Beginning in 1994, every two or three years Jerzy Pilch has issued a collection of the best of his newspaper and magazine columns. "The Train to Eternal Life" gathers texts that came out between 2002 and 2006. In the note included in this collection we are told that while compiling the present selection, the author deliberately set aside texts on literature and soccer (two of his favourite subjects) since he plans to present these in a separate book. In "The Train to Eternal Life" there are two dominant themes. The first is that of public affairs broadly understood, concerning current Polish politics and especially the life of political parties, of which Pilch is an ironic observer and commentator. This particular writerly passion could be described bluntly as preying on the gaffes, blunders, and general foolishness of the political class. The second, and, it would seem, more important theme is that of personal issues that are usually connected with the author’s nostalgic recollections. It is here that Pilch speaks most about himself, about books and cultural events that have made a particular impression on him and about encounters with extraordinary figures that have been important to him. Jerzy Pilch is regarded as an unparallelled master of contemporary Polish column writing, an uncommonly shrewd author with a subtle and stylish sense of humour. The texts gathered in "The Train to Eternal Life" show that such a reputation is richly deserved.
There are more than 31,000 publishers registered in Poland. However, the market is highly concentrated. The 300 largest publishing firms still hold almost 98 per cent of it. More »
