James Hopkin

It was clear within just a couple of pages that this was an author with a formidable talent for language. There is enough lyrical prose here to keep an English Literature class going for the entire academic year.

Plot-wise, things move slowly. Set in Poland around the time of that country's joining the EU it follows Joseph, a bohemian painter type, in pursuit of a Polish woman he met the summer before. Their relationship is continued mainly in letter form (our Polish heroine writes English better than most English people), and we watch as Joseph attempts to transcend nationality, telling passing Poles he is 'not foreign', much to their perplexity.

I learned a great deal about Poland, its language and the ways in which Communism has left its mark on Polish society. This is what I found the most interesting. It intrigued me that the author did not name any of the cities involved, but went to the lengths, at one point, of pinpointing one of them in terms of lines of latitute and longitude. I can only conclude that he wanted the reader to consult a reference book, which is exactly what I did.… (altro)