Published exclusively in Polish, Dagny, Życie i śmierć plunges into fin‑de‑siècle Berlin and Kraków, where bohemia weighs saints’ ideals on absinthe‑stained tables. At its center stands Dagny Juel Przybyszewska—disciplined piano prodigy turned writer and muse—whose charisma lit Edvard Munch’s canvases and stung August Strindberg’s pride, even as she bound herself to the tempestuous Stanisław Przybyszewski.
Through the memories of student‑confidant Władysław Emeryk, stitched with Dagny’s lost diary, the novel traces a life that strides past social barriers: forgiving betrayals, claiming lovers, entrusting her children to bewitched admirers, and debating morality in smoke‑filled rooms where “in the beginning there was lust” feels like scripture.
Beneath the decadence runs a sharper question: did Dagny shape the myth, or did the myth swallowed her? The result is both a panorama of Young Poland’s ferment and an intimate study of a woman intent on being goddess and self.
- “An atmosphere that completely absorbs, enchants, even hypnotizes.” — Lubimyczytać
- “Instantly transports the reader to the times when these notions were born.” — Dobre Książki
- “A vivid and clear portrayal of the Przybyszewskis’ complicated marital and family relationships.” — Esensja
- “The dialogue … sparks with brilliance.” — ArtPapier