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  • Swimming in the Dark
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Tomasz Jedrowski
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Swimming in the Dark Audio CD C Unabridged, April 28 2020

by Tomasz Jedrowski (Author), Will Watt (Reader), Will M Watt (Reader)
4.5 out of 5 stars 5,212 ratings
4.3 on Goodreads
68,853 ratings

鶹

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"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 Magazine, LGBTQ Books That'll Change the Literary Landscape in 2020

"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 literary debut for fans of Andre 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 camping 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 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 position in the ministry. 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 romance, post-war politics, intrigue, and history. Lyrical and sensual, immersive and intense, Tomasz Jedrowski has crafted an indelible and thought-provoking literary debut that explores freedom and love in all its incarnations.

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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    HarperCollins
  3. Publication date
    April 28 2020
  4. Dimensions
    14.22 x 2.79 x 13.72 cm
  5. ISBN-10
    1094120197
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1094120195
Next slide of product details

Product description

Review

"Captivating both for its shimmering surfaces and its terrifying depths. Tomasz Jedrowski is a remarkable writer."

-- "Justin Torres, bestselling author of We the Animals"

"A beautiful, captivating love story that deepened my understanding of life in communist era Poland."

-- "Jessica Shattuck, New York Times bestselling author"

About the Author

Tomasz Jedrowski is a graduate of Cambridge University and the Universit de Paris. Born in Germany to Polish parents, he has lived in several countries, including Poland, and currently resides outside Paris. This is his first novel.



Will Watt is a British voiceover artist and audiobook narrator with a talent for believable characters, intelligent delivery, and writing about himself in the third person.

Will M. Watt was determined not to be one of those penniless artists that his parents warned him about, so decided not to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Fate had other ideas, however, and that dream ruthlessly pursued him instead. A decade later, and Will now makes a living recording audiobooks, commercials, and video games, but admits that he'll never be much good at writing about himself in the third person. Will's accidental stumble into the world of voice acting has led him from a humble bedroom studio in Oxford, England, to the bright lights of New York City where he now lives with his two four legged roommates, Sara and Rachel.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 28 2020
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Unabridged
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1094120197
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1094120195
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 181 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14.22 x 2.79 x 13.72 cm
  • 鶹 Rank: #377 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 5,212 ratings

About the author

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Tomasz Jedrowski

Tomasz Jedrowski

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Tomasz is a graduate of Cambridge University and Universit de Paris. Swimming in the Dark, his debut novel, was selected as a Book of the Year by the Guardian and NPR and has been translated into 18 languages. It's Dua Lipa's Monthly Read for May 2024.

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4.5 out of 5 stars
5,212 global ratings

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Top reviews from Canada

  • Tatiana M ??
    5.0 out of 5 stars Moving story!! ???
    Reviewed in Canada on August 1, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Swimming in the Dark is a beautiful and heartbreaking story about love, identity, and freedom. The story is consistent and engaging from start to finish, with a moving portrayal of forbidden love under a strict society. Overall, a truly great book. I recommend it, if you want to read a moving love story, with a sense of war and freedom.
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  • martin h.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly engrossing story, beautifully told
    Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Being gay in the 80's was always going to be hard, no matter where you were. And coming of age at that time was even harder as one came to terms with the hatred, stigma and fear that went along with it. The author reveals such a struggle in finely crafted detail, and the harshness of that struggle in the bitter world of Eastern Europe was a revelation that thoroughly captured the imagination, albeit uncomfortably. The reader is placed at the heart of a cold, dark place where anger and fury at how the world works so determinedly to crush ordinary people's hopes, dreams and simple pleasures was an all too natural reaction, put so clearly on display in this splendid book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Roman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing read
    Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2024
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    Roman
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Amazing read

    Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2024

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  • James A. Ross
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant writing
    Reviewed in Canada on December 25, 2020
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    Beautifully written. It's a kind of low-key We the Living, and, as in Rand's novel, is devastating in its intermingling of politics and the personal in a Communist state (1980's Poland) Its description of eroded integrity and compromise with a ruthless system, and of two young male lovers who make different choices, is masterful and clear. This work is astonishing. I intend to read anything the author writes (and this is his first novel).
    One person found this helpful
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  • Paul
    3.0 out of 5 stars A young man torn between two worlds.
    Reviewed in Canada on January 13, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book without many expectations. And I was pulled into a world I could relate with but also couldn't imagine. The world Jedrowski portrays is both heart and gut wrenching. I never knew if the protagonist would follow their heart or their dreams.
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  • Scottie McFrugal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!
    Reviewed in Canada on August 10, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It is unheard of for me to read a book within 24 hours. This one I could not put down; poignant, breathtakingly descriptive, an emotional roller coaster. I'm reading it a second time, (also unheard of.) I can't wait to read Tomasz Jedrowski's next novel. Bravo! Thank you sir. I had to wait for it to come from England but well worth the wait.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • norbert
    5.0 out of 5 stars an essential read
    Reviewed in Canada on September 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The best novel I've read in a while. It is poignant, lyrical, so accurate in it's description of the conflict between those to few who stand up for what is right and those who choose to accept the unacceptable and make do, and so true in showing how love sometimes endures despite that very conflict.
    A great book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Allans Reviews
    3.0 out of 5 stars A decent read
    Reviewed in Canada on May 6, 2020
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    I should know better than to raise my expectations from all the pre publication praise. It was decent, a slow start, but the second half was solid. Maybe if it hadnt been looking back, it wouldnt have felt so detached. Was just hard to get invested.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • May
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ρʱ˷Ū줿դ
    Reviewed in Japan on June 12, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    1980ꡢݩ`ɡѧ˹ܻɾ줬ԳܳȤγᤤ˼Է֤Ǥ뤳ȡפĸĸȤʱΥ˴󤭤Ӱܤݩ`ɤhΤ褦׺äСh˹ФΤʤߡŭ꤬֤ȡ褦ˁäƤ롣Ӣiߤ䤹¤ʫĤޤӳQƤ褦龰Ǥ롣Ǥ⡢ӳˤϤʤʤǡ˼äƤޤӳˤʤäԷ֤褤Ƥ龰֤줿ʤΤǡ鷺294˳ᤨƸм
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  • Joel
    5.0 out of 5 stars 󲹲Գ٨پ
    Reviewed in Spain on December 15, 2024
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    Uno de los mejores libros que he ledo este a?o, sin duda.
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    Joel
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    󲹲Գ٨پ

    Reviewed in Spain on December 15, 2024
    Uno de los mejores libros que he ledo este a?o, sin duda.
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  • giorgio
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice reading
    Reviewed in Italy on December 5, 2024
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    Nice reading, really enjoyed it.
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  • Iris
    5.0 out of 5 stars A realistic portrayal of love that cannot be.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2025
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    A wonderful read is putting it lightly. I found myself in the pages and thoughts of the main character and memories of unrequited or forbidden love were screaming at me. Such a beautiful piece. I leave this book knowing that I will carry it with me in my heart wherever I go. Sometimes great love just cannot be and thats what makes it so desirable. The risks and the failures were delicious and very relatable. Though I couldve kept reading it forever, it ended exactly where it needed to. I choose to believe that Ludwik is out there in the world living his truth and experiencing a love that is exactly the kind he wants and deserves.
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  • Bernard Crawlone
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
    Reviewed in France on December 17, 2021
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    The story line is well described and the characters are credible. The interesting part is the fact that the story takes place beyond the iron curtain, in a country where stigma of homosexualilty is even higher because of its very religious culture.

    L'histoire est bien dcrite et les personnages sont crdibles. La chose intressante est le fait que cela a lieu d'hier le rideau de fer, dans un pays o la stigmatisation de l'homosexualit est mme plus haute cause de sa culture trs religieuse.
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