Title: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Author: Olga Tokarczuk
First published November 25, 2009
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 3.96
Overview
Deep in the heart of a secluded Polish village, Janina spends her winter days studying astrology, translating the works of William Blake, and tending to the vacant summer homes of wealthy city dwellers. Her peculiar habits and preference for the company of animals over people have earned her the reputation of a crank and a recluse.
But when her neighbor, Big Foot, is found dead, followed by a series of increasingly bizarre deaths, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, convinced she knows who the culprit is. However, no one seems to take her seriously.
A haunting and deeply satisfying thriller, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a mesmerizing exploration of the enigmatic border between sanity and madness, tradition and justice, autonomy, and fate. Who do we deem sane, and who deserves a voice?
These are the questions that linger long after the final page.
About the Author
Poland is lucky to have Olga Tokarczuk as one of their most celebrated and beloved authors. She has won numerous literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Man Booker International Prize, and her country’s highest literary honor, the Nike.
With a total of eight novels and two short story collections under her belt, her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
Editoral Review
Olga Tokarczuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a beautifully written and unique novel that defies conventional genre categories. Published in 2009, this work of literary fiction explores themes of isolation, loss, and the relationship between humans and nature.
The story takes place in a remote Polish village where Janina, an eccentric and reclusive woman, spends her days working as a schoolteacher and translator. She is passionate about astrology and the poetry of William Blake, but her true love is the wildlife that surrounds her.
When several of the local hunters turn up dead, Janina becomes obsessed with the idea that the animals are taking revenge on those who have killed them. As she becomes more deeply involved in the investigation, her relationships with the other villagers become increasingly strained.
Tokarczuk’s writing is evocative and thought-provoking, with each sentence carefully crafted to convey a sense of the natural world that surrounds the characters. The structure of the novel is unconventional, with the story told through Janina’s eyes and interspersed with her philosophical musings on everything from astrology to animal rights.
The result is a deeply satisfying read that challenges readers to think about the complexities of the world around us. One of the key strengths of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is the character of Janina herself.
Despite her quirks, she is a compelling and fully realized character who is both sympathetic and frustrating in equal measure. The other characters in the novel are equally well-drawn, with each one serving to highlight different aspects of Janina’s personality.
At times, the book can feel slow-paced and meandering, with the murder investigation taking a back seat to Janina’s inner thoughts and reflections. However, the payoff is ultimately worth it, as the novel builds to a surprising and satisfying conclusion that is both poignant and thought-provoking.
Overall, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a novel that will appeal to readers who appreciate complex characters and evocative, nuanced writing. It may not be a book for everyone, but for those who are willing to take the journey with Tokarczuk, it is a richly rewarding experience.
For these reasons, we highly recommend this book to readers who are looking for a thought-provoking and thoughtfully written work of literary fiction.
