Harar consists of lots of flashbacks evoked by the narrator/main character in order to understand himself and give himself some therapy. Mature, though still young, he talks (but not directly) about his own disparity and hypersensitivity. He describes various, generally imaginary fears that have paralysed him since early childhood, and the injuries he has suffered to body and soul. He appears to foster all sorts of psychological obsessions, at least up to a certain moment; he is a collector of bad memories, and the roots of his suffering seem to be in everything (at school, at home and in the playground) and everyone (his teachers, parents and childhood playfellows). Marked with pain and grief, these memories tell a melancholy tale of being a social misfit and of experiencing a personality breakdown. However, this gloomy, depressive tale does have its counterpoint, as a love theme appears, at first just in short flashes, but by the end of the novel quite patently. The oversensitive neurotic hero turns out to have been saved by a woman and fully cured, as we are to understand it, thanks to requited love and fatherhood. The virtues of Kobierski’s novel are an impeccable style, linguistic excellence and poetic charm. Harar is an extremely evocative and atmospheric novel, and undoubtedly stands out among the literary debuts of recent years.
Dariusz Nowacki
Radosław Kobierski (born 1971) writes poetry and fiction and has published several volumes of poetry and short stories. Harar (2005) is his first novel.
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