Primeval and Other Times Quotes

“Below the mill the rivers merge. First they flow close beside each other, undecided, overawed by their longed-for intimacy, and then they fall into each other and get lost in one another. The river that flows out of this melting pot by the mill is no longer either the White or the Black, but it is powerful and effortlessly drives the mill wheel that grinds the grain for bread.

Primeval lies on both the White and Black rivers and also on the third one, formed out of their mutual desire. The river arising from their confluence below the mill is called The River, and it flows on calm and contented.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“People think they live more intensely than animals, than plants, and especially than things. Animals sense that they live more intensely than plants and things. Plants dream that they live more intensely than things. But things last, and this lasting is more alive than anything else.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“There are two kinds of learning, from the inside and from the outside. The fist is regarded as the best, or even the only kind. And so people learn through distant journeys, watching, reading, universities and lectures — they learn from what is happening outside them. Man is a stupid creature who had to learn. So he tacks knowledge onto himself, he gathers it like a bee, gaining more and more of it, putting it to use and processing it. But the thing inside that is "stupid" and needs learning doesn't change.

Cornspike learned by absorbing things from the outside to the inside.

Knowledge that is only grown on the outside changes nothing inside a man, or merely changes him on the surface, as one garment is changed for another. But he who learns by taking things inside himself undergoes constant transformation, because he incorporates what he learns into his being.

So by taking the stinking, dirty peasants from Primeval and the district into herself, Cornspike became just like them, was drunk just like them, frightened by the war just like them, and aroused just like them. What's more, by taking them into herself in the bushes behind the inn, Cornspike also took in their wives, their children, and their stuffy, stinking wooden cottages around Maybug Hill. In a way she took the entire village into herself, every pain in the village, and every hope.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Ludzie myślą, że żyją bardziej intensywnie niż zwierzęta, niż rosliny, a tym bardziej - niż rzeczy. Zwierzeta przeczuwają, że żyją bardziej intensywnie niż rośliny i rzeczy. Rośliny śnią, że żyją bardziej intensywnie niż rzeczy. A rzeczy trwają, i to trwanie jest bardziej życiem niż cokolwiek innego.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“It is strange that God, who is beyond the limits of time, manifests Himself within time and its transformations. If you don’t know “where” God is – and people sometimes ask such questions – you have to look at everything that changes and moves, that doesn’t fit into a shape, that fluctuates and disappears: the surface of the sea, the dances of the sun’s corona, earthquakes, the continental drift, snows melting and glaciers moving, rivers flowing to the sea, seeds germinating, the wind that sculpts mountains, a foetus developing in its mother’s belly, wrinkles near the eyes, a body decaying in the grave, wines maturing, or mushrooms growing after a rain.

God is present in every process. God is vibrating in every transformation. Now He is there, now there is less of Him, but sometimes He is not there at all, because God manifests Himself even in the fact that He is not there.

People – who themselves are in fact a process – are afraid of whatever is impermanent and always changing, which is why they have invented something that doesn’t exist – invariability, and recognised that whatever is eternal and unchanging is perfect. So they have ascribed invariability to God, and that was how they lost the ability to understand Him.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“If you take a close look at an object, with your eyes closed to avoid being deceived by the appearances that things exude around themselves, if you allow yourself to be mistrustful, you can see their true faces, at least for a moment.

Things are beings steeped in another reality, where there is no time or motion. Only their surface can be seen. The rest, hidden elsewhere, defines the significance and meaning of each material object. A coffee grinder, for example.

The grinder is just such a piece of material infused with the concept of grinding.

Grinders grind, and that is why they exist. But no one knows what the grinder means in general. Perhaps the grinder is a splinter off some total, fundamental law of transformation, a law without which this world could not go round or would be completely different. Perhaps coffee grinders are the axis of reality, around which everything turns and unwinds, perhaps they are more important for the world than people. And perhaps Misia’s one single grinder is the pillar of what is called Primeval.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“- Сънувах – обади се Кклоска – че луната почука на прозореца ми и каза: „Нямаш майка, Клоске, а дъщеря ти няма баба, нали?” „Да” – отговорих. А тя: „В селото има самотна добра жена, която нараних, вече даже не знам защо. Няма нито деца, нито внуци. Иди при нея и й кажи да ми прости. Вече съм стара и имам слаб ум.” Така ми каза. И добави още: „Ще я намериш на Хълма. Там ме ругае, когато всеки месец се показвам на света в целия си образ.” Тогава я попитах „Защо искаш да ти прости? За какво ти е прошката на някой човек?” А тя отвърна: „Защото страданията на хората дълбаят тъмни бръчки на лицето ми. Един ден ще изгасна от болката на хората.” Така ми каза, затова дойдох тук.
Флорентинка погледна проницателно в очите Клоска.
- Истина ли е това?
- Истина е. Самата истина.
- Иска да й простя?
- Да.
- И ти да ми станеш дъщеря, а тя – внучка?
- Така ми каза.
Флорентинка вдигна лице към небето и нещо проблясна в бледите й очи.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Izydor couldn't care less about either the Party or going to church. Now he needed time for thinking, remembering Ruta, for reading, for learning German, for writing letters, collecting stamps, staring at his skylight, and gradually, idly sensing the order of the universe.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Youth in its intensity, in its full force, tires itself out. One night or one morning a man crosses a boundary, reaches his peak and takes his first step downwards, towards death. Then the question arises: should he descend proudly with his face turned towards the darkness, or should he turn around towards what was, keep up an appearance and pretend it isn't darkness, but just that the light in the room has been extinguished?”
― Olga Tokarčuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Imagination is essentially creative; it is a bridge reconciling matter and spirit. Especially when it is done intensely and often. Then the image turns into a drop of matter, and joins the currents of life. Sometimes along the way something in it gets distorted and changes. Therefore, if they are strong enough, all human desires come true — but not always entirely as expected.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Хората - които самите са всъщност процес - се боят от това, което е непостоянно и винаги променливо, затова са измислили нещо, което не съществува - непроменливостта, и са сметнали, че това, което е вечно и непроменливо, е съвършено. Затова приписали на Бог непроменливост. И по този начин са загубили способността да го разбират.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Meanwhile the sight of the red glove emerging from under the dirty snow convinced the squire that the greatest deception of youth is optimism of any kind, a persistent faith in the idea that something will change or improve, or that there is progress in everything. So now the vessel had broken inside him, full of the despair he had always carried within him like hemlock. The squire looked around him and saw suffering, death, and decay, which were widespread as dirt.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“God-the-man has more important matters in his head: wars, catastrophes, conquests, and distant journeys … Women take care of the food.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Come back to me. The world is terrible and it can kill you. Look at the earthquakes, the volcanic eruptions, the fires and the floods,” He thundered from the rain clouds.

“Oh, come on, I’ll manage,” man replied, and was gone.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Then for a brief moment he saw everything completely differently. Open space, empty and endless, stretched away in all “directions. Everything within this dead expanse, every living thing was helpless and alone. Things were happening by accident, and when the accident failed, automatic law appeared – the rhythmical machinery of nature, the cogs and pistons of history, conformity with the rules that was rotting from the inside and crumbling to dust. Cold and sorrow reigned everywhere. Every creature was trying to huddle up to something, to cling to something, to things, to each other, but all that resulted was suffering and despair.

The quality of what Izydor saw was temporality. Under a colourful outer coating everything was merging in collapse, decay, and destruction.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“There are two kinds of learning, from the inside and from the outside. The first is regarded as the best, or even the only kind. And so people learn through distant journeys, watching, reading, universities and lectures — they learn from what is happening outside them. Man is a stupid creature who has to learn. So he tacks knowledge onto himself, he gathers it like a bee, gaining more and more of it, putting it to use and processing it. But the thing inside that is “stupid” and needs learning doesn’t change.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Един ден, когато Изидор се вглеждаше в своето парче небе, получи просветление. Разбра, че Бог не е нито мъж, нито жена. Позна това, когато си казваше думата „Боже”. В тази дума се криеше развръзката на проблема с пола на Бога. „Боже” звучеше по същия начин като „слънце”, като „въздух“, като „място”, като „поле”, като „море”, като „живото”, като „тъмно”, „светло”, „студено“, „топло”... Изидор с вълнение повтаряше откритото божие име и след всеки път знаеше все повече и повече. Боже беше младо, но същевременно съществуваше от началото на света или и по-рано, защото „Боже” звучи по същия начин като ‘винаги”), беше необходимо за всеки живот (както „изхранване”), намираше се във всичко (като „навсякъде”), но когато се опиташ да го намериш, нямаше нищо („като „никъде”). Боже беше пълно с любов и радост, но се случваше да бъде жестоко и опасно. Имаше в себе си всички черти и качества, които съществуват на света, и приемаше образа на всяко нещо, на всяко събитие, на всяко време. Твореше или унищожаваше или позволяваше сътвореното да се разрушава само. Беше непредвидимо като дете, като някой побъркан. По определен начин приличаше на Иван Мукта. Боже съществуваше по толкова очевиден начин, че Изидор се чудеше как е могъл някога да не си дава сметка за това.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Миша като всеки човек се роди разбира на части, непълна, на парчета. Всичко в нея беше отделно – гледането, слушането, разбирането, усещането, чувствата и възприятията. Рефлекси и инстинкти владееха малкото й тяло. Целият бъдещ живот на Миша щеше да се състои в събирането на това в едно цяло, а после в позволението му да се разпадне.

Нуждаеше се от някого, който би застанал пред нея и би бил огледало за нея, в когото да се отрази цялата.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Да си представяш е цяло творение, мост на помирение между материята и духа. Особено когато се прави често и интензивно. Тогава картината се превръща в капка материя и се включва в потока на живота. Понякога по пътя нещо в нея се деформира и се променя. Затова пък всички желания на хората, ако са достатъчно силни, се сбъдват. Но не винаги докрай така, както се очаква.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Mais à l'état de veille, les humains veulent que la vie ait un sens car ils sont prisonniers du temps. Les animaux rêvent en permanence. Pour eux, le réveil de ce rêve, c'est la mort.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Le penser humain est indissociablement lié à l'ingurgitation du temps. En quelque sorte, il s'étrangle en permanence avec. ll projette sa souffrance dans l'avenir. De cette manière, il crée le désespoir.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Bóg widzi
Czas ucieka
Śmierć goni
Wieczność czeka”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“El juego es una especie de camino a lo largo del cual se suceden repetidamente diversas posibilidades de elección. Las posibles opciones se cumplen automáticamente, pero a veces el jugador tiene la sensación de que toma decisiones de forma razonada y consciente.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“He learned how to forget, and forgetting brought him relief.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“For it is God’s business to create, and people’s business to name.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Mensen denken dat ze intenser leven dan dieren, dan planten en zeker dan dingen. Dieren vermoeden dat ze intenser leven dan planten en dingen. Planten dromen dat ze intenser leven dan dingen. En dingen duren voort en in dat voortduren zit meer leven dan in al het andere.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“La morte implica la privazione del diritto al movimento, perché la vita è movimento. Il corpo ucciso smette di muoversi. L’uomo è un corpo.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Nella quiete del tempo

“Las personas -que también son en sí mismas un proceso- tienen miedo de todo lo inestable y mutable. Por eso, imaginaron algo que no existe -la inmutabilidad- y decretaron que todo lo eterno e inmutable es perfecto. Le atribueron la inmutabilidad a Dios. Y de esta forma perdieron la capacidad de comprenderlo”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Οι άνθρωποι - που από μόνοι τους αποτελούν μια διαδικασία εξέλιξης - φοβούνται όλα όσα είναι αεικίνητα και συνεχώς μεταβαλλόμενα, επειδή επινόησαν κάτι που δεν υπάρχει - το αμετάβλητο, αποφασίζοντας πως τέλειο είναι το αιώνιο, αυτό που δεν αλλάζει. Προσέδωσαν λοιπόν στον Θεό την ιδιότητα του αμετάβλητου. και έτσι έχασαν την ικανότητα κατανόησης του.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times

“Ζω και νιώθω καλά. Θα τα καταφέρω", είπε μέσα του και τράβηξε απ' την κοιλιά του μεγάλου ρολογιού το βιολί που είχε να παίξει πολύ καιρό.
Πήγε στη σκάλα μπροστά απ' το σπίτι και άρχισε να παίζει. Έπαιξε το "Την τελευταία Κυριακή" και ύστερα τους "Λόφους της Μαντζουρίας". Γύρω απ' την λάμπα πετούσαν νυχτοπεταλούδες, έκαναν και κύκλους γύρω απ' το κεφάλι του, ένα σμήνος μέσα στα φτερά και τις κεραίες. Έπαιξε μέχρι που οι σκονισμένες, στεγνές χορδές να σπάσουν όλες η μια μετά την άλλη.”
― Olga Tokarczuk, Primeval and Other Times