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Swimming in the Dark: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Tomasz Jedrowski (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,738 ratings
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NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR • A DUA LIPA BOOK CLUB PICK 

“Imagine Call Me By Your Name set in Communist Poland and you'll get a sense of Jedrowski's moving debut about a consuming love affair amidst a country being torn apart.” — O, The Oprah Magazine

“Captivating both for its shimmering surfaces and its terrifying depths. Tomasz Jedrowski is a remarkable writer.” — Justin Torres, bestselling author of We the Animals

Set in early 1980s Poland against the violent decline of Communism, a tender and passionate story of first love between two young men who eventually find themselves on opposite sides of the political divide—a stunningly poetic and heartrending literary debut for fans of André Aciman, Garth Greenwell, and Alan Hollinghurst.

When university student Ludwik meets Janusz at a summer agricultural camp, he is fascinated yet wary of this hand­some, carefree stranger. But a chance meeting by the river soon becomes an intense, exhilarating, and all-consuming affair. After their camp duties are ful­filled, the pair spend a dreamlike few weeks in the countryside, bonding over an illicit copy of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room. Inhabiting a beautiful, natural world removed from society and its con­straints, Ludwik and Janusz fall deeply in love. But in their repressive Communist and Catholic society, the passion they share is utterly unthinkable.

Once they return to Warsaw, the charismatic Janusz quickly rises in the political ranks of the party and is rewarded with a highly coveted government position. Ludwik is drawn toward impulsive acts of protest, unable to ignore rising food prices and the stark economic disparity around them. Their secret love and personal and political differences slowly begin to tear them apart as both men struggle to survive in a regime on the brink of collapse.

Shifting from the intoxication of first love to the quiet melancholy of growing up and growing apart, Swimming in the Dark is a potent blend of romance, postwar politics, intrigue, and history. Lyrical and sensual, immersive and intense, Tomasz Jedrowski’s indelible and thought-provoking literary debut explores freedom and love in all its incarnations.

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  1. Print length
    216 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    William Morrow
  5. Publication date
    April 28, 2020
  6. File size
    2081 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  1. 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.
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  2. I had always liked the act of leaving, the expanse between departure and arrival when you’re seemingly nowhere, defined by another kind of time.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Reading Swimming in the Dark is a bit like peering into someone’s most intimate moments of self-discovery. It’s poetic and tender, burning with a quiet rage at the persecution the LGBTQIA+ community in Poland has suffered for decades and continues to fight against today. It’s a beautiful story – I hope you love it as much as I do.” — Dua Lipa, on selecting Swimming in the Dark for her Service95 book club 

“An affecting and unusual romance, with a political undercurrent . . . . Jedrowski writes elegantly and evokes the emotional honesty that the lovers first thrive in, and then the grimly repressive machinery of the [Polish United Workers' Party].” — The Guardian

“[A] devastating debut novel . . . Worker revolts and brutal government crackdown form the backdrop to Ludwik’s search for love and possibility while living in fear of being discovered. Jedrowski’s prose captures the strain of such desires, alongside heady moments of freedom.” — Interview Magazine

"This is a lyrical exploration of the conflict between gay love and political conformity. Jedrowski is an authentic new international star." — Edmund White, award-winning author of Our Young Man

“This lovely debut . . . has the hallmarks of a restrained mini-classic: In simple, heartfelt prose, Jedrowski sketches a powerfully erotic first love transformed by politics into a romance roiled by risk and ethical ambiguity.” — Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Marvelous, precise, poignant writing; the reader is happy to be overwhelmed. The highest talent at work." — Sebastian Barry, award-winning author of Days Without End

“One of the most astonishing contemporary gay novels we have ever read. Swimming in the Dark is extraordinarily beautiful . . . Erotic, mesmeric, heart-rending and brutal, this is a masterpiece.” — Attitude magazine (UK)

“A remarkable, beautiful tale . . . [that] is consonant with many of the traditions of gay fiction, yet is also utterly new and entirely credible . . . This book radiates sensuality, humour, and human truths . . . The reader is left wanting more. You won’t want to miss it.”  — Literary Review (UK)

“Jedrowski has woven a brilliant tale about two people in love who are torn apart by a political divide and a difference in values. . . . A tender, sad, and moving love story . . . full of suspenseful intrigue, conflict, and passion.” — The Gay & Lesbian Review

“In this glorious book, Jedrowski exquisitely captures the pleasure and pain of young love, while reminding us of what it means to hunger: for freedom – and for another.” — The Independent, 11 Best LGBTQ+ Books to Read During Pride Month and Beyond 

“Remember the feeling of the last day of summer camp? Nostalgia for something you haven’t quite lost yet? Tomasz Jedrowski captures that wistfulness in his debut novel . . . Jedrowski’s writing reminds us that even in the face of oppression, life continues.” — Ari Shapiro, NPR, Book Concierge

About the Author

Tomasz Jedrowski is a graduate of Cambridge University and the Université de Paris. Born in Germany to Polish parents, he has lived in several countries, including Poland, and currently resides outside Paris. This is his first novel.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07VQ85LGC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow (April 28, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 28, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2081 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,738 ratings

About the author

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Tomasz Jedrowski

Tomasz Jedrowski

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Tomasz is a graduate of Cambridge University and Université de Paris. Swimming in the Dark, his debut novel, was selected as a Book of the Year by the Guardian and NPR and has been translated into 18 languages. It's Dua Lipa's Monthly Read for May 2024.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
3,738 global ratings
One of the Best Books I've Read in Years and Shipping was Fantastic!
5 Stars
One of the Best Books I've Read in Years and Shipping was Fantastic!
I had already read this book when I purchased it from AMAZON, but I wanted a nice hardcover copy for my library. It is an amazing book and one of my favorites in the past few years. Jedrowski's first novel (from what I can gather about him at least) has gorgeous prose, an incredible story, and social relevance.As far as shipping, I have no issues. I've received "NEW" books from Amazon and independent sellers that came in near-tatters. This book was shipped perfectly and I couldn't be happier!
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Top reviews from the United States

FT
5.0 out of 5 stars a beautiful love letter
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024
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A beautiful love letter of a first love, a love feared, but inexplicable and undeniable. The writing is deep, relatable and full of love. It’s a wonderful first novel and a story necessary in the lgbt line up.
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R. M. Ettinger
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2022
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Clearly, you can write a book about what I didn't remember (or paid attention to) regarding Poland in the early '80s.

I liked 'Swimming in the Dark'. I didn't love it. It moved along a good clip, as I finished it in one sitting. I liked the characters but I never felt completely attached to them either. I think part of this was, Ludwik and Janus didn't seem fully attached to each other.

I felt how they connected was beautiful, yet how to maintain that was tricky - for them and for the reader. Navigating a relationship in a communist government could be construed as a metaphor for the barriers to any relationship, let alone your first one.

Characters develop, so that is fine. Few are stagnant, but most of them have no clear conclusion. While, that is indeed life, it can make for a frustrating read.

I wasn't sure why Ludwik even wrote to Janus in the first place, or why the inclusion of short tale of Ludwik's childhood friend even was included, other than to talk about Jews in communist Europe. There is no connection later to this, but, I might be quibbling.

The book is well constructed and easy to read. It held my attention, and in today's fiction, sometimes that is the best thing that can be said.
2 people found this helpful
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Girolamo
5.0 out of 5 stars This guy is something else!
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2021
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As the teacher of a course that deals, in part, with the rhythm and movement of prose, I was already intrigued in the first couple of pages of this small novel by just how inviting and engaging its prose was. By its third page, I'd stopped reading to investigate who might have done such a splendid job of translating the young Polish author's original into English.

Well, NOBODY did! He did it himself, right from the get-go; he wrote it in English - which just happens to be his own FIFTH language!! (Now, how does that work exactly? How can it even be the case?) The English prose is not competent, not adequate, not merely good - it's beautiful: there's not a poor or dull sentence in it anywhere - and I've read it twice.

The story itself is a gut-punch, and a hard one at that. The novel has 4-5 pages of blissful happiness when two young, very poor gay guys find themselves in each other and go camping. The rest of the book is about their trying to find ways just to survive and be themselves in those last wretched years of the Soviet control of Poland. Because the story itself is so convincing and the language's rhythm and flow so engaging, there's no partial investment in this story; if you're there with them at all, you're there 100% - which makes the experience of reading it better and the realities it depicts worse. READER: be advised!

I consider the book something of a minor miracle. I don't know that it's "perfect" (whatever that might mean, exactly), but it's so good that what I feel most towards it (and its author) is gratitude. Of the many good things art can do for us, reminding us that there's still more possible than we'd imagined is, for me, the best one. The author said in an interview that he'd taught himself English because, while he didn't "need" it at the time, he wanted to have it as his 'special' language, one he could escape to - and in.

All I can say to that is how very glad I am that he's not keeping it for himself anymore!
12 people found this helpful
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Sean Kelley
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read book!
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2023
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I recently read "Swimming in the Dark: A Novel" and was completely moved by this beautiful story. The author, Tomasz Jedrowski, transports the reader to 1980s Poland, where we follow the life of Ludwik, a young man who falls in love with his classmate Janusz. Despite the societal pressures and political turmoil of the time, their love persists, and the novel explores the complexities of their relationship.

Jedrowski's writing is so vivid and descriptive, I felt like I was right there with Ludwik as he navigated the challenges of being gay in a repressive society. The characters were so well-developed and their struggles were relatable and heart-wrenching. I found myself rooting for Ludwik and Janusz every step of the way.

Overall, "Swimming in the Dark" is a powerful and moving novel that will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read.
3 people found this helpful
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Blue in Washington (Barry Ballow)
5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and affecting
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2020
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This is a beautifully written story that serves as a stark reminder of how repressive social and political mores have found it convenient to destroy human happiness when people perceived as outliers are involved. In this case, the story revolves around two young gay men in Poland before the Solidarity uprising. Any deviation from the shakey orthodoxy of the moment was suspect and not to be tolerated. In fact, personal growth/happiness/professional progress is all dependent on finding sponsors in authority who can provide protection and openings to privilege. Merit and talent are not especially important and deviation from norms is toxic and instantly punished.

The two principal characters of the novel struggle to keep a budding relationship alive while knowing that the odds against them are overwhelming. One of them will eventually succumb to the pressure and the other will choose exile when the hypocrisy and unfairness of times become intolerable.

The language of the short novel is rich and evocative. The characters and their individual situations are easy for the reader to relate to. A sad but beautiful story.

Ironically, I read this book during a week when the presidential administration elect in the U.S. announced the appointment of an openly gay man to a cabinet position. In that announcement, much was made by the President-elect about the nominees partner/spouse and the warmth and supportiveness of the relationship between the two. A stark contrast to the time and dilemma of the men in "Swimming in the Dark."
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Isabella
5.0 out of 5 stars leitura necessária!
Reviewed in Brazil on March 5, 2024
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que livro meus amigos, tanto pelo contexto historico, pela narrativa e o enredo, como o livro é leve e te faz mergulhar nele muito profundamente
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Carlos Gil
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on April 18, 2023
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Muy buen libro e historia. Lo terminé en dos sentadas, no lo poda dejar !
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martin h.
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly engrossing story, beautifully told
Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2021
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Being gay in the 80's was always going to be hard, no matter where you were. And coming of age at that time was even harder as one came to terms with the hatred, stigma and fear that went along with it. The author reveals such a struggle in finely crafted detail, and the harshness of that struggle in the bitter world of Eastern Europe was a revelation that thoroughly captured the imagination, albeit uncomfortably. The reader is placed at the heart of a cold, dark place where anger and fury at how the world works so determinedly to crush ordinary people's hopes, dreams and simple pleasures was an all too natural reaction, put so clearly on display in this splendid book.
2 people found this helpful
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Ilias P
5.0 out of 5 stars Riktigt bra bok.
Reviewed in Sweden on April 13, 2024
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Köpte boken mest för att jag var intresserad av gaylivet i Polen de senaste decennierna. Blev positivt överraskad av att hur författaren hade valt att kombinera beskrivningen av gaylivet med huvudpersonens inre process och beslut. Boken är lättläst och man njuter verkligen av att följa berättelsen. Väldigt bra skrivet med bra tempo och fint avslut. Kan varmt rekommendera den, i synnerhet om man är intresserad av HBTQ-litteratur.
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Marius K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely detailed and nice to read.
Reviewed in Germany on February 21, 2024
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One of the books I read the fastest. Jedrowski writes with such detailed descriptions that I felt easily immersed on the history and curious to know what’s happening next. It was a short one but well done! I hope to read more of his work in the future.
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