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A review by dimsey
Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
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.