Scan barcode
A review by apfelkistenbuch
Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Swimming in the Dark is a young, queer man’s struggle for freedom in communist Poland.
A book that feels like watching slightly yellowed VHS tapes of childhood holidays.
It is whilst working in an agricultural camp that Ludwik sees him for the first time, Janusz. They spend the summer secretly reading Giovanni’s Room, working in the fields, swimming in lakes, kissing in tents and falling for each other.
But when the summer ends and they return to Warsaw, their different political stances become increasingly clear: Ludwik struggles to support his sick landlady as they queue in vain for groceries and medicine, while Janusz decides to deepen his friendships with rich and influential members of the Party.
Can their relationship survive in a country that is falling apart?
This is a beautiful novel about bravery and youth with well-rounded, imperfect characters. i especially came to like the female characters, which is not always a given in gay historical fiction, as they are often mistreated but seem to have no right to victimhood; instead they are written as jealous and stupid. this is not the case here. the women in this novel are intelligent, kind, and in charge of their own futures.
there was a lot of nuance, even the people who abused their privilege had character traits that made them likeable. this made the story incredibly believable and real, i appreciated it a lot.
A book that feels like watching slightly yellowed VHS tapes of childhood holidays.
It is whilst working in an agricultural camp that Ludwik sees him for the first time, Janusz. They spend the summer secretly reading Giovanni’s Room, working in the fields, swimming in lakes, kissing in tents and falling for each other.
But when the summer ends and they return to Warsaw, their different political stances become increasingly clear: Ludwik struggles to support his sick landlady as they queue in vain for groceries and medicine, while Janusz decides to deepen his friendships with rich and influential members of the Party.
Can their relationship survive in a country that is falling apart?
This is a beautiful novel about bravery and youth with well-rounded, imperfect characters. i especially came to like the female characters, which is not always a given in gay historical fiction, as they are often mistreated but seem to have no right to victimhood; instead they are written as jealous and stupid. this is not the case here. the women in this novel are intelligent, kind, and in charge of their own futures.
there was a lot of nuance, even the people who abused their privilege had character traits that made them likeable. this made the story incredibly believable and real, i appreciated it a lot.
mainly and most importantly, i love that this is not a love story. i thought it would be, but i don’t think that’s quite what this book is about — Ludwik is growing into himself, (“Selfish. Growing into yourself is nothing but that.”) and slowly opening his eyes to see the only reality he has ever known for what it is: a corrupt system of injustice; and so he does what he can to make a difference.
No matter what happens in the world, however brutal or dystopian a thing, not all is lost if there are people out there risking themselves to document it.
Little sparks cause fires too.