Stone Upon Stone

Winner of the PEN Translation Prize

A "sweeping . . . irreverent" masterpiece of postwar Polish literature that "chronicles the modernization of Poland and celebrates the persistence of desire" (The New Yorker)

Hailed as one of the best ever books in translation, Stone Upon Stone is Wieslaw Mysliwski's grand epic in the rural tradition--a profound and irreverent stream of memory cutting through the rich and varied terrain of one man's connection to the land, to his family and community, to women, to tradition, to God, to death, and to what it means to be alive. Wise and impetuous, plainspoken and compassionate, Szymek recalls his youth in their village, his time as a guerrilla soldier, as a wedding official, barber, policeman, lover, drinker, and caretaker for his invalid brother.

Filled with interwoven stories and voices, by turns hilarious and moving, Szymek's narrative exudes the profound wisdom of one who has suffered, yet who loves life to the very core.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Archipelago Books
Published: 12/30/2010
ISBN: 9780982624623
Pages: 500
Weight: 1.67lbs
Size: 7.60h x 6.80w x 1.59d
Award: Literary Award - Winner
Award: Best Translated Book Award - Winner

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 10/04/2010 pg. 27
Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2010
New Yorker (The) 01/31/2011 pg. 73
New Yorker (The) 12/19/2011 pg. 139
Foreword 12/19/2010