Wiesław Myśliwski
The Eye of the Needle (Ucho Igielne)
Poland
BOOK
What is it like to meet your younger self—or to confront your older self? Two perspectives intertwine in this story: the life path of a young protagonist and the reflections of a person who already knows how it all ends. Events from different decades unfold side by side, and their comparison changes how they are understood. The greatest defeat may become the most important experience. And carefully made plans for the future can be rewritten by “great history.” In this latest novel, Myśliwski returns to his native town of Sandomierz—the title refers to a narrow passage in the city’s walls called the “eye of the needle,” through which two people must press tightly together if they wish to pass at the same time.
Published by Havran, 2024
AUTHOR
© Danuta Węgiel
Wiesław Myśliwski (*1932), a novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, is one of Poland’s living literary legends. He debuted in 1962 and can rightfully be called a chronicler of the 20th century. His fiction often centers on a single character whose life is shaped by Central Europe’s turbulent history. His key works include Stone Upon Stone (1984, Czech 1986), A Treatise on Shelling Beans (2006, Czech 2010), and Horizon (1996, Czech 2000). The latter two were both awarded the prestigious Nike Literary Prize. Alongside Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk, Myśliwski is the only author to have won it twice.
TRANSLATION
Lenka Kuhar Daňhelová
