De koning

by Szczepan Twardoch

Other authorsCharlotte Pothuizen (Translator)
Paperback, 2019

Library's rating

½

Publication

[Amsterdam] Nieuw Amsterdam © 2019

ISBN

9789046825259

Language

Description

A city ignited by hate. A man in thrall to power. It's 1937. Poland is about to catch fire. In the boxing ring, Jakub Szapiro commands respect, revered as a hero by the Jewish community. Outside, he instills fear as he muscles through Warsaw as enforcer for a powerful crime lord. Murder and intimidation have their rewards. He revels in luxury, spends lavishly, and indulges in all the pleasures that barbarity offers. For a man battling to be king of the underworld, life is good. Especially when it's a frightening time to be alive. Hitler is rising. Fascism is escalating. As a specter of violence hangs over Poland like a black cloud, its marginalised and vilified Jewish population hopes for a promise of sanctuary in Palestine. Jakub isn't blind to the changing tide. What's unimaginable to him is abandoning the city he feels destined to rule. With the raging instincts that guide him in the ring-and on the streets-Jakub feels untouchable. He must maintain the order he knows. Even as a new world order threatens to consume him.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member colligan
Not my favorite book but... not badly written. Some plot details and twists seem a bit awkward. Lots of violence that, at times, begins to seem gratuitous and/or redundant. It seems that the author strains to present the book as more serious than it actually is. Might have been better with a
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straight plot line, less pretense, and less repetition.
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Awards

Europese Literatuurprijs (Longlist — 2020)
EBRD Literature Prize (Winner — 2021)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Historical Fiction — 2020)
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