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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
What a disappointment! Almost from page 1 Kosinsky gives a sample of large and small cruelties and atrocities, but in such a way that you begin to suspect that he had a sickly pleasure in thus impressing the reader. In the introduction from 1976 he is trying to sell his novel as a holocaust-testimony, but after 100 pages there is nothing to substantiate that. If Kosinsky had not been the author of Being There, then I would really doubt his mental faculties. And above all that, also from a literary point of view this book is poor. Quick flush.
The cover of the Mass Market Paperback edition from the 1970s of The Painted Bird features a small section of Hieronymus Bosch hell-landscape -- dressed in sickly green and wearing a white hood, a creature with a man's body and head of a long-beaked bird walks on crutches carrying a large wicker basket on its back, and in the basket a small black devil with spiky fingers touches the shoulder of a wary young boy as he whispers into the boy's ear. This is an apt cover for Jerzy Kosinski's fictionalized autobiographical novel set in Poland during the reign of Nazi terror in World War 11.
I first read this harrowing tale thirty-five years ago. I have read many dark, disturbing novels filled with brutality of every stripe, including such works as Malamud's The Fixer, Dostoyevsky's The House of the Dead, and Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago, but, in my view, perhaps because the narrator is a ten year old boy, no novel has its main character live through a more painful hell than in The Painted Bird.
Several months after reading this novel, the author himself made a visit to a large bookstore in Philadelphia for a book-signing, so I had an opportunity to actually meet him - a small man with a thin, high pitched voice and sharp, chiseled fine features, a man who struck me as being both sensitive and friendly. He appreciated my words of thanks and told me, when asked, that he was heading to New Orleans and expected to have some exciting times.
Anyway, that was then. Several days ago I saw my local library had a copy of The Painted Bird audio book and immediately checked it out. I started also rereading the printed book as I listened to the audio. The reader, Fred Berman, did his homework - his accent and inflection and manner of speaking is spot-on Jerzy Kosinski.
If you are unfamiliar, this story is of an orphan boy with black eyes and sharp nose, labeled gypsy-Jew, forced to wander from village to village, subjected physically to beatings, rape, tortures, as well as murder attempts, while subjected psychologically to being treated as a messenger of the devil and an evil spirit who casts spells with a glance from his black eyes.
The boy is so traumatized from unrelenting abuse, he completely losses his capacity to speak for many months. The abuse reaches such a pitch, at one point he reflects on the nature of evil: "I tried to visualize the manner in which the evil spirits operated. The minds and souls of people were as open to these forces as a plowed field, and it was on this field that the Evil Ones incessantly scattered their malignant seed. If their seed sprouted to life, if they felt welcomed, they offered all the help which might be needed, on the condition that it would be used for selfish purposes and only to the detriment of others. From the moment of signing a pact with the Devil, the more harm, misery, injury, and bitterness a man could inflict on those around him, the more help he could expect." Quite the musings from a ten year old! Just goes to show how extreme was his direct experience of the forces of evil.
If you are up for an unforgettable experience of terror expressed in the clear, vivid literary language of a fine writer, then you are ready for The Painted Bird.
“There's a place beyond words where experience first occurs to which I always want to return. I suspect that whenever I articulate my thoughts or translate my impulses into words, I am betraying the real thoughts and impulses which remain hidden.”
― Jerzy Kosinski, The Painted Bird
I am at a loss for words after reading this novel. Set against the bleak backdrop of World War II, it follows the harrowing journey of a boy abandoned by his parents, weaving a narrative so intense and grim that it sometimes strains belief. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the protagonist represents not just one child but is a composite character embodying the collective experiences of people, young and old, during a period marked by global upheaval and despair.
The portrayal of peasants is particularly jarring, with their lives steeped in ignorance and superstition. Yet, even more shocking is the depiction of violence—both its perpetration and passive acceptance—which, while based on historical texts about Russian peasants, still astonishes with its brutal reality.
Throughout the novel, the boy's odyssey from village to village leaves him so traumatized that he loses his ability to speak—a condition that persists until the poignant resolution on the novel's final page. Critics and survivors alike have noted that to understand the reality of that era and locale, one need only read this book.
The narrative does more than recount the boy’s physical journey; it illustrates the loss and relearning of life’s lessons amidst chaos. It leaves the reader with a mixed sense of despair and hope—a longing for a future where humanity learns from its past, embracing the golden rule to treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Amidst the darkness depicted in the novel, it challenges us to believe that good people striving for better can pave the way for a more enlightened humanity, moving beyond the evils that still lurk unseen in our world today.
The portrayal of peasants is particularly jarring, with their lives steeped in ignorance and superstition. Yet, even more shocking is the depiction of violence—both its perpetration and passive acceptance—which, while based on historical texts about Russian peasants, still astonishes with its brutal reality.
Throughout the novel, the boy's odyssey from village to village leaves him so traumatized that he loses his ability to speak—a condition that persists until the poignant resolution on the novel's final page. Critics and survivors alike have noted that to understand the reality of that era and locale, one need only read this book.
The narrative does more than recount the boy’s physical journey; it illustrates the loss and relearning of life’s lessons amidst chaos. It leaves the reader with a mixed sense of despair and hope—a longing for a future where humanity learns from its past, embracing the golden rule to treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Amidst the darkness depicted in the novel, it challenges us to believe that good people striving for better can pave the way for a more enlightened humanity, moving beyond the evils that still lurk unseen in our world today.
A deeply disturbing novel about a young boy's experiences during the Holocaust. My main problem was the matter-of-fact manner in which the lead character describes the tragedies he witnesses, participates in, and endures. The descriptions are horrifying and graphic, and, because it is semi-autobiogrpahical, you cannot comfort yourself with the idea that these are mere book boogiemen. It's a savage read - the scenes, stories, and narrative are uncomfortable, brutal, vivid and haunting. Even though he's a strong writer, I'd definitely need a Prozac before attempting to read anything by Kosinski again.
Tohle bylo zajímavé čtení. Ačkoli je ta kniha ohromně negativní a představuje to nejhorší v lidech, je napsaná velmi lehce a velmi dobře se čte. Je rozhodně škoda, že se strhly do jisté míry negativní diskuze ohledně Kosinskiho, ale knize to určitě neubírá.
Myslím, že pokud pomineme to násilí, můžeme se z knihy naučit i hodně o tom, jak lidé dřív žili, což je ohromně zajímavý aspekt, který se dneska moc neřeší.
Myslím, že pokud pomineme to násilí, můžeme se z knihy naučit i hodně o tom, jak lidé dřív žili, což je ohromně zajímavý aspekt, který se dneska moc neřeší.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Started strong and intriguing.... And then fell off for me.
Jerzy Kosinski would likely have gone entirely unknown to me had it not been for the recommendation of Irish George at Backstreet Books in Chiang Mai Thailand. I've read plenty about the holocoust in my youth, never really enjoyed stories about war, and believe enough in stereotypes that I wouldn't dare bore myself to death with a dreary Eastern European author.
Good thing it came to me via recommendation then!
I figured I couldn't argue with Irish George and was even happier to receive a discount upon purchasing the book. Likely as a result of him recommending it to others, none of whom were willing to go through with it!
Though incredibly dark and twisted, the Painted Bird was also remarkably vivid and riveting. Following a young orphan through war torn Europe could not have been more interesting as Kosinki really brings the reader in to the book.
Part of what I think I enjoyed so much about this was it's straight forward, no-nonsense language. In the forward (labled the 'afterward'), Kosinski admits that English is not his first language yet he felt compelled to use it for his first novel. The reason he claims was that being a second language, he would be able to employ it to tell a story void of emotion or personal agenda. What a great idea but how impossible of a feat! To be honest, the simplicity of the story seems to me to convey such a deeper emotion. Seeing the world through a child's eye should not take a professors brain to unravel.
Great book, super interesting, vivid account of life during, but not necessarily in, WWII. Not sure what else Kosinski has written but I'm interested in looking in to more. . .
Good thing it came to me via recommendation then!
I figured I couldn't argue with Irish George and was even happier to receive a discount upon purchasing the book. Likely as a result of him recommending it to others, none of whom were willing to go through with it!
Though incredibly dark and twisted, the Painted Bird was also remarkably vivid and riveting. Following a young orphan through war torn Europe could not have been more interesting as Kosinki really brings the reader in to the book.
Part of what I think I enjoyed so much about this was it's straight forward, no-nonsense language. In the forward (labled the 'afterward'), Kosinski admits that English is not his first language yet he felt compelled to use it for his first novel. The reason he claims was that being a second language, he would be able to employ it to tell a story void of emotion or personal agenda. What a great idea but how impossible of a feat! To be honest, the simplicity of the story seems to me to convey such a deeper emotion. Seeing the world through a child's eye should not take a professors brain to unravel.
Great book, super interesting, vivid account of life during, but not necessarily in, WWII. Not sure what else Kosinski has written but I'm interested in looking in to more. . .
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated