Maktövertagandet

by Czesław Miłosz

Genom att väva samman en handfull människoöden återskapar författaren atmosfären i Polen vid tiden för det ryska maktövertagandet

Genres: Poland, Fiction, Polish Literature, War, World War II, 20th Century, Politics

290 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Czesław Miłosz was a Nobel Prize winning poet and author of Polish-Lithuanian heritage. He memorialised his Lithuanian childhood in a 1955 novel, The Issa Valley , and in the 1959 memoir Native Realm . After graduating from Sigismund Augustus Gymnasium in Vilnius, he studied law at Stefan Batory University and in 1931 he travelled to Paris, where he was influenced by his distant cousin Oscar Milosz, a French poet of Lithuanian descent and a Swedenborgian. His first volume of poetry was published in 1934.

After receiving his law degree that year, he again spent a year in Paris on a fellowship. Upon returning, he worked as a commentator at Radio Wilno, but was dismissed, an action described as stemming from either his leftist views or for views overly sympathetic to Lithuania. Miłosz wrote all his poetry, fiction, and essays in Polish and translated the Old Testament Psalms into Polish.

Awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature for being an author "who with uncompromising clear-sightedness voices man's exposed condition in a world of severe conflicts."

Reviews

[Bob Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pull of Polish Politics

The American media has always liked to delineate "sides" in any conflict. We come to think of "good guys" and "bad guys", aggressors and defenders. But in many situations, it's not so simple. Look at the Middle East today. I'm not going to go into that. But the situation in Poland, as World War II drew to a close, was at least as chaotic as today's conflicts in the Arab world. You had Nazis, you had German civilians beginning to flee west before the oncoming Soviet army. You had that Soviet army, in no mood to forget what the Germans had been doing in their country since 1941, but unwilling to help the nationalist rising in Warsaw in 1944. The instigators of that rising, the former ruling class in Poland, many of whom had fled to Britain in 1939-40, broadcast encouragement and tried to support allies still in Poland. These were as anti-Semitic as the Nazis; they hoped to recover their privileges at war's end. Opposed to them were Polish Socialists and Polish Communists (who marched to the Soviet drum). Jews and other Poles, released from the camps, Russian slave-workers freed from Germany---all were criss-crossing the country, trying to survive in the destroyed cities. As the Russians advanced, it became obvious they were planning to stay, their Polish allies would help them do it.. Polish guerrillas gathered in the forests. Atrocities occurred all around. Ideology often trumped humanity. Tell me...who were the good guys here? Most people just tried to stay alive; not easy. To explain how all this felt, Milosz, previously a poet, wrote this novel, giving a number of characters roles which would display how all the different "sides" thought. From Marx to Catholic conservatism, from uneducated peasants to philosophers, he draws a fine political portrait of that tragic, unsettled time in Polish history. For a glimpse of the Polish politics of the 1940s, you couldn't do better. How strongly do you feel the pull of that subject? On that, you should base your choice. It's well-written, if somewhat diffuse owing to the large number of characters, but the objective is clear. This is literature with political intent, as the title may show.

[Kuszma · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Itt mindenki, aki él, valami gyávaság árán maradt meg."

Momentán nem tudok elképzelni kétségbeejtőbbet, mint egy megtisztulás reménye nélküli Purgatóriumot. És ez a könyv ilyet ábrázol. Milosz könyvének nincs főszereplője, illetve főszereplője a lengyel értelmiség a maga kétségeivel és választásaival - következésképp regénye sem annyira történet, mint egymással érintkező, egymásra rétegződő események kaleidoszkópja. Okos és tépelődő szöveg, ami azt a pillanatot ragadja meg, amikor Lengyelország az egyik pokoli alávetettségből éppen készül beleszédülni a másikba: a nácik már kezdik szokni a kudarc ízét, de az általuk hagyott űrbe nem egy valamilyen (akármilyen) szuverén lengyel államiság nyomul be*, hanem a diadalmas Vörös Hadsereg. Ahogy Szorokin mondta volt: „Éljen, éljen a sztálini kolera dicsőséges győzelme a hitleri pestis fölött!"

Az előbb azt mondtam, hogy a regény főszereplője a lengyel értelmiség - ezt a kijelentést most szűkíteném. Mert főszereplőnek lenni alapesetben azt jelenti, hogy a delikvens aktív formálója a cselekménynek. Milosznál viszont azt érezzük, hogy a cselekvés értelmetlen - hősei bármit tesznek, az érdemben nem befolyásolja a történelem alakulását, mint ahogy nem állítja meg a tankot, ha hurkapálcikát dugunk a lánctalpak közé. A racionális és az etikus döntés tehát elválik - az első segítségével hozzásimulunk a rendszerhez, túlélünk, miközben azzal hitegethetjük magunkat, hogy nem árulók vagyunk, hanem megőrizzük erkölcsi lényegünket a jobb időkre. Ezzel szemben az etikus cselekvés csak az öngyilkosság egy kacifántos, jobb esetben felemelő módja.

Mentsen meg minket az ég az olyan történelmi időktől, ahol csak e kettő közül lehet választani. Vagy elsöpör a hullám, vagy a hullám része leszel, ami elsöpör.

* Lehetne Milosz szövege heroikusan pesszimista mű, ha tudná hinni, hogy ez a szuverén államiság pozitív cél, amire lehet vágyni. De az a helyzet, hogy nem tudja. Szóval csak simán pesszimista.

[Mariana Orantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

¿Qué se puede decir ante este libro tan hermoso? nada, no tengo ni palabras y sólo puedo balbucear incoherencias sobre mi experiencia con este libro. Comencé a leerlo y todo me arrastró a cada página. A veces no entendía, a veces había cosas que yo sabía que se me escapaban, cosas que en una primera lectura no he podido comprender. De todas formas el libro me arrastró a cada página y cada página la sentí y la viví y la sufrí y fui feliz y miserable, tanto como se puede ser con un libro así. En el libro se encuentran cosas sobre el trabajo del poeta, muy escondidas, entramadas y certeras. Además, cada historia te corta el aliento. Es imposible no leer un libro tan impresionante sin sentirse uno tan pequeño. Al final, como me sucede casi siempre con las cosas hermosas, lloré, lloré, lloré. Pero no por que estuviera triste, ni por que me sintiera devastada, no, no, no, yo era feliz, amargamente feliz, pesadísimamente feliz, con una esperanza que dolía mucho, pero esperanza al fin y al cabo. Todos deberían leer este libro. Por favor.

[Archibald Tatum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tabló, történelmi tabló, a tablókhoz illően keretben, önmagukon túlmutató jelenetek, afféle pillanatképek, ha jól becsülöm, az 1944 és 1956 közötti időszakból (a varsói felkeléstől a poznańi munkásfelkelésig) – filmen kicsit talán unalmas lenne, úgy képezelem el, mint a sötét tónusú okoskodó kurzusfilmeket, kivéve, hogy ez tényleg okos szöveg – sok a belső monológ, ezekben pedig helyzetet elemeznek, amikor nem, akkor a szereplők egymás közt teszik, kommunisták, nacionalisták, zsidók, antiszemiták, európaiak es ázsiaiak, keresztények és ateisták stb., ezek a dolgok nem sokat változtak, szerencsére ebben a pillanatba nem ennyire nyers a diskurzus, de a saját eszmerendszerbe vetett vakhit hasonló - ahogyan az eszmék is. (Olyan tömény a különböző izmusok ábrázolása, hogy eljutottam oda, ahová az író nem is szándékozott vinni: máznak éreztem már ezeket – igaz, fel sem merül, hogy M. erről beszélne, érzésem szerint nála az eszmék mozgatják az embert, amíg nem győz vagy nem veszít, de főleg amíg ki nem ég.)
Az utóbbi időben kezdem azt érezni, a nekem jó irodalmat nem kis részben az író intelligenciája teszi, hiába „ír valaki jól”, a ritmus és az esztétika nem kárpótol a szellemi alulteljesítésért – Miłosz intelligens, érdekes, hogy a Nobele és a színvonala ellenére nem olvasot;, jó megfigyelő, nem akar igazságot tenni a sok igazság között – ettől lesz nagyon szomorú ez az egész, ettől a sok egymásnak feszülő igazságtól, kiégeti a földet ez a sok igazság – nincs vigasz a keretben sem, történelem, nyelv, kultúra, próbáljunk meg egyet hátralépni, onnan nézni ezt az egészet – de hát akkor is benne vagyunk, mint az összes szereplő.

[Edita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Labai stipri emociškai knyga. Tikras malonumas mėgautis (nors ir ne be liūdesio gaidelės) taip jautriai atvaizduotais žmonių išgyvenimais ir likimais.

[Virga]

Suprantu, kad gal nebloga knyga mėgstantiems tiesiog karo pasakojimus, bet aš neįveikiau niekaip. Miłoszo poeziją mėgstu labai, prozą kai kurią irgi galiu kentėt, bet va čia tiesiog buvo neįdomu.

[Old Man JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milosz is by far one of the finest writers of all time but is not, at heart, a novelist. In this book he tells the story of Poland as German occupation was disintegrating and Soviet occupation began and the horror and terror that both systems held. There are many passages in the book where Milosz writing is so absolutely beautiful that I found myself rereading them over and over. However, I gave the book only four stars instead of five because, in spite of the magnificent writing it lacked cohesion.

[El Bibliófilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My comments in video: https://youtu.be/0XBbq1Y2ZMc

Create literature from real events. Reflections on the meaningless game of life.
The excellent work of the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature seems to me to have been inspired by chronicles and historical facts that he inspired with his creativity to dream or investigate what lives the protagonists had. The same author seems to suggest it in the passage in which he indicates what the historian's temptation is.
In his novel, he presents to us the concerns of Polish intellectuals about historical events, with a wide range of positions, from fascists, communists, socialists, Jews, Catholics, among others. Here you will find several of the relationships that I highlight with other works such as:
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway. https://youtu.be/91QeWtfPTrQ
Hemingway's Farewell to Arms. https://youtu.be/W8CGXIiOB8E
They fought for homeland by Sholokhov. https://youtu.be/KrHQfbShCok
Silja of Sillampaa. https://youtu.be/hG0g0ibmKRk
Burnt Earth and other stories by Salvador Garmendia. https://youtu.be/F00pP9SXuRY
Marine Cemetery by Paul Valéry. https://youtu.be/Dc6HPbVDZlM
Barabbas and other stories by Par Lagerkvist. https://youtu.be/VcU1_i3Aykg
I invite you to watch the video, and reflect together with the author on the individual and collective destiny that is configured within the flow of History.
Greetings

Crear literatura a partir de hechos reales. Reflexiones sobre el juego del sinsentido de la vida.
La excelente obra del ganador del premio nobel de literatura, me parece que se inspiró en crónicas y hechos históricos que insufló con su creatividad para soñar o indagar en qué vidas tuvieron los protagonistas. El mismo autor parece sugerirlo en el pasaje en que indica cual es la tentación del historiador.
Nos presenta en su novela las preocupaciones de los intelectuales polacos sobre los hechos históricos, con un gran abanico de posturas, desde fascistas, comunistas, socialistas, judíos, católicos, entre otros. Acá encontrarán varias de las relaciones que destaco con otras obras como:
Por quién doblan las campanas de Hemingway. https://youtu.be/91QeWtfPTrQ
Adiós a las armas de Hemingway. https://youtu.be/W8CGXIiOB8E
Lucharon por la patria de Sholojov. https://youtu.be/KrHQfbShCok
Silja de Sillampaa. https://youtu.be/hG0g0ibmKRk
Tierra calcinada y otros cuentos de Salvador Garmendia. https://youtu.be/F00pP9SXuRY
Cementerio marino de Paul Valéry. https://youtu.be/Dc6HPbVDZlM
Barrabás y otros relatos de Par Lagerkvist. https://youtu.be/VcU1_i3Aykg
Los invito a ver el video, y reflexionar junto con el autor sobre el destino individual y colectivo que se configura dentro del flujo de la Historia.
Saludos

[Richard Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deals with the sad part of Polish history from the closing period of WW2 including the Warsaw uprising, through the immediate post fighting chaos and power struggles as the communists came to power. It’s a sad story of heroism being rewarded with imprisonment and even execution, as political manoeuvres played out - and ex-fascists transformed themselves into communists. It is realist portrayal of the chaos of war and shows how this chaos continued afterwards.

It’s a good translation from Polish. Overall a very good, if somewhat depressing read. If you want a sense of what the war felt like in Poland then this will give you a really vivid impression.

A couple of flaws - part 2, dealing with the post fighting power struggles feels at times a little dated. Unless you know your socialists versus your communists the politics may lose you. Still the story shines through the characters even if the politics may be opaque.

The book flicks between the voices of various protagonists. They are all men - women only have peripheral roles. This seems an omission as there was no male monopoly on heroism or interesting characters and a woman’s voice might have painted an even fuller picture. It’s a niggle rather than a major issue.

[Ilona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kuo daugiau skaitau Cz.M., tuo labiau žaviuosi: ir plačiai/giliai aprėpiantis žvilgsnis, ir jautrumas žmogui, ir gražus literatūrinis tekstas, ir drąsa. Ši - tarsi "Pavergtas protas", užrašyta romanu, lengviau skaitoma, tačiau nei kiek ne seklesnė. Kada ir kas išdrįs ir sugebės panašiai parašyti apie Lietuvos istoriją? Panašus siužetas jau įvykęs, tereikia talendo ir drąsos užrašyti. Kitas panašus siužetas dabar gimsta Ukrainoje. Žmonės, kada atsitokėsite?

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hace tiempo hice un intento de leer este libro, pero sabía bastante poco de cómo fue la II Guerra Mundial y la posguerra, y al no conocer lo que pasó no fui capaz de empatizar con los personajes. Así que pospuse la lectura de El poder cambia de manos.

Ahora, con unos conocimientos algo más extensos que entonces sobre lo que pasó en torno a la mitad del siglo XX, retomé el libro, lo comencé de nuevo y esta vez sí que me envolvió, ya comprendía a los personajes.

El poder cambia de manos se ambienta en la Polonia de los años 40, cuando llegan las tropas soviéticas de camino a Berlín y "liberan" a los pueblos antes sometidos por Alemania. Como es fácil de entender, muchos polacos se sentían insultados por la ocupación y toma de poder por parte de los rusos. Es un viaje a la angustia existencial y a los dilemas morales y políticos de los polacos de entonces, tanto de los que formaron la resistencia como de los comunistas. Una maravilla.

Formalmente, el libro se divide en dos partes: la primera es algo caótica porque no paran de aparecer nuevos protagonistas, mientras que la segunda parte está todo más asentado. Esta última ha sido la que más he podido disfrutar.

No puedo más que recomendar su lectura.

[Kriegslok · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There were hundreds of thousands of ancestors in him, uncharted centuries of heredity. Ancestors who hunted wild beasts and drew their shapes on the walls of caves, who raised wheat and drank from earthenware jugs in the heat of harvest time. Ancestors who wrote with a stylus on wax tablets. And the seed of generations to follow him, of unknown people in whom the trace of his smile might be preserved, the way he bent his head, his individual desires or his destiny. Now there was only the wide empty street under machine-gun fire, and his companions. He couldn't let them down......"

The novel deals with raw power and resistance, the Machiavellianism of power, its co-opting properties, and how it establishes a hegemonic position which it then maintains through institutions and a combination of consensus and coercion (which may help to establish the consensus). The first part of the book covers the brutal and ill fated Warsaw Uprising, the humanity and brutality of the fighting is conveyed convincingly as is the futility which finally drives the survivors to try to make their escape. As the Nazi regime is crushed by the advancing Red Army so the new occupying power sets about asserting its own authority, coming up against, and overcoming, those who want a different future. Gradually the Soviet backed power is established in the process old allies become enemies and enemies become useful, dependable allies.

"Whether he wanted to escape or not was of no importance. He had been hit too hard for it not to have left deep traces. Anyone who had tasted that bitter draught walked around looking normal - but with everything turned upside down inside. Give him ruins, fear, misery, and he would long for little gardens, houses with green shutters, peace. Give him Gemutlichkeit and he would moan and wriggle; a small part of him was missing, something which once made all that acceptable to him. And he would be choked by the senselessness of life. That's where we catch them. When they begin to recognize the nonsense of life, they're ours. Then they have to act - at any price. And who but we can give them the moment of delight, of enchantment, the sense that they are demigods?"

Interestingly this grim and convincingly realistic portrayal of post-war Poland does not really deal with heroes and villains, there are those who are obviously betrayed and cruelly destroyed, but this is presented as a struggle for life of some sort against all the odds. There are few clear cut pure and innocent characters emerging from the horror of war.

"Fear, shame for the past, and shame for the future were wrapped for nearly everyone in a soft protective layer so that no one could touch them. People moved about, overcome by the somnambulant return of life, by the very air of the first spring after the war, the greenness of the trees, the traffic in the streets. They treated the lies in the newspapers and official speeches as extraneous things of no importance; they were busy reorganizing their lives, settling down, trading, creating intrigues in which they could discharge the hatred that filled them and for which there was no permissible political outlet. A lot of alcohol was drunk; women were easy, as if they realized that the human body was perishable and that it was silly to curtail the pleasures of the flesh by the rigid application of moral standards."

[Martinez Claudio · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro es magnífico. C. Milosz no da puntada sin hilo. Los personajes se entrecruzan, y se nota que en parte son biografía suya. Es de una gran belleza, con una mirada lúcida que roza el cinismo a veces, del sistema soviético. Un libro que describe la lucha contra los nazis de los polacos en Varsovia, mientras que los rusos esperaban tranquilamente verlos morir al otro lado del Vístula. Y luego la llegada de los rusos, las detenciones de los nacionalistas polacos, la depuración y la construcción de un régimen soviético que ellos sienten como invasión (y que de hecho lo es).

Un libro sutil, grande, que describe con precisión el totalitarismo comunista, sobre todo el efecto sobre las personas a nivel individual, en la vida de la gente.

Citas:
[la juventud] El muchacho nervioso tiene miedo. En su conciencia hay todavía un problema de álgebra , un sueño erótico, una visión de ríos, de ciudades desconocidas, de viajes. En la tibieza de su carne, al amanecer, está enrollado, como un muelle de reloj, todo su porvenir: un inmenso vuelo por encima del mundo.

----
Estaba rota la comunidad espiritual que había de u nir a la tripulación de aquel navío en el océano de la destrucción
______
[la mentira del comunismo] Bebía como dlos demás, procurando ahogar en vino su asco. La actitud de aquellos hombres era humillante, pero no cabía olvidar que dentro de esa humillación y de las serviles alabanzas que fingían, latía un odio feroz. A medida que adulaban más, odiaban con más fuerza.
_______

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

"قبضهٔ قدرت، نخستین رمان چسلاو میلوش نویسندهٔ لهستانی، روایت لحظه‌ای بحرانی است در تاریخ قرن بیستم اروپا. روایت حوادث سال 1944، زمانی که فرمانروایی نازی‌ها بر اروپا در حال فروپاشی است و ارتش سرخ شتابزده در تعقیب دشمن، لهستان را درمی‌نوردد، تا خود را به برلین برساند.

نخستین چاپ کتاب در 1953 بی‌درنگ به زبان فرانسه ترجمه شد و جایزهٔ ادبی اروپا را به خود اختصاص داد. با در نظر گرفتن این واقعیت که بیش از 60 سال از رویدادهای کتاب گذشته است و با این‌که رمان سیاسی ژانری ادبی است که خیلی زود مُهر تاریخ می‌خورد و کهنه می‌شود، قبضهٔ قدرت هنوز خواندنی است و باید آن را یکی از دستاوردهای بزرگ نویسنده‌اش دانست. چسلاو میلوش در 1980 به افتخار دریافت جایزهٔ ادبی نوبل نائل آمد."

[David Lantcron · Rating 4 out of 5]

No suele interesarme releer los libros, pero siento que con este lo voy a hacer en algún momento porque la gran cantidad de personajes que hay en un libro relativamente corto hacen difícil el seguimiento. Mas allá de eso es muy interesante los matices de los distintos personajes/ideologías. Comunistas, socialistas, nacionalistas, socialdemócratas(?, etc. Algunas reflexiones especificas y descripciones como las del viejo socialista son buenísimas. Me hubiera gustado una critica mas concreta al comunismo de parte de sus contrincantes de lo que se presenta, donde sus argumentaciones suelen ser medio flojas (excepto el viejo socialista Mytrin).

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

From 1953, this novel by a Polish author forcefully details the choices to be made by a range of individuals as Poland is liberated from the Nazis and the political future remains obscure. The powerful rendering of the Warsaw Rising in 1944 is more dramatic than the struggles with consciences in 1945 and 1946 as the Communists bring a new but similar type of occupation. Several characters, their back-stories, their motivations and the overwhelming fear that must have prevailed are all convincingly demonstrated

[Juan Pablo A B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro retrata la Polonia de los años 40’s, cuando se dio la transición entre la dominación fascista Nazi y el comunismo Ruso.

A través de personajes uno logra entender cómo hoy día un país de tantos vaivenes políticos, ha sido un pueblo de resistencia, de levantamientos a pesar de las adversidades y las angustias existenciales a los que se ha visto sometido.

Admiro profundamente este país que nunca perdió su identidad cultural y supo reconstruirse a pesar de los horrores de la guerra y la crueldad de las inhumanas ideologías de sus verdugos.

[Aivaras Žukauskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nori nenori skaitydamas gretini su monumentaliu "Pavergtu protu". "Valdžios užėmimas" yra labiau fragmentiškas, orientuotas į "detales", kaip mėgstama akcentuoti aplink tekstą atsirandančiose analizėse. Ir tai romaną išties padaro kitokiu, arčiau ir intymiau parodančiu paties žmogaus būvio bei jo pasirinkimų fragmentaciją, atsirandančią didžiausių istorinių/ideologinių šmėklų akivaizdoje. Miloszas, atrodo, mokėjo į šią, dažnai ideologiškai itin aštriai vertinamą situaciją, pažvelgti žmogiškai.

[Dianne Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milosz was able to put some extraordinarily moving passages within the setting of such a confusing, brutal and inhumane time.
I am not sure if it is the effect of translation, or just me- perhaps bc of the ever changing cast of characters and vast array of political factions - but I found it a bit hard to grasp. Even so, I recommend it as the vast majority of the storyline is beautifully and meaningfully expressed.
War and it's aftermath hold myriad lessons, if we will but listen.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una cruda e implacable visión de la devastación polaca a manos de, primero, los nazis, para posteriormente seguir la merma buscada por el Ejército Rojo (de ahí el cambio de manos del poder).
Sin embargo, la construcción del autor hace que por momentos decaiga el interés; se vuelve pesado estar leyendo.

[Julie Wisener · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most disappointing thing about this book is how high it set my standards for other books. It was beautiful, phenomenal, and so utterly unique I can not find anything else like it. I am already so mad this isn’t considered a classic.

[Efraín R. Leopardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Siento que pase siglos leyendo esto. Me aburrió en muchos tramos y tendía a perderme leyéndolo entre sus historias que se iban uniendo de maneras curiosas, no lo volvería a leer, pero no estoy arrepentido de hacerlo.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novela con voces múltiples que trata sobre el fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en Polonia. Está muy bien escrita, con capítulos cortos que hacen muy agradable la lectura. La única pega es que debido al alto número de personajes puede costar a veces recordar quién era exactamente cada uno.

[Paulo Teixeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

(PT) A descrição de polacos entre o final de 1944, altura do levantamento de Varsóvia, e os primeiros anos do comunismo, seguido as vidas de algumas dessas personagens.

[Diana Bezujevskytė · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.6 ⭐️ such an interesting study of end-of-war-transitional-period Poland - through stories of different, sometimes real people. captivating, if confusing at times.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and sobering novel about the creeping totalitarianism in Post WW2 (and really post “liberation” of Poland by the Soviets). In line with Koestler’s “Darkness at Noon” as a great line to be in.

[Wyndy KnoxCarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I don’t know what kind of weapons World War III will be fought with, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and rocks.” Albert Einstein
The Seizure of Power by Cal Slavic Language Prof. Czesław Miłosz uses World War II and after in Poland through the lens of about half a dozen characters; one or two main ones followed closely, mostly males, but with pivotal women, a daughter and a lover especially, changing the course trajectories of some of the main characters. He uses short, descriptive chapters; a brisk third person and chronological narrative in Warsaw and Lodz Poland 1939 to about 1945 or so to tell his gripping, values-questioning “story.”
Every writer uses the images, dialogues, character possibilities, events and even plots from the lives and scenarios around them as “material;” and over the years (1955-2023), the gaps between Fiction, “Creative Nonfiction,” reportage, memoir and Nonfiction have narrowed. Nobel-winner Miłosz certainly used the world of Warsaw’s Nazi occupation, devastation, rebellion by the Home Army and nasty manipulations of a totalitarian Soviet takeover as his basic canvas, but the echoes to more recent authoritarian takeovers feel disturbingly familiar.
Seizure of Power is both a brutal and poignant book because the time frame and incidents of military invasion, partisan rebellion against the Nazis and then anguish of choices surrounding the invading, “liberating” Stalinist Soviet military and political manipulations of lives, landscapes and livelihoods is so vivid in intimacy and broad in scope at the same time.
The ending few chapters are a little odd and feel slightly “pasted on” because Miłosz’ excellent characterizations, imagery, immediacy and passion in Seizure suddenly “wax political” in an intellectual, philosophical way that clatters the previously vibrant (and realistically violent, I must add) action and dialogues almost to a halt. Maybe he just couldn’t hold the tension of the national and personal breakdowns of the novel together any more than he could “hold together” his own life and loyalties in light of his very tenuous and narrow escape to the relative freedoms of Paris and then the cold-war tensions of the United States.
How much of our earthly resources; humans, spiritual, emotional, media and political parleying; will we abandon to keep thOur War Machine rumbling on? Is this really just “human nature,” or more like “the reptile brain?” How can we be clearer about the horrors of war in the face of the climate change, resource depletion and threat of nuclear disaster these ventures hang over humanity and Life On Earth? How can we slow these engines and personalities of destruction down? "Stop it! Just STOP IT!" Mother Earth cries...

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book. I discovered it when it was mentioned in Anne Applebaum's "Iron Curtain". That book made a good prelude to this, as it was very important to be familiar with the events in Poland between 1939 and 1949, most especially around the time of the Warsaw Rising through the end of the war. There were, nevertheless, a few specific cultural or period references that I didn't get, but this did not really detract overall from my appreciation of this work. Compelling storylines of several characters involved in all (Polish) sides of the conflict (Home Army, Polish Communists, and those in between just trying to survive) all trying to figure out a way forward for themselves. This really gave me great sympathy and understanding into the mindset of people tired of war and of youth who were forged by the experiences of the war and occupation, and how the Communists (Soviet and Polish) were able to get independent, patriotic Poles to go along with the Soviet occupation.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant. This novel will stay with me a long while. Poland was so devastated by Nazi and Russian invasions of WWII, but the end of the war brought no relief due to communist rule. Milosz successfully connects the horrors of war with the unique personalities of the victims and some of the perpetrators, and those who were both. The struggles of dealing with loss and the attempt to make sense of the emerging political order were well illuminated.

I thought of giving the novel four stars instead of five, because I needed to re-read many parts towards the end to grasp them. This might be because of the translation. I decided to stick with 5-stars since, by the end of the book, I was very moved and felt enlightened so much about the horrors of war and the complexities of the emotional aftermath.

[Quiver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every person should read this kind of book once in their life. But no sane person should *be forced* to read this kind of book *more* than once, because they'll probably resent the world and humanity afterwards. I read it out of choice, even though I've read similar things before, and it made me sad, disgusted, and nauseous every time I picked it up. But I persevered. If nothing else, I wanted to see how this real-life version of Orwell's 1984 would play out.

Perhaps I should have awarded the book 5 stars on the sole basis of the strength of emotion it engenders. But no, let it be 3 — a warning to those who think about reading it: think hard.