Północne wiatry

Norweski dziennik #3

by Andrzej Pilipiuk

"Północne wiatry" rozwiewają tajemnice Tomka Paczenki, bohatera poprzednich części. Odsłaniają też rąbek prawdy samego Pilipiuka. Są finałem pisanego przez 20 lat dziennika, kresem 800 - stronicowej włóczęgi autora po zakamarkach jego duszy. Efektem ucieczki zaszczutego przez szkołę nastolatka znad skraju depresji, w głąb wyobraźni. Nad norweskie fiordy, w wir przygód i brawurowej akcji.

Genres: Polish Literature, Fantasy

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Polish humoristic fantasy and science fiction writer. According to university degree an archeologist.

Debuted in 1996 with short story Hiena, first appearence of Jakub Wędrowycz - an alcoholic, civil exorcist - who later become a character of many short stories gathered in 5 books.

In 2002 he got Janusz A. Zajdel Award for short story Kuzynki (Cousins), extended later into book and sequels. Kuzynki, Księżniczka (Princess) and Dziedziczki portray the adventures of 3 women: an over 1000-years old teenage vampire, a 300-year old alchemist-szlachcianka, and her relative, a former Polish secret agent from CBŚ (Polish 'FBI'). A recurring character in the series alchemist Michał Sędziwój, and the universe is the same as the one of Wędrowycz (who makes appearances from time to time).

Reviews

[Michal Wojtowicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Czytając pierwszy tom miałem wrażenie, że ta książka jest zaskakująco słaba jak na Pilipiuka. "Dziwna" od strony warsztatowej. Drugi tom był lepszy. Trzeci to już faktycznie motyl w porównaniu z poczwarką z pierwszego tomu. Ale w dalszym ciągu miałem mieszane wrażenia i swoją wyrobioną już opinię. Wszystko zmieniło posłowie. Tam jest klucz do zrozumienia czym jest ten cykl i jak go traktować.
Z tym, że ostrzegam - nie sięgaj czytelniku po posłowie zanim nie skończysz czytać. Nie psuj sobie zabawy.

Zatem dla całości 4/5.

[Michal Gajewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jest dziwnie. O ile wcześniejsze tomy były na swój sposób "normalne" to tutaj zaczyna się taka trochę jazda bez trzymanki. Zdecydowanie najlepsza części trylogii.

[Michał Rodziewicz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a mystery, and the mystery comes down to a single, simple question: why would anyone bother to write this?
At this point I should warn you as I am about to throw in some spoilers.

I feel betrayed, tricked and disgusted with this publication. Especially that it comes from the author of adventures of Jakub Wedrowycz. If it was any worse, I would value a roll of toilet paper more than this... I should also point out that any attempt to analyse these books is pointless. And as to why it is pointless, you will see that by the end of this review.

Enough of this rage, let us all focus on the facts.

Story takes place on a Norwegian coast, battered by the sea, covered in woods and so forth... or does it really? Apart from a few names of characters, name of a village, there is very, very little in terms of Norwegian feel. It could have easily been set in Scotland, or anywhere else where is cold and dump and by the sea. I am not asking here for a traveller’s guide, but for anything, something that would make me feel like this is Norway.

Characters. There is only one well written character in the whole book. ONE. And he appears in last 20 pages or so. And that is of course Jakub Wedrowycz. All the rest of the characters are just leaves flying randomly in a strong wind. Take our main character for example. Boy who lost its memory, is taken captive, rescued by secret agents, smuggled to Norway, on its own, only to learn that he is a protégé of a rich man, and that he has an important part to play. He is left on its own in a small, ruined Norwegian hut on the cliffs. Fine, let’s not ask any questions, like "how?" and "why?", lets the story unfold, maybe there is a justification for that.

What strikes me most is that he is afraid, lost and on his own, yet when he is shot in an arm, by a bullet fired by spy watching his house, he treats this like it was his daily bread. I seriously doubt if even John Rambo would have been so calm under fire. A lost, young orphan, shot by a bullet, and he does not even cry!

While we are at this situation, let’s have a closer look at the spy. Sven. The only Norwegian thing about him is his name... He is set to do some espionage on Tomasz. The relation between the two is mind-boggling. On one occasion, they threaten each other, play tricks on each other, Maciej Wedrowycz considers killing Sven, and yet, few pages down the read they make peace and drink tea together. Sven is nor presents at all times, but suspiciously appears exactly when author needs him...

Language. How is it possible that the same author wrote a book that made me laugh so hard, another one that out shivers down my spine, and (looking at the year of publication) at the same time wrote this...thing! This book is simply fool of absolutely meaningless sentences. Like "I went to bed, but did have any dreams", and again, on the next page "I was really tired, so I went to bed and slept until morning, and yet again "I saw a phone booth, I thought about calling someone, but I had no one to call, so I didn’t do it". There are dozens of such examples. There is a rule I learned from Mark Twain: "the episodes in a tale shall be necessary parts of the tale, and shall help to develop it." Make no mistakes, seventy percent of this book is not necessary, and this could have easily been a single book, and not a trilogy.

So how did it come to this? How is it, that this book feels like it was written by a child? Well... It was! After reading three parts of this tale, we learn that it was all written by Pilipiuk when he was a teenager. This was actually written down by a child, long before this child grew up to be a respected author. He confesses to this on the last page, of the last book. This it was his way of escaping problems with his class-mates, that it was his imaginary land where he felt safe as a child. As he himself wrote, he wanted to close down a chapter in his life.

Pilipiuk! You evil bastard with no conscience! Do I get this right? You write a book and get famous, then another one and yet another one. At some point, you become so excited with this, that you grab any scribblings, and drafts that you can find (even if they were written when you were twelve), work on them a little, and get them published? Without telling us beforehand what it really is? That is a low blow Pilipiuk, that was a really low blow. This thing is a disgrace.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last volume of Tomasz Paczenko/Paweł Koćko's adventures. He still has to hide. Pilipiuk has a hand for writing popular literature. Some may think that sometimes he repeats himself, but somehow people love his books.

[eM eR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jak zazwyczaj u Pilipiuka - przedziwne zakończenie.