Flights

Olga Tokarczuk, an exceptionally innovative Polish author, presents "Flights," a remarkable piece of fiction renowned for its visionary storytelling. This novel has earned the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature and the Man Booker International Prize, in addition to being a finalist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature. Tokarczuk is celebrated for her narrative capabilities, often likened to the esteemed W. G. Sebald by Annie Proulx. Svetlana Alexievich, a Nobel prize-winning author, praises her as "a magnificent writer."

The book intricately weaves meditations on travel with a thorough examination of the human form, touching upon profound themes of life, death, movement, and migration. Distinct stories emerge within this tapestry, such as Chopin's heart being discreetly returned to Warsaw by his loving sister, a woman journeying back to Poland to euthanize her terminally ill high school sweetheart, and a man's descent into madness following the mysterious disappearance and sudden return of his wife and child during a holiday. These narratives, infused with haunting, playful, and revealing insights, delve into the essence of being a traveler and the nature of movement, not just through space but time as well. The novel poses intriguing questions such as "Where are you from?", "Where are you coming in from?", and "Where are you going?" to the traveler, crafting an enchanting, unsettling, and wholly unique reading experience that stands as a testament to Tokarczuk’s masterful storytelling.