The Eagle and the Crow: Contemporary Polish Short Fiction

by Teresa Halikowska Smith (Editor), George Hyde (Editor)

The best of contemporary Polish writers translated in English for the first time.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You're a wonderful person, Isolda,” I added, “but you have bad taste.” These short stories spanned a lot of Polish history, from the WW2 era through Communism and the solidarity movement. My mother told me she'd once read a book of Russian stories, and that she had to put the book down because it depressed her so much. These, too, were mostly heavy reading. Some of my favorites included “The History of the Last Revolution in England,” “The Elephant” (which is a lighthearted exception to the collection), “The Use of a Dragon” and “Cain, or an Interpretation of the Rule: To Each According to His Deserts.” Almost all have social implications and a sense of national pride, and some are downright bleak (considering the stories herein about the concentration camps.) Honestly, many of the stories seemed tedious to me, and some are difficult to grasp. But, I just gotta blame that on the translation. Definitely expanded my reading 'range.'

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't quite bring myself to finish it. Poisoned by reading someone else's review, in which they stated that while some of the stories were entertaining, overall, the collection dragged, and much of it was without interest.

I regret moving on so soon - 50 pages in, but life is too short.

[ChasTopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very uneven collection. At times humorous or interesting, with beautiful prose, but several stories dragged on without engaging me.