic rules and regulations will come into force sooner rather than later. Luckily, author Tomasz Jedrowski lives in France with his husband.
by Paul Watford
I have only just got the book can’t wait to start it to see how young love begins .
by Derek Halls
I enjoyed reading this book and must say there were times I could feel the clash of differing worlds… I guess that’s part of the book’s charm. I would recommend this book but it doesn’t remain ‘high’ in my mind!
by J E Cable
Oh my, what a book. I felt that tingle almost straight away, the one only a really special book gives you. The writing is so beautiful, so emotional, so descriptive, and because no word is wasted, falls on the right side of not being up itself.
Set mainly in Poland in 1980, the country’s inequalities between the few who ‘know someone’ and the many who don’t are drawn in bright colours and the drabbest of greys. The unrest that will eventually lead to an elected government ten years later is in its infancy, and this forms the backdrop to this exceptional love story. In this world at this time, homosexuality must be hidden. A reason for shame.
Ludwik and Janusz, both newly graduated from university, meet at a work camp and through a borrowed book discover their shared sexuality. They embark on a tense yet tender affair the author makes seem both dreamlike and real, but back in Warsaw, Ludwik faces difficult choices.
by B. Tutt
Great transaction, book as described, well wrapped and arrived in pristine condition.
by Damian Ferenc
Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read. Beautifully heartbreaking and eye-opening. This story would do so well as a film adaptation.
by BvdM
I really loved this book. Well written, and it transports you to the setting.