Lapidarium

Lapidarium #1

by Ryszard Kapuściński

Polish

Genres: Nonfiction, Polish Literature, Travel, Poland

118 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Ryszard Kapuściński debuted as a poet in Dziś i jutro at the age of 17 and has been a journalist, writer, and publicist. In 1964 he was appointed to the Polish Press Agency and began traveling around the developing world and reporting on wars, coups and revolutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe; he lived through twenty-seven revolutions and coups, was jailed forty times, and survived four death sentences. During some of this time he also worked for the Polish Secret Service, although little is known of his role.

See also Ryszard Kapuściński Prize

Reviews

[Jörg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kapuscinski was a journalist for the Polish Press Agency since the 1960’s. He is best-known for his work in Africa which was closest to his heart. But he also reported from almost all other parts of the world. His perspective is unique in so far, as a journalist coming from the Eastern bloc and having been born in a poor region of Poland which nowadays is in Belarus, he was somewhere in between the third-world countries he was reporting from and the white colonialists. He was from the second world when a second world still existed. Beside his journalist work, he also wrote essays and travel books, closer to authors like Chatwin or Theroux but less focused on himself than those authors.

In Poland, he also released a series of books called Lapidarium I-VI. These are collections on his thoughts on anything ranging from stories from his travels that didn’t fit anywhere else, thoughts on politics, art, culture, human behaviour, mankind. The collection “Notizen eines Weltbürgers” is listed under the header of Lapidarium I but actually is the combination of Lapidarium IV and V. The fourth volume was written in the years 1997-2000 and the fifth volume from 2000-2002. An eclectic choice of years with the most exceptional event of September 11th taking place in this range. Astonishingly, this event does not feature prominently and is only briefly mentioned in a few passages.

His focus is on the development of the world. Countries splitting into smaller ones, separation in Europe, a society drifting apart. He writes about post-modernism and the relativism which makes things more equal and more irrelevant. He complains about modern communication. People spending more time with their mobile phones than with other people. And that was before the rise of smartphones! He has a tendency to being grumpy. Only when he talks about individuals, warmth shows in his writing. Due to his personal experiences with people in developing and muslim countries, he sees them more positively than the ruling paradigm of the clash of cultures. He is opposed to the growing provincialism and advocates diversity without calling it like that at a time when diversity wasn’t the big thing it is nowadays. Due to this, Islamic terrorism doesn’t get much attention notwithstanding September 11th as I already mentioned above.

Parts of this book are outdated now. Most notably, his views on the changing media landscape. He mourns the loss of the independent journalists being excellent writers at the same time which have been replaced by TV teams flying in and out of a crisis without any understanding on what is happening. Nowadays, even those he criticizes are replaced more and more by social media and laymen getting coverage. Other parts aren’t that interesting which is understandable. Given the breadth of his thoughts, not everybody will be interested in everything and some parts are too specific, either too Polish or too closely related to his life.

Nonetheless, I can recommend this book even today. Luckily, enough facettes are timeless and still relevant as the human condition remains the same.

[Puella Sole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Da se ne lažemo, ovo nije knjiga koja se čita bez ispuštanja, jer je prilično teško da vam niz potpuno nepovezanih fragmenata drži pažnju na skoro 400 strana, ali je ovo knjiga koja se rado čita, barem u mom slučaju. Ovo nije Kapušćinjski na kakvog se čovjek navikne kada čita npr. Imperiju, ali ovdje je ovaj čovjek pokazao svoje veliko znanje i svoju potrebu za promišljanjima ne samo o konkretnom poslu kojim se bavi nego i o književnosti, umjetnosti, politici, ideologiji i to možda čak i za nijansu više nego u ostalim knjigama (jer ovdje konkretna radnja nije zauzimala mjesto).

[Patryk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiedy sięgałem po tę lekturę to myślałem, że taka forma zapisków/notatek nie przypadnie mi do gustu i jest raczej dziwnym pomysłem coś takiego publikować.

Na swoje szczęście muszę przyznać, że bardzo się myliłem. Jest to książka fantastyczna, stwarzająca możliwość zajrzenia w głąb autora

[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Zuzanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

genious.

[Ania Skroś · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jakbym czytała o Polsce i świecie nie lat 80, a współczesnych. Niezwykle aktualne spostrzeżenia.

[Geert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one if his best books with thoughts that remain wise. There are also parts that are uninteresting when he talks abt Polish I have never heard of.

[Felicitas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Die Menschen vergeuden zu viel geistige Kraft und Energie, um gegen Absurditäten und Dummheiten anzukämpfen, die unverantwortliche Dummköpfe verkünden, statt sich der Entwicklung und Verbreitung kluger und wichtiger Gedanken zu widmen."
Liebe das Buch für solche Aussagen, an anderen Stellen jedoch sehr banal und platt.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read. incredibly touching and mind-opening.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zapiski o różnych wydarzeń - bardziej pamiętniko - notatnik niż esej czy reportaż.