Ład serca

by Jerzy Andrzejewski

Akcja powieści rozgrywa się w ciągu jednej nocy w białoruskiej wiosce, w której splatają się losy kilkorga ludzi, którzy muszą dokonać wyboru pomiędzy dobrem a złem. Głównym bohaterem jest katolicki ksiądz Siecheń, rozdarty wewnętrznie, próbujący wypełniać swoją rolę duszpasterza, wbrew słabości ludzi i niepojętości wyroków boskich. Bohater jest bezsilny i nie pojmuje działań opatrzności, stara się jednak utrzymać swoją wiarę.

257 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

Jerzy Andrzejewski was a Polish novelist, short-story writer, and political dissident noted for his attention to moral issues important in 20th-century Poland and for his realistic fiction.

Andrzejewski was born into a middle-class family, and the young writer studied Polish language and literature at the University of Warsaw. The stories published in his first book, Drogi nieuniknione (1936; “Unavoidable Ways”), originally appeared in a right-wing periodical, with whom he soon severed relations. That volume was followed by the novel Ład serca (1938; “Heart’s Harmony”), in which Andrzejewski tried to find in Roman Catholic teachings solutions to the problems of contemporary life. During the German occupation of World War II, he participated in the Polish underground.
After World War II, Andrzejewski wrote Noc (1945; “Night”), a collection of wartime stories, and, together with Jerzy Zagórski, a satirical drama, Swięto Winkelrida (1946; “Winkelried’s Feast”). Contemporary political problems are projected in Popiół i diament (1948; Ashes and Diamonds), translated into 27 languages and generally considered his finest novel. It presents a dramatic conflict between young Polish patriots and the communist regime during the last days of World War II. In 1958 Andrzej Wajda, the leading director of the Polish cinema, directed a movie based on the book and bearing the same title.

In 1949 Andrzejewski joined the Communist Party, and for the next seven years he supported its ideology in his essays, but in 1956 he gave up membership and established himself as one of the principal critics of the party’s policies, both in his creative writings and in his activities. In 1976 he became one of the cofounders of the Workers’ Defense Committee (KOR), from which eventually grew the anticommunist trade union Solidarity, outlawed in 1981. Andrzejewski also coedited Zapis (1977–81), a literary magazine publishing dissident writers. Andrzejewski’s novels Ciemności kryją ziemię (1957; The Inquisitors) and Bramy raju (1960; The Gates of Paradise) present modern problems disguised as historical novels, while Apelacja (1968; The Appeal) and Miazga (1981; “The Pulp”) directly address the issues of contemporary society.

Andrzejewski’s life and work seem to be emblematic for many Polish intellectuals of his generation—from his ardent Catholicism before the war to his heroic involvement with the Resistance during the Nazi occupation, through his subsequent skepticism, to his total acceptance of the Marxist ideology after the war, and, finally, to his disillusionment with and open dissent against communism. His short stories and novels, Ashes and Diamonds in particular, can be read as a moving testimony to his development.

Reviews

[lentasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moja ocena 3,5 gwiazdki.
Nie wiem co mam sądzić o tej książce. Książka w dziwny sposób mnie dołowała. Oprócz tego świat w niej przedstawiony: szary, mętny, postacie smutne, pogłębione psychologicznie zbyt pesymistycznie. Kilka fajnych, mądrych cytatów, ale książka na kolana mnie nie rzuciła.
Gdzieś przeczytałem, że trzeba do niej wrócić za x lat.
Pewnie to zrobię.
Buszując w zbożu J. Salingera też polecają aby ponownie przeczytać jak człowiek będzie już miał odpowiedni bagaż życiowy za sobą. Bo w mojej ocenie po pierwszym kontakcie, Buszując... jest szmirą i tandetą.

[Angelika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been a great book if the author had been a little more consistent and efficient with his writing (style). While the gloomy, dreadful atmosphere was almost palpable through masterful descriptions of the (mostly) hostile nature, many of the dialogues felt out of place and some even beyond ridiculous. This may be due to the fact that "Ordnung des Herzens" is a mix of crime story and moral tale. The moral, religious tale actually is kind of the lens through which everything that happens in the story must be viewed in order to fully understand (and maybe appreciate) it.

If you are an atheist, or even anti-religious person, stay away from this book!! Although the novel does not simplify religious notions, actually provides pretty differentiated perspectives on the matter, it is still very much imbued with "true" Christianity and Christian values. In spite of the intelligent manner in which the author handles the topic it can be a bit much sometimes in terms of overly emotional, almost cheesy sentiments.

But in general the novel is very good when it comes to depicting people's feelings, thoughts, awakening experiences. I also liked the fact that in the end (the finale is pretty tragic but kind of predictable - not in a bad way, with a small glimmer of hope) one of the main characters, who once thought he needed to end a relationship to become a priest doubts that decision since he sees what has become of the woman he left. Wouldn't it have been the truly Christian thing to stay with her because humans are more important to humans than God? A tragic realization for this priest who - for a long time - had been convinced that he was supposed to "serve" God, only to find out in the end that there may never have been a "calling" of that kind. His "calling" might have been to do the truly human thing and not let that woman down.

While that story line was pretty interesting content-wise, there were others that didn't work that well, probably because there were too many considering that the book is only about 200 pages. For example, the plot point with the priest's adopted son who as a result of a friend's (and "mentor's") death seems to go through a kind of character change felt a little strange and not very believable.

Overall, it was an interesting read, but too inconsistent and inorganic at times in order to be a really good book.

[Dominik Sauter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein von Schwermut getränktes Werk, das an einigen Stellen zum tieferen Nachdenken einlädt.

[Prez · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not bad as a psychological novel (even though I'm not big fan of the gender) and it's quite good as novel of manners. Typically for Andrzejewski there is a pinch of theodicy and some religious exultation. So it stands the test of time quite well. What ruins a bit good impression is that it's too modernist (in style of Young Poland) as for something written in 1937 (bombastic nature descriptions, pathos of human feelings and behaviours). I know that the author was young, but still.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jak czytałam kiedyś po raz pierwszy - zrobiła na mnie wrażenie.

Teraz, kilka lat później, była niezwykle męczącą lekturą.

[Julia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bolało.