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A review by frumpburger
Rage by Zygmunt Miloszewski
3.0
3.5 stars
This novel tells the tale of Teodor Szacki, an angry, tired, embittered polish prosecutor. Disenchanted by the provincial town in which he lives, frustrated by the women in his life, and run down by his job, suddenly he finds his world turned upside down when a skeleton is found in an old bunker. Initially assuming the skeleton to be a WWII remnant, everything changes when it's discovered that the remains are actually new. What follows is a journey into the dark world of domestic violence and violence against women, one with many twists and turns, and one with a resolution that is at once shocking and also somewhat underwhelming. It's even partially unbelievable, or perhaps too convenient, although the pieces all fit together rather seamlessly. Author Miloszewski, while perhaps not explaining the motivation of his characters as thoroughly as he could have, has created a world in which the characters, while occasionally not as fleshed out as they might have been, are all operating from their own unique set of motivations--and these motivations remain largely consistent throughout the course of the novel.
There were some questions that remained unresolved Rage that I would have preferred to see brought to completion. That's part of the reason for the less-than-stellar rating. The main reason, however, as I mentioned in a status update, is that the translation didn't thrill me. It seemed stiff in some parts, artless in others. It never devolved into bad prose, but definitely didn't live up to the expectations I had upon learning that the author is so well-respected. That said, I don't speak Polish and, as such, I have no point of comparison; this translation is all I will ever know of Rage. If I am placing the blame on the translator for authorly shortcomings, I apologize.
The constant references to Hollywood movies, however, which were heavy-handed and unnecessary, cannot be blamed on the translator.
Overall, I'm glad I read this novel. It kept my attention and I plowed through it. But thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read it, as I cannot imagine paying cover price for this novel. It just isn't quite strong enough.
This novel tells the tale of Teodor Szacki, an angry, tired, embittered polish prosecutor. Disenchanted by the provincial town in which he lives, frustrated by the women in his life, and run down by his job, suddenly he finds his world turned upside down when a skeleton is found in an old bunker. Initially assuming the skeleton to be a WWII remnant, everything changes when it's discovered that the remains are actually new. What follows is a journey into the dark world of domestic violence and violence against women, one with many twists and turns, and one with a resolution that is at once shocking and also somewhat underwhelming. It's even partially unbelievable, or perhaps too convenient, although the pieces all fit together rather seamlessly. Author Miloszewski, while perhaps not explaining the motivation of his characters as thoroughly as he could have, has created a world in which the characters, while occasionally not as fleshed out as they might have been, are all operating from their own unique set of motivations--and these motivations remain largely consistent throughout the course of the novel.
There were some questions that remained unresolved Rage that I would have preferred to see brought to completion. That's part of the reason for the less-than-stellar rating. The main reason, however, as I mentioned in a status update, is that the translation didn't thrill me. It seemed stiff in some parts, artless in others. It never devolved into bad prose, but definitely didn't live up to the expectations I had upon learning that the author is so well-respected. That said, I don't speak Polish and, as such, I have no point of comparison; this translation is all I will ever know of Rage. If I am placing the blame on the translator for authorly shortcomings, I apologize.
The constant references to Hollywood movies, however, which were heavy-handed and unnecessary, cannot be blamed on the translator.
Overall, I'm glad I read this novel. It kept my attention and I plowed through it. But thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read it, as I cannot imagine paying cover price for this novel. It just isn't quite strong enough.