OBŁĘD ROTMISTRZA VON EGERN (The Madness of Rittmaster von Egern)

Another title from Szczepan Twardoch’s series of novels and short stories written in his youth.

Duels, great passions and different facets of madness.

Joachim von Egern, a hussar rittmaster, loved war, although he only knew it from his father’s stories. However, the real war will present the young nobleman with some daunting challenges.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Pawlas married Franz and gave birth to a son. But this is not enough for her. Hungry for book-like adventures, she leaves with a stranger at the first opportunity, without regret.

Jorg Szołtysek, a retired miner, tries to live in the moment. Yet, memories return when Fritz Ratschek, his former superior, visits him. The men, seduced by a legend they once heard, want to find out if there is even a grain of truth in it.

The protagonists of Szczepan Twardoch’s debut collection of short stories make decisions driven by the moment, strong emotions, in pursuit of ideals. What price will they pay for their choices?

‘Twardoch’s debut shows that the drama of history, its complexity and ambiguity are grounded in his Heimat, which he holds in special regard. The imagined world originates here, and the way Twardoch approaches social, class, and identity issues, regardless of where the action of his later novels is set, emotionally brings him back to this place. That is why, despite the darkness and brutality of the events, there is also room for light in Obłęd rotmistrza von Egern.’ Anna Cieplak, extract from the afterword

The description comes from the publisher’s website.