Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Swimming in the Dark

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Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski

32 reviews

nefariousbee's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

this is a difficult book for me to say something about.
first, I'm a gen Z Czech person. I didn't live thru socialism but my parents did. at first, I was happy that the Slav authors finally seemed to start leaving ww2 behind and we can focus on more recent historical events that prominently shared our societies.
the issue is tho. this doesn't feel like a Pole wrote it. there's that typical self-righteousness of a westerner, writing about the underprivileged. and I hate it, it makes my hairs stand up, makes me see red.
and I'm sure there were good intentions, I'm sure the woke westerners will be swooning. but it feels like we're being put in a terrarium to be studied and pitied. it feels like it's saying that everyone who stayed is a loser or a bootlicker. it makes the westerners believe they'd also leave, like our protagonist, they would stand tall and proud. it does nothing to comment on the system, to try to create some nuance, to even describe the ordinary lives of the people to try the reader to relate.
there's much to say and I don't care enough to write and edit it all. if you want a book about socialist Poland, find a polish author, preferably one that lived thru it.
and let me recommend you Operation Hyacinth on the topic of being gay in socialist Poland.

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kwichris's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I typically don't like reading books that center around romance. This book, however, managed to embed historical context and emotionally complex situations that added more to this story than a simple romance that cannot be. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I found myself relating to or finding understanding in the main character's reactions/feelings/thoughts regarding the situation they find themselves in - a love that they cannot express publicly, a country divided post-war, and uncertainty of their own future. For a first entry, the author has crafted quite a nice story, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes a little historical context and input that shapes the story.

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abicaro17's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-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

5.0

Wow. This book is amazing. A love story between two very different boys, tells the tale of political unrest and oppression coloring 1980s Poland. Told through second person letters, Ludwik tells the story of his upbringing, life in Communist Poland, and his complicated relationship with Janusz. The writing styles approaches dark subjects with an almost flowery language, making every bit a joy to read. Does it get a tad slow at times? Yeah. Does it absolutely ramp up towards the end? Yes! This is a short yet poignant tale of love and unrest is a worthwhile read!

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writingcaia's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Beautifully poetic and tragically sad.
A love story that happens among all impossibilities, communism, poverty for most, waiting for something that might never come, among it all two different souls, one looking for the end of shame, wanting freedom, the other wanting more from life then what seemed due to him find each other.
In a short book this debut swoop me up and took me to 80’s Poland, to the tragedy of post war, of Cold War, of the Russian occupation, to the winter and summer streets of Warsaw, to the lakes and fields of the country, the bodies of boys, and the lavishness of the rich contrasting with the devastating poor. Most of all it immersed me in feelings of shame from being, from loving, the emotional detachment of forced immigration, the alienation from love and country.
A great achievement of writing and storytelling.
Just beautiful!!!

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jayisreading's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Set in Communist Poland in the 1980s, I was incredibly moved by this tender and melancholic novel, which I’m pleasantly surprised to find out is Jedrowski’s first. Evoking the mood and energy of its inspiration, James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, Swimming in the Dark sinks into Ludwick’s introspective world and his love for Janusz. I found the use of first- and second-person pronouns in this novel effective in crafting an incredible intimacy that exists between Ludwick (“I”) and Janusz (“you”) that is both aware of its charged sensuality and that it’s forbidden.

In addition to this relationship between two men, Jedrowski touches on what it means to live in Communist Poland. I felt this was somewhat underdeveloped, as it was semi-explored through the differing views that Ludwick and Janusz have of their country, especially while queer. It was also in Ludwig’s relationships with other characters (e.g., Ludwick’s landlady) that the reader learns about the state of the country during this time, ranging from healthcare to strict law enforcement. I think Jedrowski could have done more to flesh out the sociopolitical setting without it derailing too much from the main focus of this novel.

Aside from this minor complaint, though, I have nothing but praise for Ludwick and Janusz, who were the driving forces. This was also a beautiful homage (of sorts) to Giovanni’s Room, which made its way into the novel in a poignant way. All-in-all, this was a stunning debut from Jedrowski, and I truly look forward to his future works.

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maess's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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megelizabeth's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

This is beautifully written, poignant, and utterly heart-shattering. I adored our main character, Ludwik, and absolutely ached for him throughout, and the relationships he has with some of the other characters completely broke me. This has so much to say about love, politics, poverty, family, and what the right way is to live or be, and it's definitely one that will stay with me. That being said, I think it would have had even more of an impact - and potentially been a 5* read - had it been a bit longer. It grapples with two very key central themes (the tragic love story and the brutal homophobia that goes along with this, and then the social commentary around Soviet socialism), and at times it felt to me a bit rushed and as if it would have really benefitted from being that bit longer and developing both strands more fully.

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