What do you think?
Rate this book
Confidential
The darkly comic tale of three generations of a Jewish family, from one of Poland’s most renowned contemporary authorsConfidential follows on the success of acclaimed photographer, psychologist, and writer Mikołaj Grynberg’s highly acclaimed short story collection, I’d Like to Say Sorry, but There’s No One to Say Sorry To, which was a finalist for numerous awards, including Poland’s most prestigious literary prize, the Nike, a National Jewish Book Award, the Sami Rohr Prize, and the National Translation Award in Prose for Sean Gasper Bye’s excellent translation.
This powerful new novella is a darkly comic portrait of a Jewish family in today’s Poland, struggling to express their love for another one another in the face of a past that cannot and will not be forgotten. The grandfather is a doctor, a Holocaust survivor who has now vowed to live only for pleasure. His son, born at the start of the war, becomes a doctor like his father, but finds himself emotionally unable to attend the medical conferences in Germany, despite the benefit it would give his career. The mother is loving but firm, though she has a secret habit of attending strangers’ funerals so that she can cry.
A masterpiece of concision, Confidential expands on one of the stories in I’d Like to Say Sorry . . ., tackling themes of memory and care, trauma and memory, as well as enduring anti-Semitism with unforgettable power, emotional complexity, and Grynberg’s trademark black humor.
This powerful new novella is a darkly comic portrait of a Jewish family in today’s Poland, struggling to express their love for another one another in the face of a past that cannot and will not be forgotten. The grandfather is a doctor, a Holocaust survivor who has now vowed to live only for pleasure. His son, born at the start of the war, becomes a doctor like his father, but finds himself emotionally unable to attend the medical conferences in Germany, despite the benefit it would give his career. The mother is loving but firm, though she has a secret habit of attending strangers’ funerals so that she can cry.
A masterpiece of concision, Confidential expands on one of the stories in I’d Like to Say Sorry . . ., tackling themes of memory and care, trauma and memory, as well as enduring anti-Semitism with unforgettable power, emotional complexity, and Grynberg’s trademark black humor.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 7, 2025
5 people are currently reading
3634 people want to read
About the author
Mikołaj Grynberg
19 books115 followersMikołaj Grynberg (ur. 1966) – fotograf i pisarz, z wykształcenia psycholog. Jego zdjęcia były prezentowane niemal na całym świecie. Autor albumów Dużo kobiet (2009), Auschwitz – co ja tu robię? (2010) oraz Ocaleni z XX wieku (2012). Wydał zbiór rozmów Oskarżam Auschwitz. Opowieści rodzinne (2014), tom opowiadań Rejwach (2016) oraz wspomnienia żydowskich emigrantów 1968 Księga wyjścia (2018). Od lat zajmuje się problematyką i historią polskich Żydów w XX wieku. W całej swojej twórczości przyjmuje szczególną perspektywę dialogu, koncentrując się na spotkaniu z innymi, otwarciu na ich osobiste przeżycia i historie.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 18, 2024
Life is a work in progress.
Grynberg tells the story of three generations in a family in vignettes, with the first generation going through the Holocaust and the last generation living in today’s Poland. He follows them as they cycle through their life as sometimes the wheel is up and sometimes it is down, and it takes them with it in it’s up and down journey.
The heavy burden endured during the Holocaust has moulded the first generation, but it has also cast its deep dark shadow over the rest of the generations. The family ticks along despite this but still it’s shaping is there. We see the coping mechanisms, the rebellion, the nervous tics, the dark humour and we see the family continue day after day. Sometimes it’s a wash, rinse and repeat with each member dealing with what life throws at us be it school, work, relationships, illness, death. They (we) continue until they (we) do not.
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Netgalley
Grynberg tells the story of three generations in a family in vignettes, with the first generation going through the Holocaust and the last generation living in today’s Poland. He follows them as they cycle through their life as sometimes the wheel is up and sometimes it is down, and it takes them with it in it’s up and down journey.
The heavy burden endured during the Holocaust has moulded the first generation, but it has also cast its deep dark shadow over the rest of the generations. The family ticks along despite this but still it’s shaping is there. We see the coping mechanisms, the rebellion, the nervous tics, the dark humour and we see the family continue day after day. Sometimes it’s a wash, rinse and repeat with each member dealing with what life throws at us be it school, work, relationships, illness, death. They (we) continue until they (we) do not.
An ARC kindly provided by author/publisher via Netgalley
May 17, 2025
Something in between a novel and a short story collection, with lots of small episodes directly or indirectly about the trauma of the Holocaust reverberating through the generations. The tone is kept light, it is not a sad book.
But it was slightly too fragmentary for me and the sense of humour - especially in the first story - didn't really work.
But it was slightly too fragmentary for me and the sense of humour - especially in the first story - didn't really work.
November 27, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
Confidential was a deeply moving account of a single family across time, as one generation flows into the next. The writing was concise but poetic. Whimsy and humour couch the harshness of situations faced by the characters — somehow, their realities are made more sober this way. When I initially started reading the book, I thought it was so compelling and relatively short; I assumed it would be a quick read. I was wrong. I had to pause to catch myself while reading — some vignettes were truly heartbreaking.
As other reviewers have mentioned, it can be difficult, at times, to track the characters across Confidential's scenes. I would agree with this. The movement across vignettes is imperfect, but I didn't find that I minded so much that it took away from my appreciation for the book. It gave the effect of a carousel or clicking through the images on an old View-Master to steal glimpses of these characters across time and space.
I feel that I'm being ineloquent in explaining how or why, but I really loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the second world war, family dramas, generational trauma, or questions of identity and personhood, as well as lovers of poetic, if off-beat, writing.
Thank you to The New Press and Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.
Confidential was a deeply moving account of a single family across time, as one generation flows into the next. The writing was concise but poetic. Whimsy and humour couch the harshness of situations faced by the characters — somehow, their realities are made more sober this way. When I initially started reading the book, I thought it was so compelling and relatively short; I assumed it would be a quick read. I was wrong. I had to pause to catch myself while reading — some vignettes were truly heartbreaking.
As other reviewers have mentioned, it can be difficult, at times, to track the characters across Confidential's scenes. I would agree with this. The movement across vignettes is imperfect, but I didn't find that I minded so much that it took away from my appreciation for the book. It gave the effect of a carousel or clicking through the images on an old View-Master to steal glimpses of these characters across time and space.
I feel that I'm being ineloquent in explaining how or why, but I really loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the second world war, family dramas, generational trauma, or questions of identity and personhood, as well as lovers of poetic, if off-beat, writing.
Thank you to The New Press and Netgalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.
March 12, 2025
this is a decent draft of a second-rate novel; a few poignant sentences crushed between a sea of empty, half-baked ideas on family and mourning. Grynberg is a talented short-story writer, and that is made obvious in this work. felt more like a collection of loosely connected short stories than a novel, and it ultimately lacked emotional resonance. i did feel something when reading it but not so much because of artistic prowess, rather because of personal matters. there is something to say about the emotions evoked but when they are not coming from the power of the work, rather drawn from my life outside the work, there is not exactly anything of merit.
there is mostly nothing to gain from this book besides some heart strings tugged. the unnamed characters are somewhat dull, holding no motivations outside the family. i do understand the point of anonymity in the book, to portray one of the millions of unnamed Jewish families affected by the Holocaust, but I find its lack of precision to be its downfall. I was more often left confused by constant perspective shifts and the formatting rather than impressed; perhaps this book lends itself to a more thorough reading. but it all did provoke thought and that's a positive.
there is mostly nothing to gain from this book besides some heart strings tugged. the unnamed characters are somewhat dull, holding no motivations outside the family. i do understand the point of anonymity in the book, to portray one of the millions of unnamed Jewish families affected by the Holocaust, but I find its lack of precision to be its downfall. I was more often left confused by constant perspective shifts and the formatting rather than impressed; perhaps this book lends itself to a more thorough reading. but it all did provoke thought and that's a positive.
February 9, 2025
Jewish-Polish family saga, spanning the grandparents' survival of the Holocaust to the grandchildren dealing with their parents' secrets and deaths. Except saga is the wrong word: this slim novel is told in small sketches, with shifting POVs, in a manner that makes it difficult to know who you're following much of the time. Some of the pieces do add up, and some of the scenes or moments are effective, but overall this left me with a bit of a "huh" feeling. I'm not sure this is really a novel.
Read
February 21, 2025“Confidential” shares snippets of life and captured moments through the eyes and minds of several people from one Jewish family. From this family’s stories the reader shares in portraits of grief, loss, humor, and quirky life entanglements. The stories span through several decades from the holocaust through to present day Poland giving a wide array of topics covered. I was quite fond of several of these stories as they were told through interesting perspectives. I also quite enjoyed the characters, however, I did have trouble sorting out who was narrating in the beginning half of book. I believe difficulty came in the form of none of the characters having names. I’ve never encountered this particular style of writing but it was different. After a while it didn’t matter that the characters didn’t have names because the connections, relationships, and human characteristics stood out above anything else. One final note, I found this to be one of the better translated books that I have read.
I received this book as an ARC, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I received this book as an ARC, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.
December 5, 2024
An intricate exploration of generational identity and resilience, this novel delves into the lives of a Jewish family across three generations. Beginning with the Holocaust's impact on the first generation, the narrative intricately weaves through time, portraying the lingering shadows of trauma and the ways they shape—and occasionally distort—the lives that follow. Health crises, romantic entanglements, and personal triumphs are presented with the same unflinching candour.
Told in vignettes that shift across decades, the fragmented structure captures moments like snapshots—poignant, incomplete, yet deeply affecting. The transitions between characters and timelines can be a bt disorienting, but I think this was intentional, to mirror the book’s thematic undercurrent: lives are never neatly organized. The sparse, razor-sharp prose occasionally softens with moments of sardonic humor, creating a striking juxtaposition that underscores the characters' struggles and resilience.
While the book demands focus to piece together its mosaic of experiences, it rewards the reader with a poetic meditation on survival, family, and the ways history continues to reverberate through the present. For those interested in stories of generational trauma, identity, and humanity’s enduring spirit, this is a challenging yet profoundly rewarding read.
Thank you to NetGalley and The New Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Told in vignettes that shift across decades, the fragmented structure captures moments like snapshots—poignant, incomplete, yet deeply affecting. The transitions between characters and timelines can be a bt disorienting, but I think this was intentional, to mirror the book’s thematic undercurrent: lives are never neatly organized. The sparse, razor-sharp prose occasionally softens with moments of sardonic humor, creating a striking juxtaposition that underscores the characters' struggles and resilience.
While the book demands focus to piece together its mosaic of experiences, it rewards the reader with a poetic meditation on survival, family, and the ways history continues to reverberate through the present. For those interested in stories of generational trauma, identity, and humanity’s enduring spirit, this is a challenging yet profoundly rewarding read.
Thank you to NetGalley and The New Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 18, 2024
“Look around and throw out the things your children won’t want to inherit. Do the same in your mind, even though that’s much harder.”
An unflinchingly honest and blunt portrayal of the burdens life can place on you. Translated from Polish, the novel describes the lives of Jewish sons and daughters, fathers and mothers spanning multiple generations. The punctuated writing leaves no room for empathy from the reader and is interspersed with sardonic humor that cuts to the core of their issues. Though the characters are sometimes hard to track, the unfinished nature of the plot leads you to view the characters themselves as unfinished, existing outside the constructed narrative. Health issues, affairs, and achievement are all delivered in the same tone throughout the novel, leaving it up the reader to attribute emotion to their lives.
Thank you New Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
An unflinchingly honest and blunt portrayal of the burdens life can place on you. Translated from Polish, the novel describes the lives of Jewish sons and daughters, fathers and mothers spanning multiple generations. The punctuated writing leaves no room for empathy from the reader and is interspersed with sardonic humor that cuts to the core of their issues. Though the characters are sometimes hard to track, the unfinished nature of the plot leads you to view the characters themselves as unfinished, existing outside the constructed narrative. Health issues, affairs, and achievement are all delivered in the same tone throughout the novel, leaving it up the reader to attribute emotion to their lives.
Thank you New Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 19, 2025
This fragmented and episodic narrative tells the story of three generations of a Jewish family living in post-war Poland. The grandfather is a doctor, a Holocaust survivor, who is now determined to live only for pleasure. The mother attends strangers’ funerals so that she can cry. The son is a well-respected physicist who finds himself unable to attend conferences in Germany even though this would enhance his career. Each is fighting the demons of the past. We hear from them each in turn and their individual voices build into a collective whole. It’s a quiet book, written in a spare matter-of-fact one, and explores themes of identity, survival, displacement, silence and shame to great effect, using just a few words to express deep emotions and intergenerational trauma. The fragmented narrative requires concentration but the result is more than worthwhile, as it’s a moving chronicle of a well-known story, here made new and original.
January 26, 2025
I obtained this novella as a Library thing Giveaway.
As a Jew whose entire family were already established in the US before WW2, this book was important to me.
The author's format and style was difficult to navigate. However, it successfully was able to explore generations of one family. From the aftermath of the Holocaust to modern day.
Except the vignettes follow no pattern of time, nor give names. It is the old man, such and such son, a wife. It was hard to connect with the characters.
But I suspect this is the authors intent. To explore an anonymous family forever affected by their family WW2 history. Because there were millions of families affected, all forgotten or ignored because there was no biography or memoir written.
Format and and style was hard for this author, but drove in the point we all still need to never forget but to also continue forward to survive.
As a Jew whose entire family were already established in the US before WW2, this book was important to me.
The author's format and style was difficult to navigate. However, it successfully was able to explore generations of one family. From the aftermath of the Holocaust to modern day.
Except the vignettes follow no pattern of time, nor give names. It is the old man, such and such son, a wife. It was hard to connect with the characters.
But I suspect this is the authors intent. To explore an anonymous family forever affected by their family WW2 history. Because there were millions of families affected, all forgotten or ignored because there was no biography or memoir written.
Format and and style was hard for this author, but drove in the point we all still need to never forget but to also continue forward to survive.
May 10, 2025
I loved "I'd Like to Say Sorry, but There's No One to Say Sorry To," the (very) short story collection that was Mikołaj Grynberg's first book translated from the Polish. And I love this short novel, his second work to appear in English.
Grynberg is a pointillist, offering here ultra-short chapters that jump forward and back in time. Characters remain unnamed but emerge clearly enough once the reader is sufficiently immersed in the story. Similarly the narrative pattern emerges one checkerboard square at a time. Despite its brevity, Grynberg delivers the three generational story of a Polish Jewish family, from the interwar period to well into the postwar. His theme, explored gently, with a light authorial touch, is the distinct forms of psychic damage that prejudice and ultimately genocide inflict on each generation.
Grynberg is a pointillist, offering here ultra-short chapters that jump forward and back in time. Characters remain unnamed but emerge clearly enough once the reader is sufficiently immersed in the story. Similarly the narrative pattern emerges one checkerboard square at a time. Despite its brevity, Grynberg delivers the three generational story of a Polish Jewish family, from the interwar period to well into the postwar. His theme, explored gently, with a light authorial touch, is the distinct forms of psychic damage that prejudice and ultimately genocide inflict on each generation.
December 12, 2024
Thank you NetGalley, Mikołaj Grynberg and The New Press for an Arc of this book. This is my subjective opinion.
3.5/5
I liked the premise of the novel, the tone, the presentation of characters and connections. It’s very interesting to see the generational differences and similarities of families. And yet, and I think this is a me problem, I had difficulties following the narrative in parts. The anonymity of the characters, having been given no names, confused me for about 2/3 of the book. I somehow liked it but it also somehow bothered me. This is why I have a rather hard time putting my impressions into words. I appreciated the depiction of trauma, reconciliation and love while struggling with the mosaic of chapters and characters.
3.5/5
I liked the premise of the novel, the tone, the presentation of characters and connections. It’s very interesting to see the generational differences and similarities of families. And yet, and I think this is a me problem, I had difficulties following the narrative in parts. The anonymity of the characters, having been given no names, confused me for about 2/3 of the book. I somehow liked it but it also somehow bothered me. This is why I have a rather hard time putting my impressions into words. I appreciated the depiction of trauma, reconciliation and love while struggling with the mosaic of chapters and characters.
April 13, 2025
Confidential is told through a series of short, semi-contained chapters offering anecdotes from four generations of an unnamed family in Poland. They are not presented linearly, which, when combined with the anonymous cast, sometimes leads to confusion on who is being featured in a particular episode. This probably could have been avoided had the book adopted a naming conceit similar to what Doctorow used in Ragtime. Enough information is eventually given about these characters to help establish them early in the chapters, but with such a short book, that shouldn’t have been a problem at all. The quality of the writing itself is why my rating is so high. Some sequences reminded me of peak Vonnegut, and it’s hard for me to resist that bleak human humor.
December 22, 2024
I would like to thank NetGalley and The New Press for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it!
Confidential is a unique vignette of a Jewish family, whose trauma expands through several generations. Books, such as this one, makes it hard to decode just how much the author genuinely intended versus what the reader believes to have been the intention.
For most of the narrative the characters remain nameless, making it difficult to differentiate between a grandfather, father, son, mother, daughter, and grandmother. Somehow, I think that’s the point. We get to know the characters based off their own faults/limitations passed through their parents, and their parents’ parents—the trauma becoming their identity. At the end of the day, we are a product of our forebears, and an effect to our legacy.
Confidential is a unique vignette of a Jewish family, whose trauma expands through several generations. Books, such as this one, makes it hard to decode just how much the author genuinely intended versus what the reader believes to have been the intention.
For most of the narrative the characters remain nameless, making it difficult to differentiate between a grandfather, father, son, mother, daughter, and grandmother. Somehow, I think that’s the point. We get to know the characters based off their own faults/limitations passed through their parents, and their parents’ parents—the trauma becoming their identity. At the end of the day, we are a product of our forebears, and an effect to our legacy.
April 10, 2025
First novels can be tricky for short story writers, especially if their tales feel more like vignettes than complete works. However, Mikolaj Grynberg’s book “I’d Like to Say Sorry, But There’s No One to Say Sorry to: Stories” was so good, I looked forward to his first novel “Confidential” (The New Press). (To read The Reporter’s review of his first book, visit www.thereportergroup.org/features/off....) While his short novel (around 150 pages) is beautifully written and offers great insights into family life, it does have a few problems.
See the review of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...
See the review of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...
December 14, 2024
This was not to my liking. The chapters are little snippets that are all over the place time-wise, but seemingly the characters (whom mostly go unnamed) are from the same family. Some of these little tales end abruptly without an ending; they feel unfinished. There are a few jokes told, but they are not funny. The whole experience was frustrating and uninteresting. I made it to almost halfway.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.
September 16, 2025
The audio book was okay once the narrator stopped doing a voice change. I think this would have been easier to follow in paper form. I had to look to see what the story was about because I got lost listening to it. Once I understood it was a series of short stories it helped some. I liked the overall premise of how roles in generations change and evolve and can be something different from one to the next based on varying personal experiences. Short stories are hard for me to get into because they don’t seem to have a full beginning, middle, and end.
January 14, 2025
***Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***
The idiosyncrasies of three generations of a Polish Jewish family are displayed in this short and sweet book. The legacies of WWII are present along with the ways in which various family members have coped (or not) with them. The author's style is to the point and concise without being shallow. He manages to convey depth to the characters with the least amount of description possible, which I admired greatly.
The idiosyncrasies of three generations of a Polish Jewish family are displayed in this short and sweet book. The legacies of WWII are present along with the ways in which various family members have coped (or not) with them. The author's style is to the point and concise without being shallow. He manages to convey depth to the characters with the least amount of description possible, which I admired greatly.
February 19, 2025
I really connected to some of the themes and ideas that were brought up in this novel, but found it hard to follow. Maybe a part was lost in translation, but the lack of names etc for the characters made it hard for me to keep up with who and what were happening.
But I loved the ways it spoke about relationships and family through generations, and our different experiences as time goes on and we gain distance from an event.
But I loved the ways it spoke about relationships and family through generations, and our different experiences as time goes on and we gain distance from an event.
May 22, 2025
An undertstated reflective slice-of-life novella delving into the topics of familial relationships , intergenerational legacy and trauma of Semitism. While one can sense the heartfelt sincerity from the plot which is close to the author's heart, the choice of writing in an ambiguous manner of not naming any of the characters did pose quite a challenge to deciphering who and what early on, thus 3 ½ stars rating rounded down
February 8, 2025
A remarkable work, really like nothing I've ever read before. Although it consists entirely of episodic anecdotal scraps-of-memory as a whole, it somehow manages weave an entire tapestry of life's colors. Emotions shared, emotions suppressed. The way the past bleeds into the present with every breath. Much of the meaning rests in what remains unsaid. I was very moved by this work.
May 5, 2025
None of the characters had names, so it's a little hard to follow. I tried to enjoy each chapter as it came, and the little vignettes of a family existing with generational trauma were pleasant, with a nice touch of irony. I think not being able to connect with the characters did make it overall hard for me to enjoy it.
December 24, 2024
*I won the ARC (Translated version) from Goodreads. Thank You!
This little book is a quick read. Some stories I can relate to, even though I am not Jewish. Some parts, I really enjoyed, others fell flat for me. Overall I did like this book.
This little book is a quick read. Some stories I can relate to, even though I am not Jewish. Some parts, I really enjoyed, others fell flat for me. Overall I did like this book.
January 25, 2025
Funny book that makes you feel like you’ve dropped right into a family as it arcs across time. Feels familiar and also new and shapes the generational view on history and shared identity. For fans of Natalia Ginzburg (esp Family Lexicon) and Jonathan Franzen.
Read
March 23, 2025“Happiness has many faces; he ended up with the most wonderful one” (Grynberg 106). While I didn’t follow a lot of the story, I like the way this book is written. I wish I could read this in its original language to fully grasp its essence, but I can tell this is a good translation.
April 21, 2025
Translated from Polish. It is a gem of a book, darkly comic, about several generations of a Jewish family. Poetic narratives, offering vignettes about parents, children, aging, death, love, expectations and all the complexities of life.
August 10, 2025
Episodic, touching and lyrical, this novel of post WWII family of multiple generations in France and Poland and the family traumas resulting from the war. The novel is in snippets, non-linear with deeply personal observations and memories, some beautiful and some horribly sad. Very poetic writing.
September 11, 2025
I thought that u would really enjoy this book about different generations of a Jewish family. Instead I was often confused by the shifting perspectives. I did not mind the writing or translation, it often had to reread sections to try to figure things out.
January 28, 2025
This is a collection of short works about a family trying to live and forget the past--some better than others. Some of them are clever and funny--others are "just there".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews