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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
enjoyed learning about polish history far more than the plot đ
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Queer men stop leaving letters and notes to your S.O. Say it to them! I'm looking at you, Swimming in the Dark and Lie with Me.
I love this and have enjoyed this so much. I love reading because it transports me to places and this time, I was in 1980s Poland with Ludwik and Janusz. Their story was brief, but their relationship was memorable.
Jedrowski wrote beautifully, relying heavily on his adjectives and metaphors to paint the setting, as if from memoryâlike Ludwik. I like how grounded this was; that the two boys are really products and victims of their realities and are no mere escapists from it. I like how the politics played a role in their story. And I really enjoyed the second POV in this, as if the whole thing is a long letter to be sent. It makes it all the more intimate and painful and special.
I really enjoyed this one and it's definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.
I love this and have enjoyed this so much. I love reading because it transports me to places and this time, I was in 1980s Poland with Ludwik and Janusz. Their story was brief, but their relationship was memorable.
Jedrowski wrote beautifully, relying heavily on his adjectives and metaphors to paint the setting, as if from memoryâlike Ludwik. I like how grounded this was; that the two boys are really products and victims of their realities and are no mere escapists from it. I like how the politics played a role in their story. And I really enjoyed the second POV in this, as if the whole thing is a long letter to be sent. It makes it all the more intimate and painful and special.
I really enjoyed this one and it's definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
beautiful and super atmospheric debut, very excited to see future works from this author. i thought the central theme was done well and it was easy to root for our main character even knowing the odds were so stacked against him. definitely would recommend reading giovanni's room before this one - it was such a love letter to james baldwin, and knowing the context of GR made ludvic's final decision so much more impactful. we can be given similar hands and play them so differently, ie the narrators could not be more different despite a similar difficult situation. one final thing i loved about this book was how understandable and fleshed out everyone was - ludvic, janusz, hania, kristina all felt so real and plausible. the only thing i did not love was the second person pov, but it grew on me as the book went on and i think contributed to the almost dreamlike atmosphere of the whole novel. definitely a top read of 2025.
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
âSwimming in the darkâ (auf Dt. erschienen bei @hoffmannundcampeverlag unter dem Titel âIm Wasser sind wir schwerelosâ) spielt in den 1980ern in Polen. Ludwik wĂ€chst in einer erzkonservativen Umgebung auf und entwickelt erste romantische GefĂŒhle fĂŒr das eigene Geschlecht. Etwas verwirrt und geknickt verbringt er den Sommer in einem Ferienlager und trifft dort auf Janusz. Die beiden nĂ€hern sich an, treffen sich nachts heimlich an einer versteckten Stelle am See. Auch ĂŒber die Jahre hinweg können sie sich nicht offen zeigen, denn HomosexualitĂ€t wird nach wie vor verachtet. Irgendwann mĂŒssen sie sich die Frage stellen, wie sie in dieser Welt gemeinsam glĂŒcklich werden können â oder ob auch ihnen nur die Flucht in den Westen bleibt.
Neben der wunderschönen Geschichte hat @tomasz.jedrowski mit seinem Coming-of-Age-Roman vermutlich gleich mehreren queeren Generationen eine Stimme verliehen â eine, die eindrucksvoll veranschaulicht, wie hart es ist, sich selbst und eine verbotene Liebe zu verstecken. Mit welchen kleinen Fetzen GlĂŒck man versuchen musste, zufrieden zu sein. Wie abhĂ€ngig man vom Schweigen der eigenen Umgebung war. Und wie schmerzhaft es war, unter einem Deckmantel zu leben. Die Geschichte hat Jedrowski in eine so unfassbar schöne Sprache gebettet.
Es ist vielleicht nicht die seichteste Geschichte zum Lesen am Pool â aber sie war dennoch die beste UrlaubslektĂŒre, die ich in den letzten Jahren hatte.
Es ist vielleicht nicht die seichteste Geschichte zum Lesen am Pool â aber sie war dennoch die beste UrlaubslektĂŒre, die ich in den letzten Jahren hatte.