Staff Pick
Very good! Rated: scarring!
We've all read disturbing books but this one is burned in my mind. An abandoned child tries to survive in the depraved chaos of WWII Europe. Recommended By Adam B., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Originally published in 1965, The Painted Bird established Jerzy Kosinski as a major literary figure. Kosinski's story follows a dark-haired, olive-skinned boy, abandoned by his parents during World War II, as he wanders alone from one village to another, sometimes hounded and tortured, only rarely sheltered and cared for. Through the juxtaposition of adolescence and the most brutal of adult experiences, Kosinski sums up a Bosch-like world of harrowing excess where senseless violence and untempered hatred are the norm. Through sparse prose and vivid imagery, Kosinski's novel is a story of mythic proportion, even more relevant to today's society than it was upon its original publication.
Review
One of the best. . . . Written with deep sincerity and sensitivity.”Elie Wiesel, The New York Times Book Review
A powerful blow on the mind because it is so carefully kept within the margins of probability and fact.”Arthur Miller
Of all the remarkable fiction that emerged from World War II, nothing stands higher than Jerzy Kosinskis The Painted Bird. A magnificent work of art, and a celebration of the individual will. No one who reads it will be unmoved by it. The Painted Bird enriches our literature and our lives.”Jonathan Yardley, The Miami Herald
Extraordinary . . . literally staggering . . . one of the most powerful books I have ever read.”Richard Kluger, Harpers Magazine
Synopsis
Originally published in 1965,
The Painted Bird established Jerzy Kosinski as a major literary figure. Called by the
Los Angeles Times "one of the most imposing novels of the decade," it was eventuallly translated into more than thirty languages.
A harrowing story that follows the wanderings of a boy abandoned by his parents during World War II, The Painted Bird is a dark masterpiece that examines the proximity of terror and savagery to innocence and love. It is the first, and the most famous, novel by one of the most important and original writers of this century.
About the Author
Kosinski has received numerous awards, including the American Academy of Arts and Letters award in Literature, the National Book Award, the Best Screenplay of the Year Award, and the American Civil Liberties Union First Amendment Award.