Fionnáin reviewed Primeval And Other Times by Olga Tokarczuk
Time and the world
5 stars
Olga Tokarczuk is a masterful storyteller, and this book is a wonder. It is told in short chapters, each one following one of the occupants of the fictional village of Primeval in Poland. It takes place over the course of the 20th Century, following three generations.
Within the short chapters are touching, striking, considerate and heartfelt moments, each one revealing a depth of humanity that Tokarczuk seems to find with ease. But this ease is deceptive: there is not a word out of place here, and the characters have both allegory and humanity in them. Underpinning the linked stories is an ongoing debate about existence, god, and the lives of animals, fungi and inanimate things. It is so prescient, and so relevant today, that it is surprising that this book was first published in 1996. A brilliant piece of craft, and a beautiful story of life's struggles and moments of …
Olga Tokarczuk is a masterful storyteller, and this book is a wonder. It is told in short chapters, each one following one of the occupants of the fictional village of Primeval in Poland. It takes place over the course of the 20th Century, following three generations.
Within the short chapters are touching, striking, considerate and heartfelt moments, each one revealing a depth of humanity that Tokarczuk seems to find with ease. But this ease is deceptive: there is not a word out of place here, and the characters have both allegory and humanity in them. Underpinning the linked stories is an ongoing debate about existence, god, and the lives of animals, fungi and inanimate things. It is so prescient, and so relevant today, that it is surprising that this book was first published in 1996. A brilliant piece of craft, and a beautiful story of life's struggles and moments of wonder.
