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Teodor Szacki #1
Entanglement
The morning after a group psychotherapy session in a Warsaw monastery, Henry Talek is found dead, a roasting spit stuck in one eye.
Public prosecutor Teodor Szacki, world-weary, suffering from bureaucratic exhaustion and marital ennui, feels that life has passed him by. But this case changes everything. Because of it he meets Monika Grzelka, a young journalist whose charms prove difficult to resist, and he discovers the frightening power of certain esoteric therapeutic methods. The shocking videos of the sessions lead him to an array of possible scenarios. Could one of the patients have become so absorbed by his therapy role-playing that he murdered Telak? Szacki’s investigation leads him to an earlier murder, before the fall of Communism.
And why is the Secret Police suddenly taking an interest in all this? As Szacki uncovers each piece of the puzzle, facts emerge that he’d be better off not knowing, for his own safety.
Public prosecutor Teodor Szacki, world-weary, suffering from bureaucratic exhaustion and marital ennui, feels that life has passed him by. But this case changes everything. Because of it he meets Monika Grzelka, a young journalist whose charms prove difficult to resist, and he discovers the frightening power of certain esoteric therapeutic methods. The shocking videos of the sessions lead him to an array of possible scenarios. Could one of the patients have become so absorbed by his therapy role-playing that he murdered Telak? Szacki’s investigation leads him to an earlier murder, before the fall of Communism.
And why is the Secret Police suddenly taking an interest in all this? As Szacki uncovers each piece of the puzzle, facts emerge that he’d be better off not knowing, for his own safety.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2007
132 people are currently reading
1894 people want to read
About the author
Zygmunt Miloszewski
27 books552 followersMiłoszewski began his career in journalism, at Super Express in the mid-1990s, where he specialized in court and crime reporting, and for several years he also had a column in Metropol. Since 2003 he has worked for Newsweek's Polish edition. His debut novel, the horror Domofon (Intercom), was published in 2005. In 2006 he published a children's adventure story, Viper Mountains, and a year later his second adult novel Uwikłanie (translated to English as Entanglement) came out, the first of the police procedural trilogy featuring State Prosecutor Teodor Szacki. Noted Polish author Jerzy Pilch gave an it enthusiastic review; Uwikłanie is a full-blooded crime story with a good plot and great contemporary social background.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews
July 25, 2019
Tremendamente aburrida. Sólo se anima un poco al final. Mucho lío de nombres y lenguaje jurídico insulso. La trama no me ha convencido, ni la resolución del caso. El personaje principal sí me ha gustado, mientras no estuviera con sus "pajas mentales" y dudando de todo continuamente. Conclusión: aburrida
November 28, 2012
4.5 rounded up; longer review here.
I can honestly say that this book is one of the best crime novels I've ever read -- not just this year, but in a seriously long time. My collection of Bitter Lemon Press novels is also growing and kudos to these people for constantly bringing new and for the most part, outstandingly fine crime fiction to readers of this genre. I don't know how they manage to bring out winners each time, but keep up the good work.
In Warsaw, a very weary public prosecutor Teodor Szacki is finding life rather tiresome when on a Sunday home with his wife and little daughter he receives a call that he has to come in to work. Szacki, in his mid-30s, "an underpaid civil servant" whose wife is also a lawyer and similarly underpaid, is not in the best of moods to begin with, he's sent to what used to be a monastery, now a "red brick chimera, a cross between a church, a monastery and Gargamel's palace," where aside from the church in the building, there are also sublet spaces and rooms available for rent by various organizations. One such set of rooms has been rented by a psychotherapist for himself and four of his patients, where over the weekend, they are engaged in Family Constellation Therapy, founded originally by German psychologist and philosopher Bert Hellinger. They are there hoping to resolve some of their personal issues; one of the attendees, businessman Henryk Talek, endures a particularly grueling session and afterward ends up dead with a meat skewer in his eye. Very much overworked, Szacki is hating the idea of having to add this case to his current list; to him it's either a badly-botched burglary or a case of “one body, four suspects–all sober and well-to-do,” as the policeman working for Szacki puts it. Yet the more Szacki investigates, the more he comes up with things that just don't fit right and which create more questions than answers. Meanwhile, in the process of trying to fill in the holes, what he doesn't know is that there is someone taking stock of his every move.
The punch and pizazz he invests in his characters to make them believable also follow suit in the overall writing throughout the book; they keep the action moving, and there are places where you can't help but smirk at Miloszewski's insertion of wry humor. But there is nothing at all funny about this story, where the tension grows not only in terms of Szacki's personal life, but in the murder investigation as it moves toward an incredible ending, as it dawns on you that even in a free society, being free and unfettered may just be a mirage.
Super book, one I definitely and most highly recommend. I don't believe I've read anything like it before. If you want a crime read well above the norm, something utterly sophisticated, this is the one.
I can honestly say that this book is one of the best crime novels I've ever read -- not just this year, but in a seriously long time. My collection of Bitter Lemon Press novels is also growing and kudos to these people for constantly bringing new and for the most part, outstandingly fine crime fiction to readers of this genre. I don't know how they manage to bring out winners each time, but keep up the good work.
In Warsaw, a very weary public prosecutor Teodor Szacki is finding life rather tiresome when on a Sunday home with his wife and little daughter he receives a call that he has to come in to work. Szacki, in his mid-30s, "an underpaid civil servant" whose wife is also a lawyer and similarly underpaid, is not in the best of moods to begin with, he's sent to what used to be a monastery, now a "red brick chimera, a cross between a church, a monastery and Gargamel's palace," where aside from the church in the building, there are also sublet spaces and rooms available for rent by various organizations. One such set of rooms has been rented by a psychotherapist for himself and four of his patients, where over the weekend, they are engaged in Family Constellation Therapy, founded originally by German psychologist and philosopher Bert Hellinger. They are there hoping to resolve some of their personal issues; one of the attendees, businessman Henryk Talek, endures a particularly grueling session and afterward ends up dead with a meat skewer in his eye. Very much overworked, Szacki is hating the idea of having to add this case to his current list; to him it's either a badly-botched burglary or a case of “one body, four suspects–all sober and well-to-do,” as the policeman working for Szacki puts it. Yet the more Szacki investigates, the more he comes up with things that just don't fit right and which create more questions than answers. Meanwhile, in the process of trying to fill in the holes, what he doesn't know is that there is someone taking stock of his every move.
The punch and pizazz he invests in his characters to make them believable also follow suit in the overall writing throughout the book; they keep the action moving, and there are places where you can't help but smirk at Miloszewski's insertion of wry humor. But there is nothing at all funny about this story, where the tension grows not only in terms of Szacki's personal life, but in the murder investigation as it moves toward an incredible ending, as it dawns on you that even in a free society, being free and unfettered may just be a mirage.
Super book, one I definitely and most highly recommend. I don't believe I've read anything like it before. If you want a crime read well above the norm, something utterly sophisticated, this is the one.
October 24, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06gtr70Description: Radio 4 continues its journey across Europe exploring the best contemporary literature. In this hugely successful Polish crime thriller, a long suffering State Prosecutor finds himself trapped in a post-Communist limbo land of half-truths and secrets. Will he prove himself to be a redoubtable seeker of the truth or will he compromise? A perplexing murder reveals tantalising glimpses of links to the old regime.
The writer Zygmunt Miloszewski is a leading Polish writer. The Teodor Szacki series is a best seller in Poland. Antonia Lloyd Jones is an award winning translator of Polish fiction and chair of the Translators Association. Dramatised for radio by the writer, critic and journalist, Mark Lawson.
About Reading Europe: Europe is central to our lives - we go on holiday to Europe, we do business in Europe, we watch in amazement as the various states try to grapple with migration in Europe. Over the next year or so we will be engaged in the debate as to whether or not we stay in Europe. But how much do we know this continent's countries and, in particular, how much do we know about what they're reading?
Over the course of two years, Reading Europe will travel from Calais to Istanbul. Through dramatisations, readings and essays, Reading Europe and Front Row will explore what Europe is writing, publishing and reading - and why.
Cast:
Teodor Szacki................Bryan Dick
Olga Kuzniecow.............Christine Bottomley
Cezary Rudzki................David Crellin
Monika Grzelka/
Hanna Kwiatowska........Rachel Austin
Barbara Jarczyk/
radio news reader.........Alexandra Mathie
Euzebius Kaim...............Dermot Daly
Henryk Telak/
Father Pazcek...............Glenn Cunningham
Part 1/2: The Reflection Room: When Henryk Telak is found dead with a meat skewer in his eye during a Family Constellation Therapy weekend, State Prosecutor Szacki and his police colleague Olga, Kuzniecow, have to work together to deduce who killed the man and why. An apparent total absence of motive is compounded when attractive young news reporter Monika Grezlka, shows a more than professional interest in Szacki. 2/2: Antigone in Warsaw: Szacki struggles with his burgeoning feelings for attractive journalist Monika Grzelka and the increasingly complex background of the murder victim. The final clues fall into place when he stages his own Family Constellation Therapy session with all the suspects.
May 16, 2015
Uwikłanie jest chyba pierwszym polskim kryminałem który przeczytałam w przeciągu ostatnich *szybka kalkulacja* kilku lat. I muszę przyznać że porównując to ze swoimi wcześniejszymi doświadczeniami (dzięki którym miałam tak długą przerwę w tym gatunku :P) wypada naprawdę dobrze.
Może fabuła nie powala, może sama teoria jest zbyt zawiła żeby choć raz nie westchnąć ze znużeniem. Ale trzeba przyznać że świetnie się Uwikłanie czyta. Stylistycznie, lekko i z czystą przyjemnością mknie się przez strony. Prawdziwą wisienką na torcie która sprawiła, że pewnie sięgnę po kontynuację serii jest bohater książki i research. Chyba pierwszy raz czytam o prokuratorze, a nie o kolejnym komendancie zapyziałego posterunku policji odwalającego mrówczą robotę. Bardzo, bardzo dokładny research, dzięki któremu nie miałam ochoty ani razu skomentować, że przecież naprawdę to wygląda zupełnie inaczej. Podziękowania paniom prokurator w pełni zasłużone, dobra robota.
Może fabuła nie powala, może sama teoria jest zbyt zawiła żeby choć raz nie westchnąć ze znużeniem. Ale trzeba przyznać że świetnie się Uwikłanie czyta. Stylistycznie, lekko i z czystą przyjemnością mknie się przez strony. Prawdziwą wisienką na torcie która sprawiła, że pewnie sięgnę po kontynuację serii jest bohater książki i research. Chyba pierwszy raz czytam o prokuratorze, a nie o kolejnym komendancie zapyziałego posterunku policji odwalającego mrówczą robotę. Bardzo, bardzo dokładny research, dzięki któremu nie miałam ochoty ani razu skomentować, że przecież naprawdę to wygląda zupełnie inaczej. Podziękowania paniom prokurator w pełni zasłużone, dobra robota.
November 13, 2021
W jeden dzień, bo moje serce tęskni i łka za jakimkolwiek nowym, kryminalnym Miłoszewskim. I postanowione. Przeczytam na nowo wszystkie tomy z Szackim.
Lubię jak cholera.
Lubię jak cholera.
August 31, 2016
"You mustn't believe what you see on TV. In this country it's the prosecutor who conducts the serious inquiries. The police help as much as they're told to, but all they do on their own is chase car thieves and burglars."
"Surely you're exaggerating."
"A little," smiled Szacki.
If crime fiction can be good for giving a picture of a country and society - including the mundane and grotty stuff away from the tourist traps - Entanglement is top-notch. There's satisfyingly realist detail about the characters' work (they actually have to deal with several cases which started at different times and which don't turn out to be related). Each chapter opens with a series of news headlines for the day - the story takes place in June 2005 - and we also get some history when Prosecutor Szacki digs around in archives from the Communist era. There are metaphors and idioms and sayings which are obviously local (thank goodness for translators who don't try and transpose everything into English ideas) and a lot of locations and descriptions as lifelong Warsaw resident Szacki drives around his city. (Unfortunately there aren't maps, as were obligingly provided in some of Arnaldur Indriðason's Erlendur novels - but I enjoyed looking things up and by the second half of the book had built up a sense of where recurring places were in relation to one another.)
In the last year or so, a handful of jounalists keen for the new hype thing, and sales-hungry publishers, have touted Polish crime fiction as the new Nordic. Whilst there is apparently a boom in Poland, there isn't much of it around [as yet] in English - plenty of Goodreaders and book bloggers could, if they wished, finish the lot in two or three weeks. (Two of the Teodor Szacki trilogy, two standalones from Stork Press, four from the Eberhard Mock series, and two by Anya Lipska set among Polish expats in London and written in English.)
For the noir side, yes, it could compete if there are more series as well-written as Miłoszewski's - but to those who read Nordic as part of a dream of living in well-run countries that share many of their personal principles, a Polish setting may not have quite such strong appeal. Catholicism is strong, and religious conservatives are numerous and noticeable: anti gay rights protests and politicians are a major theme in the news bulletins, and homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks are tolerated more than in Britain - though Szacki never makes them himself. Problems of the past loom large on a national political and social level - not only in the mind of one angsty detective. Whilst there are a number of female characters in senior jobs, this is still evidently a more sexist society than Scandinavia at the same point in time. A quarter of an hour washing-up, if he wanted to make the promised breakfast. God, how tired he was. Instead of sleeping until noon and then watching television, like all the other guys in this patriarchal country, he was trying to be a super-husband and super-dad.
Like most contemporary crime fiction I've read, Entanglement has a metafictional aspect in which characters refer to crime novels and what people typically do in them. This is done in a more sophisticated manner than some (the standard of writing here is generally comparable to the better Nordics I know such as the Erlendur series, and at times more imaginative in terms of sentence-by-sentence style). During a conversation, Szacki mentions he's a fan of Lehane, Chandler, Rankin and Mankell. An underlying wish to be an old school hardboiled detective comes through in the misanthropic, critical way he talks about many people, his perennial dissatisfaction and in the "woman who walks into the office" trope - though thankfully there's no use of the trad-noir writing style, which I can never take seriously thanks to multiple viewings of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid before I ever saw the real thing. Some GR posters refer to the influence of Rebus and other British crime novels; I'm not sure I've ever read more than the odd Ian Rankin short story, so can hardly comment, except that Szacki likes classic rock, as Rebus is known to. The social and political dimension, and procedural structure, of Nordic crime fiction is most definitely here though. The strand relating to old spies initially brought to mind the Millennium Trilogy [seen 9h film version, don't plan to read the books]. It's odd after all this to have the Christie style big reveal and speech at the end; this is a book which moves between the realist and the theatrical and traditional in a slightly different way from anything else I've seen so far. I wasn't quite sure about the set-piece ending, but it had been so long since I'd read one that it was hard to mind too much.
This is as good a read as the Scandinavian stuff, and just as addictive - I started book 2 a few hours after finishing this one - but rather than recommending Entanglement unreservedly, it's fair to mention that Szacki has traits liable to annoy some readers. He's not quite into the territory of sounding psychic, but he's often aware of an 'itchy brain' feeling, knowing his subconscious must have picked up something he hasn't realised on the surface, and when things click, he follows them doggedly when there may not be enough evidence to justify this to others. Whilst there's not a great deal of respect for the church in the novel, there is a little space for aspects of the unexplained or supernatural, such as a minor subplot involving a clairvoyant. Those who hate plots where detectives contemplate or have extra-marital affairs should probably avoid this one too.
Szacki is pretty misanthropic, he's never entirely happy with anything or anyone, and in his close- third-person narrative is often critical of others, sometimes switching back and forth quite fast between positive and negative opinions of people close to him. He's pretty vain, cares a lot about appearances, and is often to be found assessing his own and others', whilst rarely saying so out loud. There could easily be 20 pages of thoughts on fellow characters' looks and dress in here, and it’s tedious even as someone who might notice similar things. He never fails to notice how a man is dressed, if he's in better or worse shape than him, is generally ugly or good looking. As a straight man who's starting to want out of his marriage, he does spend more time on women's appearances, and can be quite rude (which may rile some). The author doesn't always let him get away with his appearance critiques: e.g. Szacki fails to understand that a man ten years younger looks like someone in a 1970s East German film not because he's a nerd with no style, but as part of a retro subculture. Szacki may not articulate all these thoughts, but he’s still brusque enough that other characters call him rude several times, to his face.
The prosecutor is quite a hardcore gamer in his spare time, and this novel features the most detailed descriptions and conversations about gaming I've seen in a book that doesn't set out to be part of geek culture. In one instance he coaxes a teenage witness to open up via a multi-page conversation about Call of Duty. Considering how many real people are gamers, it's odd how little you see of it as a hobby in general fiction.
I was hugely impressed by Miłoszewski’s invention of a curious form of group therapy for the plot: a writer whose bio mentioned no study of psychology had got all kind of nuances spot on, the good – and the bad, including the way that some therapy theories go too far by ascribing physical illnesses or complex conditions such as autism solely to psychological nurture factors. Then a founder was referenced, and I searched – it was real, just not common in Britain (though presumably better known to those who’ve taken an interest in Gestalt, to which Family Constellation therapy is related). Tangible non-verbal phenomena such as body language and facial expression, as well as things actually *said* can subconsciously remind a person of someone else and lead them to fall into patterns, providing a rational explanation for transference. And likewise, understanding of how the body is mapped in the brain, mirror neurons etc show how mirroring or adopting someone else’s posture can, especially in more sensitive people, replicate an emotional state. But I find the principle behind FCT difficult to accept, that very strong transference and projection could occur between random strangers and enable them to take on emotional states of the relatives of another therapy participant they'd never even spoken to – let alone that this could have an effect on those relatives’ behaviour via any means other than changes in the way the participant related to them. Workshops taking place over a weekend do help some people, but plenty of things take longer, especially the sort of complex dynamics this deals with. Having read the acknowledgements, I got the feeling that the author or someone close to him had a positive experience of this type of therapy, which led him to put it in the book – although the plot shows it in an ambiguous light. I have an attitude to things like this more like the approach many people would have to food or sports – if circumstances allowed, it would be interesting to try it, simply for the experience, with no expectation of it changing anything. It could just be an odd form of amateur dramatics, or something curiouser.
Ingenious though it is, I think there is a flaw in the plot.
Grumpy bloke Szacki isn’t the most original detective ever, albeit he has a number of distinguishing features. However, there’s a lot of other unusual material, and some pretty good writing, in Entanglement to set it apart from the average procedural.
"Surely you're exaggerating."
"A little," smiled Szacki.
If crime fiction can be good for giving a picture of a country and society - including the mundane and grotty stuff away from the tourist traps - Entanglement is top-notch. There's satisfyingly realist detail about the characters' work (they actually have to deal with several cases which started at different times and which don't turn out to be related). Each chapter opens with a series of news headlines for the day - the story takes place in June 2005 - and we also get some history when Prosecutor Szacki digs around in archives from the Communist era. There are metaphors and idioms and sayings which are obviously local (thank goodness for translators who don't try and transpose everything into English ideas) and a lot of locations and descriptions as lifelong Warsaw resident Szacki drives around his city. (Unfortunately there aren't maps, as were obligingly provided in some of Arnaldur Indriðason's Erlendur novels - but I enjoyed looking things up and by the second half of the book had built up a sense of where recurring places were in relation to one another.)
In the last year or so, a handful of jounalists keen for the new hype thing, and sales-hungry publishers, have touted Polish crime fiction as the new Nordic. Whilst there is apparently a boom in Poland, there isn't much of it around [as yet] in English - plenty of Goodreaders and book bloggers could, if they wished, finish the lot in two or three weeks. (Two of the Teodor Szacki trilogy, two standalones from Stork Press, four from the Eberhard Mock series, and two by Anya Lipska set among Polish expats in London and written in English.)
For the noir side, yes, it could compete if there are more series as well-written as Miłoszewski's - but to those who read Nordic as part of a dream of living in well-run countries that share many of their personal principles, a Polish setting may not have quite such strong appeal. Catholicism is strong, and religious conservatives are numerous and noticeable: anti gay rights protests and politicians are a major theme in the news bulletins, and homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks are tolerated more than in Britain - though Szacki never makes them himself. Problems of the past loom large on a national political and social level - not only in the mind of one angsty detective. Whilst there are a number of female characters in senior jobs, this is still evidently a more sexist society than Scandinavia at the same point in time. A quarter of an hour washing-up, if he wanted to make the promised breakfast. God, how tired he was. Instead of sleeping until noon and then watching television, like all the other guys in this patriarchal country, he was trying to be a super-husband and super-dad.
Like most contemporary crime fiction I've read, Entanglement has a metafictional aspect in which characters refer to crime novels and what people typically do in them. This is done in a more sophisticated manner than some (the standard of writing here is generally comparable to the better Nordics I know such as the Erlendur series, and at times more imaginative in terms of sentence-by-sentence style). During a conversation, Szacki mentions he's a fan of Lehane, Chandler, Rankin and Mankell. An underlying wish to be an old school hardboiled detective comes through in the misanthropic, critical way he talks about many people, his perennial dissatisfaction and in the "woman who walks into the office" trope - though thankfully there's no use of the trad-noir writing style, which I can never take seriously thanks to multiple viewings of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid before I ever saw the real thing. Some GR posters refer to the influence of Rebus and other British crime novels; I'm not sure I've ever read more than the odd Ian Rankin short story, so can hardly comment, except that Szacki likes classic rock, as Rebus is known to. The social and political dimension, and procedural structure, of Nordic crime fiction is most definitely here though. The strand relating to old spies initially brought to mind the Millennium Trilogy [seen 9h film version, don't plan to read the books]. It's odd after all this to have the Christie style big reveal and speech at the end; this is a book which moves between the realist and the theatrical and traditional in a slightly different way from anything else I've seen so far. I wasn't quite sure about the set-piece ending, but it had been so long since I'd read one that it was hard to mind too much.
This is as good a read as the Scandinavian stuff, and just as addictive - I started book 2 a few hours after finishing this one - but rather than recommending Entanglement unreservedly, it's fair to mention that Szacki has traits liable to annoy some readers. He's not quite into the territory of sounding psychic, but he's often aware of an 'itchy brain' feeling, knowing his subconscious must have picked up something he hasn't realised on the surface, and when things click, he follows them doggedly when there may not be enough evidence to justify this to others. Whilst there's not a great deal of respect for the church in the novel, there is a little space for aspects of the unexplained or supernatural, such as a minor subplot involving a clairvoyant. Those who hate plots where detectives contemplate or have extra-marital affairs should probably avoid this one too.
Szacki is pretty misanthropic, he's never entirely happy with anything or anyone, and in his close- third-person narrative is often critical of others, sometimes switching back and forth quite fast between positive and negative opinions of people close to him. He's pretty vain, cares a lot about appearances, and is often to be found assessing his own and others', whilst rarely saying so out loud. There could easily be 20 pages of thoughts on fellow characters' looks and dress in here, and it’s tedious even as someone who might notice similar things. He never fails to notice how a man is dressed, if he's in better or worse shape than him, is generally ugly or good looking. As a straight man who's starting to want out of his marriage, he does spend more time on women's appearances, and can be quite rude (which may rile some). The author doesn't always let him get away with his appearance critiques: e.g. Szacki fails to understand that a man ten years younger looks like someone in a 1970s East German film not because he's a nerd with no style, but as part of a retro subculture. Szacki may not articulate all these thoughts, but he’s still brusque enough that other characters call him rude several times, to his face.
The prosecutor is quite a hardcore gamer in his spare time, and this novel features the most detailed descriptions and conversations about gaming I've seen in a book that doesn't set out to be part of geek culture. In one instance he coaxes a teenage witness to open up via a multi-page conversation about Call of Duty. Considering how many real people are gamers, it's odd how little you see of it as a hobby in general fiction.
I was hugely impressed by Miłoszewski’s invention of a curious form of group therapy for the plot: a writer whose bio mentioned no study of psychology had got all kind of nuances spot on, the good – and the bad, including the way that some therapy theories go too far by ascribing physical illnesses or complex conditions such as autism solely to psychological nurture factors. Then a founder was referenced, and I searched – it was real, just not common in Britain (though presumably better known to those who’ve taken an interest in Gestalt, to which Family Constellation therapy is related). Tangible non-verbal phenomena such as body language and facial expression, as well as things actually *said* can subconsciously remind a person of someone else and lead them to fall into patterns, providing a rational explanation for transference. And likewise, understanding of how the body is mapped in the brain, mirror neurons etc show how mirroring or adopting someone else’s posture can, especially in more sensitive people, replicate an emotional state. But I find the principle behind FCT difficult to accept, that very strong transference and projection could occur between random strangers and enable them to take on emotional states of the relatives of another therapy participant they'd never even spoken to – let alone that this could have an effect on those relatives’ behaviour via any means other than changes in the way the participant related to them. Workshops taking place over a weekend do help some people, but plenty of things take longer, especially the sort of complex dynamics this deals with. Having read the acknowledgements, I got the feeling that the author or someone close to him had a positive experience of this type of therapy, which led him to put it in the book – although the plot shows it in an ambiguous light. I have an attitude to things like this more like the approach many people would have to food or sports – if circumstances allowed, it would be interesting to try it, simply for the experience, with no expectation of it changing anything. It could just be an odd form of amateur dramatics, or something curiouser.
Ingenious though it is, I think there is a flaw in the plot.
Grumpy bloke Szacki isn’t the most original detective ever, albeit he has a number of distinguishing features. However, there’s a lot of other unusual material, and some pretty good writing, in Entanglement to set it apart from the average procedural.
February 3, 2021
This is a remarkable book. In June 2005, public prosecutor Teodor Szacki is called to look into an unusual case.A participant of a four person psychotherapy session has been found murdered with a meat skewer impaled in his eye.The participants have come together for an unorthodox session of Family Constellation Therapy, which is supposed to recreate past conflicts in a person’s family life and allow them to become more unencumbered through this cathartic confrontation. For the deceased,Henryk Talek, the process has gone spectacularly awry. His fellow participants speculate that his death was either a suicide or a robbery that was botched.
Prosecutor Szacki does not find these explanations convincing. His pursuit of this case gives us an overview of a Polish judicial system that might not be familiar to many readers in the “West.” At the same time, we get an atmospheric look at Warsaw and meet a complex, witty and well drawn character in Teodor Szacki. It is possible that the host of characters might be initially confusing for those who are not familiar with Cyrillic patronymics.My advice would be to keep reading.The well plotted story and fascinating character delineation will be absorbing enough to make the journey worthwhile.
Prosecutor Szacki does not find these explanations convincing. His pursuit of this case gives us an overview of a Polish judicial system that might not be familiar to many readers in the “West.” At the same time, we get an atmospheric look at Warsaw and meet a complex, witty and well drawn character in Teodor Szacki. It is possible that the host of characters might be initially confusing for those who are not familiar with Cyrillic patronymics.My advice would be to keep reading.The well plotted story and fascinating character delineation will be absorbing enough to make the journey worthwhile.
May 18, 2015
Difficult to review.... 2.5 stars rounded down to 2 stars as it was..... ok..
I get the sense that its one of a missed opportunity as at times its insightful, amusing & the characters are evolving whilst in the next paragraph you are sleepwalking through the padding & the next paragraph lost in the detail..... maybe if I knew more about Polish history post-communism & what had gone on in the pre- Berlin Wall fall it would have helped a little?
The main character was also frustrating in that he was both likeable & puerile.
I gave it a go but wont be following up the series as come the end I wasn’t even interested in “whodunit” which is a tell in itself. As I said it was.... ok
I get the sense that its one of a missed opportunity as at times its insightful, amusing & the characters are evolving whilst in the next paragraph you are sleepwalking through the padding & the next paragraph lost in the detail..... maybe if I knew more about Polish history post-communism & what had gone on in the pre- Berlin Wall fall it would have helped a little?
The main character was also frustrating in that he was both likeable & puerile.
I gave it a go but wont be following up the series as come the end I wasn’t even interested in “whodunit” which is a tell in itself. As I said it was.... ok
November 26, 2018
Me ha gustado mucho esta novela que entremezcla un poco la novela negra con la policíaca, y en la que nos encontramos con un Fiscal irreverente, sarcástico y que hablando mal, está un poco asqueado de la vida, de su trabajo, de la monotonía de su matrimonio. Un Fiscal que además parece que en Polonia asume la instruccion de los casos, de manera directa, diferente a lo que sucede en España. El estilo narrativo me ha gustado, porque no me sobra nada, incluso me ha gustado su historia tan rara con la "amante". Estoy segura de que leeré más de él.
October 18, 2015
From BBC Radio 4- Reading Europe:
Radio 4 continues its journey across Europe exploring the best contemporary literature. In this hugely successful Polish crime thriller, a long suffering State Prosecutor finds himself trapped in a post-Communist limbo land of half-truths and secrets. Will he prove himself to be a redoubtable seeker of the truth or will he compromise? A perplexing murder reveals tantalising glimpses of links to the old regime.
Part 1: The Reflection Room
When Henryk Telak is found dead with a meat skewer in his eye during a Family Constellation Therapy weekend, State Prosecutor Szacki and his police colleague Olga, Kuzniecow, have to work together to deduce who killed the man and why. An apparent total absence of motive is compounded when attractive young news reporter Monika Grezlka, shows a more than professional interest in Szacki.
Part 2: Antigone in Warsaw
Szacki struggles with his burgeoning feelings for attractive journalist Monika Grzelka and the increasingly complex background of the murder victim. The final clues fall into place when he stages his own Family Constellation Therapy session with all the suspects.
The writer Zygmunt Miloszewski is a leading Polish writer. The Teodor Szacki series is a best seller in Poland. Antonia Lloyd Jones is an award winning translator of Polish fiction and chair of the Translators Association. Dramatised for radio by the writer, critic and journalist, Mark Lawson.
About Reading Europe:
Europe is central to our lives - we go on holiday to Europe, we do business in Europe, we watch in amazement as the various states try to grapple with migration in Europe. Over the next year or so we will be engaged in the debate as to whether or not we stay in Europe. But how much do we know this continent's countries and, in particular, how much do we know about what they're reading?
Over the course of two years, Reading Europe will travel from Calais to Istanbul. Through dramatisations, readings and essays, Reading Europe and Front Row will explore what Europe is writing, publishing and reading - and why.
Cast:
Teodor Szacki................Bryan Dick
Olga Kuzniecow.............Christine Bottomley
Cezary Rudzki................David Crellin
Monika Grzelka/
Hanna Kwiatowska........Rachel Austin
Barbara Jarczyk/
radio news reader.........Alexandra Mathie
Euzebius Kaim...............Dermot Daly
Henryk Telak/
Father Pazcek...............Glenn Cunningham
Written by Zygmunt Miloszewski
Translated by Antonia Lloyd Jones
Dramatised for radio by Mark Lawson
Warsaw backgrounds: Zofia Morus
Polish language advisor: Richard Abel
Sound design: Eloise Whitmore
Producer/director: Polly Thomas
Executive Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06gtr70
Radio 4 continues its journey across Europe exploring the best contemporary literature. In this hugely successful Polish crime thriller, a long suffering State Prosecutor finds himself trapped in a post-Communist limbo land of half-truths and secrets. Will he prove himself to be a redoubtable seeker of the truth or will he compromise? A perplexing murder reveals tantalising glimpses of links to the old regime.
Part 1: The Reflection Room
When Henryk Telak is found dead with a meat skewer in his eye during a Family Constellation Therapy weekend, State Prosecutor Szacki and his police colleague Olga, Kuzniecow, have to work together to deduce who killed the man and why. An apparent total absence of motive is compounded when attractive young news reporter Monika Grezlka, shows a more than professional interest in Szacki.
Part 2: Antigone in Warsaw
Szacki struggles with his burgeoning feelings for attractive journalist Monika Grzelka and the increasingly complex background of the murder victim. The final clues fall into place when he stages his own Family Constellation Therapy session with all the suspects.
The writer Zygmunt Miloszewski is a leading Polish writer. The Teodor Szacki series is a best seller in Poland. Antonia Lloyd Jones is an award winning translator of Polish fiction and chair of the Translators Association. Dramatised for radio by the writer, critic and journalist, Mark Lawson.
About Reading Europe:
Europe is central to our lives - we go on holiday to Europe, we do business in Europe, we watch in amazement as the various states try to grapple with migration in Europe. Over the next year or so we will be engaged in the debate as to whether or not we stay in Europe. But how much do we know this continent's countries and, in particular, how much do we know about what they're reading?
Over the course of two years, Reading Europe will travel from Calais to Istanbul. Through dramatisations, readings and essays, Reading Europe and Front Row will explore what Europe is writing, publishing and reading - and why.
Cast:
Teodor Szacki................Bryan Dick
Olga Kuzniecow.............Christine Bottomley
Cezary Rudzki................David Crellin
Monika Grzelka/
Hanna Kwiatowska........Rachel Austin
Barbara Jarczyk/
radio news reader.........Alexandra Mathie
Euzebius Kaim...............Dermot Daly
Henryk Telak/
Father Pazcek...............Glenn Cunningham
Written by Zygmunt Miloszewski
Translated by Antonia Lloyd Jones
Dramatised for radio by Mark Lawson
Warsaw backgrounds: Zofia Morus
Polish language advisor: Richard Abel
Sound design: Eloise Whitmore
Producer/director: Polly Thomas
Executive Producer: Joby Waldman
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06gtr70
March 26, 2016
Me ha gustado mucho. Los personajes están muy bien construidos, especialmente el fiscal. Es muy humano, no un cliché. Y sus acciones, reflexiones, decisiones me pueden chocar o gustar, en la misma medida que si un conocido actuara así. Que creo que es la mejor valoración que puedo hacer de un personaje literario, que sea humano y trascienda de la "construcciòn ficticia".
Muy bien planteada la trama y la investigación, desde el punto de vista del fiscal, que es quien la dirige, con referencias -pocas, pero significativas- al tedioso proceso de documentar la investigación, presentar papeles en los juzgados, el exceso de trabajo, el sueldo escasito como funcionario (aprovechando a colar comentarios de los "sobresueldos" de quienes no son tan escrupulosos en sus funciones)
Desde el principio me recordó a las historias de mi querido Kurt Wallander, pues veo muchas semejanzas entre éste y el fiscal Szacki: la humanidad de los personajes; que la ciudad donde viven es otro personaje más (que si alguna vez voy a Suecia, fijo que me acerco a la calle Mariagatan de Ystad); que ambos autores contextualizan el delito en un ambiente social de perdida de derechos, de pobreza social; que sus relaciones personales y familiares (Szacki y Wallander) nos permiten conocerlos mejor, para lo bueno y lo malo; que son lobos solitarios, aunque estén siempre rodeados de gente; que tienen una gran tolerancia y comprensión de las debilidades humanas; que siendo esencialmente honestos, a veces sortean la legalidad por hacer lo correcto...
Por supuesto, a Szacki no lo quiero como a Kurt (que no fue amor a primera lectura, pero casi), pero sí puede ser el inicio de una gran amistad, que seguro que se confirma con su segundo libro, que leeré en breve.
Muy bien planteada la trama y la investigación, desde el punto de vista del fiscal, que es quien la dirige, con referencias -pocas, pero significativas- al tedioso proceso de documentar la investigación, presentar papeles en los juzgados, el exceso de trabajo, el sueldo escasito como funcionario (aprovechando a colar comentarios de los "sobresueldos" de quienes no son tan escrupulosos en sus funciones)
Desde el principio me recordó a las historias de mi querido Kurt Wallander, pues veo muchas semejanzas entre éste y el fiscal Szacki: la humanidad de los personajes; que la ciudad donde viven es otro personaje más (que si alguna vez voy a Suecia, fijo que me acerco a la calle Mariagatan de Ystad); que ambos autores contextualizan el delito en un ambiente social de perdida de derechos, de pobreza social; que sus relaciones personales y familiares (Szacki y Wallander) nos permiten conocerlos mejor, para lo bueno y lo malo; que son lobos solitarios, aunque estén siempre rodeados de gente; que tienen una gran tolerancia y comprensión de las debilidades humanas; que siendo esencialmente honestos, a veces sortean la legalidad por hacer lo correcto...
Por supuesto, a Szacki no lo quiero como a Kurt (que no fue amor a primera lectura, pero casi), pero sí puede ser el inicio de una gran amistad, que seguro que se confirma con su segundo libro, que leeré en breve.
November 5, 2016
Kolejna świetna książka Zygmunta Miłoszewskiego. Gdybym napisała, że ją przeczytałam, to byłoby to niedopowiedzenie. Ja ją pochłonęłam. Absolutnie wciągająca i zawiła intryga. No i Szacki.
September 8, 2017
Very cleverly done.
I love an author who is able to surprise me.
May 17, 2020
Personajes excelentes, trama muy original y un entorno que desconocía absolutamente. Un gran descubrimiento.
December 22, 2020
Pochmúrne krimi z Varšavy z doby tesne predtým, ako (vraj) začala byť pekná.
Prokurátor, môj rovesník s poriadnou krízou stredného veku, vyšetruje vraždu, ktorá sa mu vymkne spod kontroly. Príbeh sa snaží vyhýbať klišé. Pozrieme sa do málo známeho sveta prokuratúry, na skupinové psychoterapie, trošku štrajchneme paranormálnu oblasť a zrazu sme v obludnej realite a stojíme proti poľskej verzii generála Lorenca skombinovaného so Zoroslavom Kollárom. Štyri a pol obžaloby z piatich.
Prokurátor, môj rovesník s poriadnou krízou stredného veku, vyšetruje vraždu, ktorá sa mu vymkne spod kontroly. Príbeh sa snaží vyhýbať klišé. Pozrieme sa do málo známeho sveta prokuratúry, na skupinové psychoterapie, trošku štrajchneme paranormálnu oblasť a zrazu sme v obludnej realite a stojíme proti poľskej verzii generála Lorenca skombinovaného so Zoroslavom Kollárom. Štyri a pol obžaloby z piatich.
November 9, 2018
Esta libro me pareció una mezcla entre los libros policíacos clásicos y la novela negra actual, donde por un lado tenemos un caso de asesinato, un caso muy particular y peculiar que requiere de un enorme ingenio para atrapar al asesino y vemos cómo desfilan las interrogaciones a los posibles sospechosos sin que sepamos cuál de ellos es el culpable.
Y por otro lado, ese lado deprimente, oscuro y frío que tiene la novela negra, un fiscal de homicidios cansado y fastidiado de su vida en general, pero inteligente, sarcástico, pero sobre todo muy auténtico, no se anda entre las ramas a la hora de decir que está harto de la monotonía de su matrimonio, del asco de trabajo que tiene, pero sobre todo de lo aburrido que le resulta su día a día.
La narrativa del autor resulta algo lenta, pero no aburrida, si bien se centra mucho en el protagonista, le da una justa dimensión a la investigación del asesinato y a los actores secundarios haciendo una buena mezcla en la historia.
No llamaría a este libro thriller psicológico, pero sí que es verdad que nos da una muestra muy interesante de la psicología de los personajes que nos presentan.
Szacki no es un héroe, es un hombre normal, común, corriente, trabajador, sentí por un lado una gran atracción y al mismo tiempo una gran repulsión hacia el personaje y su personalidad.
Una historia muy bien construida, que va creciendo conforme avanza el libro, el autor nos va llevando paso a paso hasta lograr que un caso normal de asesinato finalice siendo algo de lo más complicado.
El libro me gusto mucho, me gusto el estilo del autor, su narración, sus personajes y la historia, pero, por alguna razón me costo mucho trabajo terminarlo.
Y por otro lado, ese lado deprimente, oscuro y frío que tiene la novela negra, un fiscal de homicidios cansado y fastidiado de su vida en general, pero inteligente, sarcástico, pero sobre todo muy auténtico, no se anda entre las ramas a la hora de decir que está harto de la monotonía de su matrimonio, del asco de trabajo que tiene, pero sobre todo de lo aburrido que le resulta su día a día.
La narrativa del autor resulta algo lenta, pero no aburrida, si bien se centra mucho en el protagonista, le da una justa dimensión a la investigación del asesinato y a los actores secundarios haciendo una buena mezcla en la historia.
No llamaría a este libro thriller psicológico, pero sí que es verdad que nos da una muestra muy interesante de la psicología de los personajes que nos presentan.
Szacki no es un héroe, es un hombre normal, común, corriente, trabajador, sentí por un lado una gran atracción y al mismo tiempo una gran repulsión hacia el personaje y su personalidad.
Una historia muy bien construida, que va creciendo conforme avanza el libro, el autor nos va llevando paso a paso hasta lograr que un caso normal de asesinato finalice siendo algo de lo más complicado.
El libro me gusto mucho, me gusto el estilo del autor, su narración, sus personajes y la historia, pero, por alguna razón me costo mucho trabajo terminarlo.
March 11, 2017
Najciekawsze w tym dobru są momenty, które nikną pod górą antypatycznego bohatera i jego życia, to brudny warszawski blok, zaszczane klatki schodowe, moment w którym bohater wspomina swoje życie zanim urodziła się Hela, stary milicjant, czy dziewczynka z ptysiami. Sama historia no cóż, wyłożenie nam zarysu teorii ustawień może było ambitnym działaniem, ale już sama zagadka kryminalna z otoczką tego co wielbiciele Ekstradycji, czy Psów lubią najbardziej, ze żmudną warstwą historycznego odium, nie, jednak nie przekonuje mnie Miłoszewski do siebie. Ale może kolejny tom...
February 8, 2019
Хто читає детективну серію у зворотному напрямку, той я. Адже нарешті я знайшла і прочитала першу книжку циклу про прокурора Теодора Шацького.
Ця частина, як початкова, вирізняється відносною легкістю ведення оповіді, бо тут автор ще не занурює читача в непросту історію польсько-єврейських кривд і взагалі наче тільки напрацьовує свій власний стиль. Але мені все одно сподобалося, це ж Мілошевський!
Ця частина, як початкова, вирізняється відносною легкістю ведення оповіді, бо тут автор ще не занурює читача в непросту історію польсько-єврейських кривд і взагалі наче тільки напрацьовує свій власний стиль. Але мені все одно сподобалося, це ж Мілошевський!
May 20, 2015
Recommended for all crime books fans, although you have to warned that it is not typical crime book. The ending might be disappointing? strange? but this book, in my opinion, fantastically describes Polish reality.
May 17, 2018
Muy buen libro. Novela negra polaca.
Con todos sus ingredientes: crimen, investigación, crítica social, ....
Totalmente recomendable su lectura.
Con todos sus ingredientes: crimen, investigación, crítica social, ....
Totalmente recomendable su lectura.
January 18, 2021
Genialna książka, rozumiem już wszystkie zachwyty nad Miłoszewskim. Jedyne co mnie okrutnie irytowało, to utyskiwanie jak prokuratorzy słabo zarabiają:) Poza tym lepiej nie czytać gdy nie ma się czasu, bo momentami trudno się oderwać:)
June 2, 2015
Novela negra polaca. Nuevo autor y nuevo país que hace que la empiece con ganas. Ha merecido la pena. El ambiente en el que se desarrolla la trama te permite conocer tiempos históricos de un país del cual no sé demasiado: Polonia. Me ha resultado interesante y sin desviar la atención del argumento policiaco. Bueno, más que policiaco, fiscal, porque una novedad de esta novela es que el protagonista no es un inspector de policia, ni siquiera un detective privado, sino un Fiscal del Estado, un funcionario normal, listo, pero no superdotado y con una vida bastante corriente: Teodor Szacki. También habla de la Terapia de las Costelaciones, una terapia psicológica novedosa de la que tampoco había oído hablar.
El misterio principal se resuelve, pero se plantea otro más general y complejo que queda inconcluso. Hay que hacer notar que es la primera novela de la saga del fiscal Szacki, así que daré por hecho que se resolverá en posteriores entregas. En resumen, se deja leer satisfactoriamente. (7)
El misterio principal se resuelve, pero se plantea otro más general y complejo que queda inconcluso. Hay que hacer notar que es la primera novela de la saga del fiscal Szacki, así que daré por hecho que se resolverá en posteriores entregas. En resumen, se deja leer satisfactoriamente. (7)
June 26, 2019
Nie paliłam się do sięgnięcia po tę serię, wydawało mi się że to nie będzie mój klimat. W końcu stwierdziłam, że trzeba sprawdzić o co tyle szumu - najwyżej skończę na pierwszym tomie. No cóż.. Chciałabym od razu sięgnąć po następne. Historia napisana jest bardzo zgrabnie, czyta się z przyjemnością. Szacki odrobinę mnie irytował, ale mimo to czytanie wciągnęło mnie niesamowicie. Sama fabuła też nie była spejcalnie zaskakująca, ale trzeba przyznać że Miłoszewski umie zaciekawić czytelnika. Zgrabna historia, całkiem nieźle oddająca polską rzeczywistość, bez przerysowania i naciągania.
June 9, 2015
An excellent read.
I loved the descriptions of contemporary Warsaw (2005),the truth of the tough job of prosecutors in Poland, the main character and the story.
Starting the second one immediately!
I loved the descriptions of contemporary Warsaw (2005),the truth of the tough job of prosecutors in Poland, the main character and the story.
Starting the second one immediately!
February 18, 2015
Great suspense. If the flight had been longer I would have read it in one seating. Interesting main character that makes you keep reading.
June 16, 2015
Buenísimo, un caso policiaco desde una perspectiva diferente y un pais/cultura muy desconocidos. Muy inquientante narración y bien llevada la trama
July 28, 2022
Cumple para un tórrido y desganado verano.
La expresión lo define todo. Lectura fácil e intrascendente, no es un libro, que al menos a mi, me haya atrapado. La historia no tiene nada especial, los personajes no logran interesar, de hecho, a excepción del protagonista, todos los que le rodean son bastante grises.
La ciudad de Varsovia parece al comienzo que puede ser uno más de los personajes pero a diferencia de otros autores que logran que se huela la humedad y que el ambiente de la ciudad entre en nuestra cabeza, el autor apenas aporta una retahíla de direcciones que, para el conocedor de la ciudad serán atractivos, pero a los que no hemos pisado la misma al final sólo nos causan hastío.
La novela es la primera de una trilogía y es tan así que el asesinato con el que empieza pierde pronto interés y se queda en un segundo plano algo incómodo y que parece solucionarse, un tanto inverosímilmente, solo para poder terminar la novela y dar comienzo a la segunda.
En mi caso es muy improbable que pruebe con el segundo.
La expresión lo define todo. Lectura fácil e intrascendente, no es un libro, que al menos a mi, me haya atrapado. La historia no tiene nada especial, los personajes no logran interesar, de hecho, a excepción del protagonista, todos los que le rodean son bastante grises.
La ciudad de Varsovia parece al comienzo que puede ser uno más de los personajes pero a diferencia de otros autores que logran que se huela la humedad y que el ambiente de la ciudad entre en nuestra cabeza, el autor apenas aporta una retahíla de direcciones que, para el conocedor de la ciudad serán atractivos, pero a los que no hemos pisado la misma al final sólo nos causan hastío.
La novela es la primera de una trilogía y es tan así que el asesinato con el que empieza pierde pronto interés y se queda en un segundo plano algo incómodo y que parece solucionarse, un tanto inverosímilmente, solo para poder terminar la novela y dar comienzo a la segunda.
En mi caso es muy improbable que pruebe con el segundo.
July 21, 2013
Drôle d'ambiance que celle des Impliqués ! Peu familière des littératures de l'est, je découvre avec Zygmunt Miloszewski la Pologne de 2005, une Pologne pour ainsi dire en reconstruction, encore très marquée par les dérives du communisme. Teodore Szacki est procureur, il enquête sur un meurtre survenu à Varsovie dans un ancien monastère, suite à une séance de thérapie un peu particulière. D’emblée, ses soupçons se portent sur les autres participants à la séance, ainsi que sur le psychiatre lui-même, mais le chemin est long jusqu’à l’explication finale.
Zygmunt Miloszewski nous plonge avec facilité dans sa Pologne natale. Sous sa plume habile, la ville de Varsovie nous dévoile à la fois la beauté de ses beaux quartiers et des monuments historiques qui ont réchappé à la guerre, mais aussi l’atmosphère moins lisse, plus glauque, des rues plus modestes. Teodore Szacki lui-même, fonctionnaire d’état à la situation professionnelle a priori stable, se révèle extrêmement soucieux de ses dépenses, y compris à l’heure des repas. C’est un personnage en pleine crise existentielle. Marié, père d’une petite fille, il est fatigué. Fatigué de son job dont il perçoit déjà, bien que de manière confuse, l’hypocrisie, mais aussi fatigué de sa vie et de la routine qui s’est installée dans son couple.
Et l’enquête dans laquelle il se lance ne va pas arranger les choses, car les indices sont fort rares et il craint rapidement de devoir classer cette affaire sans suite. On assiste, en spectateur impuissant et passif, aux interrogatoires successifs de chacun des potentiels suspects, ainsi qu’aux recherches que lui et le policier qui l’assiste effectuent à droite et à gauche. Le tout sans le moindre plus petit début de piste, et malheureusement cette situation s’éternise. C’est l’un des reproches que je ferais à ce roman, celui de trop s’attarder sur la description de cette laborieuse enquête sans nous donner suffisamment de grain à moudre. Parce que, en tant que lecteur, on se retrouve exactement dans la même situation que nos deux enquêteurs : le bec dans l’eau !
A la longue, ça finit par lasser, d’autant plus que le dénouement semble finalement tellement facile qu’on en vient à se demander comment ils se sont débrouillés pour ne pas tomber là-dessus avant ! Ça paraît vraiment incroyable, même compte tenu des magouilles de la Pologne des années 70/80 puisque l’intrigue remonte jusque-là. Au final, un roman dépaysant par la découverte de la Pologne qu’il nous propose, un personnage intéressant et attachant par les démons internes qu’il combat, mais une intrigue un peu trop laborieuse, que j’aurais aimé plus dynamique, c’est mon petit bémol.
Zygmunt Miloszewski nous plonge avec facilité dans sa Pologne natale. Sous sa plume habile, la ville de Varsovie nous dévoile à la fois la beauté de ses beaux quartiers et des monuments historiques qui ont réchappé à la guerre, mais aussi l’atmosphère moins lisse, plus glauque, des rues plus modestes. Teodore Szacki lui-même, fonctionnaire d’état à la situation professionnelle a priori stable, se révèle extrêmement soucieux de ses dépenses, y compris à l’heure des repas. C’est un personnage en pleine crise existentielle. Marié, père d’une petite fille, il est fatigué. Fatigué de son job dont il perçoit déjà, bien que de manière confuse, l’hypocrisie, mais aussi fatigué de sa vie et de la routine qui s’est installée dans son couple.
Et l’enquête dans laquelle il se lance ne va pas arranger les choses, car les indices sont fort rares et il craint rapidement de devoir classer cette affaire sans suite. On assiste, en spectateur impuissant et passif, aux interrogatoires successifs de chacun des potentiels suspects, ainsi qu’aux recherches que lui et le policier qui l’assiste effectuent à droite et à gauche. Le tout sans le moindre plus petit début de piste, et malheureusement cette situation s’éternise. C’est l’un des reproches que je ferais à ce roman, celui de trop s’attarder sur la description de cette laborieuse enquête sans nous donner suffisamment de grain à moudre. Parce que, en tant que lecteur, on se retrouve exactement dans la même situation que nos deux enquêteurs : le bec dans l’eau !
A la longue, ça finit par lasser, d’autant plus que le dénouement semble finalement tellement facile qu’on en vient à se demander comment ils se sont débrouillés pour ne pas tomber là-dessus avant ! Ça paraît vraiment incroyable, même compte tenu des magouilles de la Pologne des années 70/80 puisque l’intrigue remonte jusque-là. Au final, un roman dépaysant par la découverte de la Pologne qu’il nous propose, un personnage intéressant et attachant par les démons internes qu’il combat, mais une intrigue un peu trop laborieuse, que j’aurais aimé plus dynamique, c’est mon petit bémol.
June 14, 2012
Teodor Szacki (pronounced Shatzky) is a 35 year old prosecutor approaching burn-out. (A prosecutor is Poland is the primary investigator in a criminal case, which means he does all the spade-work and leg-work that Americans would expect police detective would do.) Underpaid and overworked, ever aware that he would do better in private or corporate practice, he is also an idealist, a romantic perhaps.
This is Miłoszewski's first book involving Szacki, and another is reported in the works. So popular was this book in Poland that a movie (pretty disappointing, from what i read) was made. Miłoszewski clearly knows what he is doing, for the plot is well-constructed; and he is not without a sense of humor that borders on sarcasm.
The last time I visited Warsaw was some 30 years ago, as guest of Warsaw University. Spending several weeks there, I came to know my "neighborhood" and acquainted with the major landmarks. They all make cameo appearances in this novel. If I felt the sense of place, I can only imagine how vivid it is for a resident.
The Warsaw I visited was very much a police-state, although I traveled in a rarefied crowd that did its best to keep blinders on me. But I knew it was there, and what I saw chilled my marrow.
Twenty years plus after the fall of Communism, however, elements of the ancien regime still exercise influence - as Miłoszewski demonstrates.
If there is an element of plodding it is because this is a kind of "police procedural" in which the reader accompanies Szacki in uncovering each clue. But fasten your seat-belt, for the last 100 pages are like a juggernaut barely under control!
Agatha Christie would be proud how Murder on the Orient Express has become yet again a trope within the genre.
This is Miłoszewski's first book involving Szacki, and another is reported in the works. So popular was this book in Poland that a movie (pretty disappointing, from what i read) was made. Miłoszewski clearly knows what he is doing, for the plot is well-constructed; and he is not without a sense of humor that borders on sarcasm.
The last time I visited Warsaw was some 30 years ago, as guest of Warsaw University. Spending several weeks there, I came to know my "neighborhood" and acquainted with the major landmarks. They all make cameo appearances in this novel. If I felt the sense of place, I can only imagine how vivid it is for a resident.
The Warsaw I visited was very much a police-state, although I traveled in a rarefied crowd that did its best to keep blinders on me. But I knew it was there, and what I saw chilled my marrow.
Twenty years plus after the fall of Communism, however, elements of the ancien regime still exercise influence - as Miłoszewski demonstrates.
If there is an element of plodding it is because this is a kind of "police procedural" in which the reader accompanies Szacki in uncovering each clue. But fasten your seat-belt, for the last 100 pages are like a juggernaut barely under control!
Agatha Christie would be proud how Murder on the Orient Express has become yet again a trope within the genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2016
I wanted to rate this a 4-star book, but I personally couldn't accept the concept of Family Constellation Therapy, even though I later see on Wikipedia that it is an actual psychotherapy technique, albeit called a quack therapy. Family Constellation Therapy dominants Chapter 3, entailing 4 patients doing role playing for the therapist involving tumultuous treatments during a weekend retreat. During this weekend, a patient is murdered, no less within hours after a particularly grueling group therapy session. A sort of "locked room" mystery....which retreat member did the murder during the night? I really liked the protagonist investigator, Teodor Szacki, a Warsaw prosecutor, investigating because in Poland it's the prosecutor and not the police who manage the crime scenes and investigations. The characters are richly developed and the novel moves well with a balance of dry humor and swings from darkness, levity, and dread. You also get a good sense of Poland, both its communist and post-communist layers. The book concludes with a welcome twist upon the Family Constellation Therapy setup, but the use of the weekend retreat psychotherapy venue as the murder scene still seems contrived, hence my downgrade to a 3-star review for the otherwise quality novel. I'd read the next installment, as another novel with Teodor Szacki is planned.
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