Wiesław Myśliwski Dies Aged 94

Hello Gentle Reader,

Olga Tokarczuk once commented on the precarious state of Poland after reviewing an archaic encyclopedia in England, which described Poland in an entry as a “country which pops up on the maps of Europe time to time.” This external perspective of the country surprised Tokarczuk who was raised to believe that Poland had always existed. Poland, however, is one of those middle powers, who throughout its existence was always in danger of being absorbed by larger power. Its sovereignty partitioned; its borders changeable, shiftable, malleable. Despite being a formidable imperial power at one point in its history, the country disappeared from maps for over a hundred years. This sense of history erasure inevitably would leave to some sense of nationalistic existential fear. The 20^th century in turn was no kinder to the nation, whereby it was subject to the avarice of its neighbours. First the Nazi’s then the Soviet Union. Each one carved out their mark on the nation with authoritarian malice. Rather than demoralizing the nation, however, Poland has rebounded, becoming an emerging contender on the world stage and is often discussed in hushed tones as an up-and-coming superpower. Recent Russian aggression towards its neighbours – specifically Ukraine – have also seen Poland further galvanize itself, investing heavily in its military infrastructure and defense capabilities. Poland understands the hard-earned truth: one’s sovereignty is only guaranteed by their capacity and willingness to defend it. Culturally, Poland is another one of those nations, which punches far above its weight. Wiesław Myśliwski was one of the grand masters of contemporary Polish literature. A master of the literary monologue, Myśliwski’s novels often found themselves framed in the ancient and primordial narrative structure of the orator’s monologue. The essence of the storyteller’s soul. Through novels such as “Stone Upon Stone,” winner of the now defunct Best Translated Book Award in 2012, and “A Treatise on Shelling Beans,” and the recently translated “Needle’s Eye,” Wiesław Myśliwski employed and perfected the dramatic monologue, which distilled the epicism of time, the upheaval and tragedy of history, into a singular individual voice, resilient as it weathers the course of both time and history. Wiesław Myśliwski was often praised for maintaining the ‘peasant narrative,’ in his novels, which is part to his rich earthly language; one which had profound understanding of hard work and hard life, forged through authenticity and experience of having tilled the soil or digging graves. This is further captured by an employment of a rich colloquial language of the rural landscape, one which is at home beneath the broad sky and open fields. The provincial and rural landscape of Myśliwski’s narratives is equally transformed beyond its meager borders, taking on a philosophical and universal appeal, being the backdrop to greater existential ponderings and questions, confronted through daily life and work. Wiesław Myśliwski’s novels are equally renowned for being rich and textured. Narratives move through memories with a meandering rivers touch, never on a direct course or in a linear fashion. Novels can be fragmented in structure, connected by the sinew of thematic concern rather than by chronological events.

The death of Wiesław Myśliwski is a significant loss to Polish literature. Myśliwski was a writer whose rustic epic narratives captured a provincial Poland through the past tumultuous century. Rest in Peace Wiesław Myśliwski.

Thank you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
 
M. Mary