---
product_id: 291619546
title: "Swimming in the Dark: A Poetic Literary Debut about First Love and Political Divides"
price: "74.44 DT"
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url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/291619546-swimming-in-the-dark-a-poetic-literary-debut-about-first
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---

# Swimming in the Dark: A Poetic Literary Debut about First Love and Political Divides

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- **What is this?** Swimming in the Dark: A Poetic Literary Debut about First Love and Political Divides
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NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR • A DUA LIPA BOOK CLUB PICK “Imagine Call Me By Your Name set in Communist Poland and you'll get a sense of Jedrowski's moving debut about a consuming love affair amidst a country being torn apart.” ― O, The Oprah Magazine “Captivating both for its shimmering surfaces and its terrifying depths. Tomasz Jedrowski is a remarkable writer.” ― Justin Torres, bestselling author of We the Animals Set in early 1980s Poland against the violent decline of Communism, a tender and passionate story of first love between two young men who eventually find themselves on opposite sides of the political divide―a stunningly poetic and heartrending coming-of-age story and literary debut for fans of André Aciman, Garth Greenwell, and Alan Hollinghurst. When university student Ludwik meets Janusz at a summer agricultural camp, he is fascinated yet wary of this handsome, carefree stranger. But a chance meeting by the river soon becomes an intense, exhilarating, and all-consuming affair. After their camp duties are fulfilled, the pair spend a dreamlike few weeks in the countryside, bonding over an illicit copy of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room . Inhabiting a beautiful, natural world removed from society and its constraints, Ludwik and Janusz fall deeply in love. But in their repressive Communist and Catholic society, the passion they share is a dangerous secret, utterly unthinkable. Once they return to Warsaw, the charismatic Janusz quickly rises in the political ranks of the party and is rewarded with a highly coveted government position. Ludwik is drawn toward impulsive acts of protest, unable to ignore rising food prices and the stark economic disparity around them. Their secret love and personal and political differences slowly begin to tear them apart as both men struggle to survive in a regime on the brink of collapse. Shifting from the intoxication of first love to the quiet melancholy of growing up and growing apart, Swimming in the Dark is a potent blend of historical romance, postwar politics, intrigue, and history. Lyrical and sensual, immersive and intense, Tomasz Jedrowski’s indelible and thought-provoking literary debut explores freedom and love in all its incarnations.

Review: “Nothing Ever Gets Better Here” - In his debut novel, SWIMMING IN THE DARK (2020) author Tomasz Jedowski (born in 1985 in the Federal Republic of Germany) writes of first love set during the political turmoil of Poland in the early 1980s as Communist leaders began an increasing desperate and despotic attempt to hold on to power. The political setting of the novel plays an important role in the events surrounding the lives of the novel’s two main characters: twenty-two-year-old Ludwik Glowacki and a fellow student, Janusz. The two first meet as university students at a summer agricultural camp and although gay and closeted, pretty much inexperienced, and more than a bit cautious, Ludwick immediately is attracted to the masculine Janusz who Ludwik sees as “a prophecy I was unable to read.” Jedowski adopts an interesting and telling narrative technique for SWIMMING IN THE DARK. Ludwik is the book’s first-person narrator throughout and the novel is written as a letter to Janusz describing Ludwik’s life before meeting Janusz and, more importantly, detailing their lives after they meet. As early as the second page of the novel Jedowski lets readers know the relationship between the two central characters is, for one reason or another, doomed as he has Ludwik write, “I don’t know whether I ever want you to read this, but I know that I need to write it. Because you’ve been on my mind for too long. Ever since the day, twelve months ago, when I got on a plane and flew through the thick layers of cloud across the ocean. A year since I saw you, a year that has felt like limbo…” As stated earlier, politics plays an important role in the novel as Ludwik finds himself growing more and more incensed over state of affairs thrust upon the Polish people by the regime of Edward Gierek. Ludwik desires greater freedom, not less, and is curious about the West where “it seems like everything is better… more beautiful. More free.” When he tries to imagine his life “in the future, in a year or so,” he can’t see anything. Janusz, however, labels Ludwik a “dreamer” and is quite content with the Communist system. He believes “there are so many chances” in Poland and “the Party cares about us,” convinced he will “figure things out” and find a way to work the system to his advantage. Along with the politics of 1980s Poland, James Baldwin’s novel, GIOVANNI’S ROOM (1956) plays an important role in SWIMMING IN THE DARK. Unpublished in Poland at the time but a work the scholarly and inquisitive Ludwik has heard of, the youth obtains an underground copy of the book and immediately identifies with the characters and the same-sex relationships of which Baldwin daringly (for the times) writes. When Janusz asks to borrow the book and Ludwik hesitantly agrees to loan it to him, the novel helps bring the two young males together even though Baldwin’s theme of the need for freedom affects Ludwik in ways it does not Janusz. Jedowski writes in a lyrical fashion while exploring the budding romantic relationship between Ludwik and Janusz as well as describing the culture of Poland at the times. Food (from the simple to the elegant), music, and the many vast social discrepancies between the haves and the have-nots are clearly on display for the reader. What is curiously lacking in the book is real passion or at least explicit descriptions of Ludwik and Janusz’s physical interactions. Ludwik’s “letter” makes it clear that the love between the two is fervent and does involve love-making, but the narrative is quick to fade out as such intimacy is about to begin and Ludwik only returns to his account after the two have consummated their various sexual interactions. Readers may be struck by this approach and are likely to wonder if the author is consciously recreating Ludwik’s timidity, whether the author is subtly signaling the eventual fate of the two, or has other rationale in mind. As beautiful and engaging as Jedowski’s writing is, it is clearly not a weakness but a deliberate choice by the author not to include the usual modern-day, no-holds-barred approach toward modern male-male romanticism or eroticism. As their lives become more and more complicated and more people become a part of their world and decisions have to be made, Jedowski keeps his novel true to life and engaging. As more challenge and danger becomes a part of the story along with some unexpected situations, so does a greater sense of melancholy and inevitability. In spite of this, there is, however, a sense of strength and determination in the final pages of SWIMMING IN THE DARK which runs counter to and overcomes any sense of sadness to the novel which is a tribute to the author’s vision for his creation. Following the novel’s end, in his Acknowledgements, Jedowski concedes writing SWIMMING IN THE DARK “was a seven-year journey.” Readers are likely to readily feel the intensive thought and labor Jedowski put into the book considering the fascinating finished product he produced and will look forward to future efforts by the author.
Review: Some issues, but still a very good read. - It’s an interesting read. Although we don’t really need yet another gay coming-out/coming-of-age story, the difference here is the compelling context of 1980s communist Poland. The writer offers an insightful take on why an everyday Pole might have bought into the system, while at the same time his lover wholly rejected it. The novel can be didactic and repetitive at times, the dialogue sometimes stilted, the grammar iffy in several places, the characters testing believability, but overall I’d recommend it.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #17,508 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #8 in Eastern European Literature (Books) #14 in LGBTQ+ Historical Fiction (Books) #18 in Religious Short Stories & Anthologies |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 6,385 Reviews |

## Images

![Swimming in the Dark: A Poetic Literary Debut about First Love and Political Divides - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ImWPkaOdL.jpg)

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Nothing Ever Gets Better Here”
*by E***R on February 26, 2021*

In his debut novel, SWIMMING IN THE DARK (2020) author Tomasz Jedowski (born in 1985 in the Federal Republic of Germany) writes of first love set during the political turmoil of Poland in the early 1980s as Communist leaders began an increasing desperate and despotic attempt to hold on to power. The political setting of the novel plays an important role in the events surrounding the lives of the novel’s two main characters: twenty-two-year-old Ludwik Glowacki and a fellow student, Janusz. The two first meet as university students at a summer agricultural camp and although gay and closeted, pretty much inexperienced, and more than a bit cautious, Ludwick immediately is attracted to the masculine Janusz who Ludwik sees as “a prophecy I was unable to read.” Jedowski adopts an interesting and telling narrative technique for SWIMMING IN THE DARK. Ludwik is the book’s first-person narrator throughout and the novel is written as a letter to Janusz describing Ludwik’s life before meeting Janusz and, more importantly, detailing their lives after they meet. As early as the second page of the novel Jedowski lets readers know the relationship between the two central characters is, for one reason or another, doomed as he has Ludwik write, “I don’t know whether I ever want you to read this, but I know that I need to write it. Because you’ve been on my mind for too long. Ever since the day, twelve months ago, when I got on a plane and flew through the thick layers of cloud across the ocean. A year since I saw you, a year that has felt like limbo…” As stated earlier, politics plays an important role in the novel as Ludwik finds himself growing more and more incensed over state of affairs thrust upon the Polish people by the regime of Edward Gierek. Ludwik desires greater freedom, not less, and is curious about the West where “it seems like everything is better… more beautiful. More free.” When he tries to imagine his life “in the future, in a year or so,” he can’t see anything. Janusz, however, labels Ludwik a “dreamer” and is quite content with the Communist system. He believes “there are so many chances” in Poland and “the Party cares about us,” convinced he will “figure things out” and find a way to work the system to his advantage. Along with the politics of 1980s Poland, James Baldwin’s novel, GIOVANNI’S ROOM (1956) plays an important role in SWIMMING IN THE DARK. Unpublished in Poland at the time but a work the scholarly and inquisitive Ludwik has heard of, the youth obtains an underground copy of the book and immediately identifies with the characters and the same-sex relationships of which Baldwin daringly (for the times) writes. When Janusz asks to borrow the book and Ludwik hesitantly agrees to loan it to him, the novel helps bring the two young males together even though Baldwin’s theme of the need for freedom affects Ludwik in ways it does not Janusz. Jedowski writes in a lyrical fashion while exploring the budding romantic relationship between Ludwik and Janusz as well as describing the culture of Poland at the times. Food (from the simple to the elegant), music, and the many vast social discrepancies between the haves and the have-nots are clearly on display for the reader. What is curiously lacking in the book is real passion or at least explicit descriptions of Ludwik and Janusz’s physical interactions. Ludwik’s “letter” makes it clear that the love between the two is fervent and does involve love-making, but the narrative is quick to fade out as such intimacy is about to begin and Ludwik only returns to his account after the two have consummated their various sexual interactions. Readers may be struck by this approach and are likely to wonder if the author is consciously recreating Ludwik’s timidity, whether the author is subtly signaling the eventual fate of the two, or has other rationale in mind. As beautiful and engaging as Jedowski’s writing is, it is clearly not a weakness but a deliberate choice by the author not to include the usual modern-day, no-holds-barred approach toward modern male-male romanticism or eroticism. As their lives become more and more complicated and more people become a part of their world and decisions have to be made, Jedowski keeps his novel true to life and engaging. As more challenge and danger becomes a part of the story along with some unexpected situations, so does a greater sense of melancholy and inevitability. In spite of this, there is, however, a sense of strength and determination in the final pages of SWIMMING IN THE DARK which runs counter to and overcomes any sense of sadness to the novel which is a tribute to the author’s vision for his creation. Following the novel’s end, in his Acknowledgements, Jedowski concedes writing SWIMMING IN THE DARK “was a seven-year journey.” Readers are likely to readily feel the intensive thought and labor Jedowski put into the book considering the fascinating finished product he produced and will look forward to future efforts by the author.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Some issues, but still a very good read.
*by R***F on March 30, 2026*

It’s an interesting read. Although we don’t really need yet another gay coming-out/coming-of-age story, the difference here is the compelling context of 1980s communist Poland. The writer offers an insightful take on why an everyday Pole might have bought into the system, while at the same time his lover wholly rejected it. The novel can be didactic and repetitive at times, the dialogue sometimes stilted, the grammar iffy in several places, the characters testing believability, but overall I’d recommend it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Impressive debut!
*by A***E on March 10, 2026*

Jedrowski mustered his good command of poetic language, captivating romance and conflict, and engaging discourse of homosexuality in authoritarian, Communist Poland. He’s great at giving off a cinematic feel for its historical context, landscapes of the foreign past, and characters subverting the corrupt system. A few bangers from the 70’s adds to the vibe as well. I liked how effectively written his characters are, especially our protagonist Ludwik, and his creative use of first and second person narratives. I am impressed coming to know that this is Tomasz Jedrowski’s debut novel. I look forward to his future works.

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*Product available on Desertcart Tunisia*
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*Last updated: 2026-09-10*