A review by reader_drinker
Dreams and Stones by Magdalena Tulli

4.0

This was one difficult read: a prose poem with no plot or characters; with just a narrator that elucidates the reality and unreality of human life, objects, history, and memory through the semi-focused lens of city planning (with allusions to a Polish city being rebuilt in Communism following the destruction of WW2). The writing demands focus from its readers, as its dense, ambiguous, and steeped with metaphor and symbolism. This book is a showcase of a brilliant author having a vision and going all out to attain it, with little qualms if her readers are unable to follow along. For my reading experience that came with both good and bad: when I was there with her the sentences could be enrapturing, whereas sometimes full pages and paragraphs were impenetrable to me and I was completely lost.

I probably respected this book more than I enjoyed it, but it's certainly an impressive work by a very talented writer so I still found reading it worthwhile. Though I'd be curious to try Tulli's more traditional novels.