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  • Swimming in the Dark

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Tomasz Jedrowski
  • Narrated by: Will M. Watt
  • Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (49 ratings)

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Swimming in the Dark cover art

Swimming in the Dark

Written by: Tomasz Jedrowski
Narrated by: Will M. Watt
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Publisher's Summary

"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 Magazine, LGBTQ Books That'll Change the Literary Landscape in 2020)

"Captivating both for its shimmering surfaces and its terrifying depths. Tomasz Jedrowski is a remarkable writer." (Justin Torres, best-selling 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 Andre 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 camping 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 position in the ministry. 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, post-war politics, intrigue, and history. Lyrical and sensual, immersive and intense, Tomasz Jedrowski has crafted an indelible and thought-provoking literary debut that explores freedom and love in all its incarnations.

©2020 Tomasz Jedrowski (P)2020 HarperAudio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ2S+

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What listeners say about Swimming in the Dark

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Heartbreaking and beautifully written

An examination of love in a dangerous time. Precisely written to evoke the emotions of the main characters in a deft and delicate way. Very good.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful story of love

The story is written with with care and elegance. It’s full of sorrow but also hope. The author pays great attention to detail when it comes to the setting of communist Poland. The performance however took me out of the story, as the narrator repeatedly mispronounces Polish names and words. It was disappointing that there was no care taken to cast a native Polish speaker but rather someone with a British accent. Nevertheless I loved this book despite this one negative.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Such a moving story

I didn't want it to end. The narration was perfect and kept me wanting more.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A beautiful bittersweet tale

It pulls at heartstrings. Life’s painful sorrow and yearning to love without fear and limits. Set in a time where such privilege would be unthinkable.

Performance is wonderfully delivered just as the story is written.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A gorgeous debut

Melancholia and nostalgia to wrap yourself up in . This novel felt so sincere , natural flow and easy rhythm . I was carried along so effortlessly . A beautifully recounted story of young queer love

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Average at best

Complexity, Wit, Depth, and Sophistication is very average at best. I only gave this book an hour or so.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Meh

As an ESL I would have appreciated if it was narrated by North American accent so I can understand at least half of it ñ. And not by some twat from London suburbs that struggles with Polish names

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