NONFICTION

Slight Exaggeration: An Essay

by Adam Zagajewski
Farrar. Apr. 2017. 288p. tr. from Polish by Clare Cavanagh. ISBN 9780374265878. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780374709631. LIT
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This work by Polish poet and critic Zagajewski (Without End) has a unique and mysterious style, made up of fragmented, brief stories quilted together in order to form a whole. These largely autobiographical fragments are either related or unrelated depending on which fragment was previously read. One can start this book on the first page and continue on to the end, letting the fragments congeal, or open the book randomly and read the passages in no particular order. Either way, the reader will encounter thoughts and experiences defined by composers, writers, daily happenings, and historical events.
VERDICT For readers who enjoy autobiographical or philosophical accounts. Those who appreciate experimental writing will also find much to delight in. [See Prepub Alert, 10/31/16.]
Reviewed by Jeremy Spencer, Univ. of California, Davis, Law Lib. , May 01, 2017
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