Literatura ze środka Europy · Marcin Piotrowski

Georgi Gospodinow - Powieść naturalna (1999)

·20 min·1 clip

Georgi Gospodinov's debut novel features a homeless alcoholic who shares the author's name and writes published texts.

This episode of 'Literatura ze środka Europy' focuses on Georgi Gospodinov's debut novel 'Natural Novel', published in 1999 when the author was 31. The host notes the Polish translation appeared in 2009 and a reissue in 2023. He explains the book is a 150-page novel-in-stories, where the narrative initially seems like disconnected short stories but later coalesces into a larger plot. The protagonist is ambiguously both the author and a fictional character, who searches for a homeless alcoholic named Georgi Gospodinov that submits texts to a newspaper. The host categorizes the work as postmodern due to its reality loops and literary references, but also highlights its melancholic, personal tone rooted in Bulgarian context. A significant formal experiment is a chapter that rewrites the Book of Genesis from the perspective of a fly, termed the 'Bible of Flies'. The underlying plot involves the main character processing his departure from his wife, who is pregnant with another man's child, adding emotional depth. The host appreciates the simple, poetic language, attributing it to Gospodinov's background as a poet. He reads a paragraph about a printing machine that continues to publish a newspaper alone, predicting future crimes like murders and catastrophes. Humorous elements include discussions about defecation and a teacher's speculation on time-saving food pills. The episode touches on the novel's metaliterary aspects, such as a chapter composed only of novel beginnings and intertextual play. The host compares it distantly to John Barth's postmodern techniques but emphasizes its unique blend of formal innovation and relationship story. He concludes by recommending the book and mentioning plans to read Gospodinov's later work 'Physics of Sorrow' chronologically.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Literatura ze środka Europy