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trackingtimee's review against another edition
4.75
A book about love, and letting go, growing up, learning that nothing is perfect. You can’t make someone love you in the way you need.
aleksandra_krzesiak's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
roniiweasley's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
adamh4yes's review against another edition
5.0
Re read this book, because it’s the number one book I always recommend to people so I felt like I needed to check whether that recommendation still rings true. I fell even more in love with this love letter to a forbidden lover, and an intimate connection shared by 2 boys at a time of such hardship the second time around.
elusorius's review against another edition
4.0
The prose in this book was so beautiful that no plot could ever hold up to it.
I've saved many quotes from this book, took pictures of pages and reread lines over and over. The writing was simply immaculate. The characters held up too, they felt real and imperfect. The only thing lacking for me was the plot. At times it moved too slowly for my taste, or there wasn't much going on. This book was very character-based. The plot picked up here and there, and I adored the last chapters, but it did lose my attention at certain points. I also found the brief flashes of the future unnecessary.
4/5, because this book set an example for how prose should be.
I've saved many quotes from this book, took pictures of pages and reread lines over and over. The writing was simply immaculate. The characters held up too, they felt real and imperfect. The only thing lacking for me was the plot. At times it moved too slowly for my taste, or there wasn't much going on. This book was very character-based. The plot picked up here and there, and I adored the last chapters, but it did lose my attention at certain points. I also found the brief flashes of the future unnecessary.
4/5, because this book set an example for how prose should be.
dimsey's review against another edition
5.0
“The odds had been stacked against us from the start: we had no manual, no one to show us the way. Not one example of a happy couple made up of boys. How were we supposed to know what to do? Did we even believe that we deserved to get away with happiness?”
- Tomasz Jedrowski
Jedrowki's debut novel, [b:Swimming in the Dark|49977811|Swimming in the Dark|Tomasz Jedrowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568668356l/49977811._SY75_.jpg|69872587], seamlessly captivated me in the complex, emotional story of Ludwik and Janusz. Jedrowski's writing is both poetic and lyrical, I found myself really enjoying his prose throughout the entirety of the book. I went into this story mostly blind from a recommendation and I was quite surprised by the amount of subject matter I was met with. Set in 1980s Poland, our characters battle against opposing political views, economic disparity, identity, sacrifice and acceptance.
From the very beginning the reader can somewhat piece together the outcome of the story. It's the exploration of Ludwik and Janusz's characters that's the heart of the story though. The beauty and struggle of their relationship. Their inner and external conflicts, shared and unshared. Learning what these characters are willing to compromise or not compromise. The spoken and the unspoken.
Excited to see what else Jedrowksi puts out, he's left me wanting more.
- Tomasz Jedrowski
Jedrowki's debut novel, [b:Swimming in the Dark|49977811|Swimming in the Dark|Tomasz Jedrowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568668356l/49977811._SY75_.jpg|69872587], seamlessly captivated me in the complex, emotional story of Ludwik and Janusz. Jedrowski's writing is both poetic and lyrical, I found myself really enjoying his prose throughout the entirety of the book. I went into this story mostly blind from a recommendation and I was quite surprised by the amount of subject matter I was met with. Set in 1980s Poland, our characters battle against opposing political views, economic disparity, identity, sacrifice and acceptance.
From the very beginning the reader can somewhat piece together the outcome of the story. It's the exploration of Ludwik and Janusz's characters that's the heart of the story though. The beauty and struggle of their relationship. Their inner and external conflicts, shared and unshared. Learning what these characters are willing to compromise or not compromise. The spoken and the unspoken.
Excited to see what else Jedrowksi puts out, he's left me wanting more.
moonchildjuli's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ivaylast's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0