Anaideia and a story. About Utopek by Leszek Libera

Abstract

The primary goal of the considerations in this article is to discuss the novel Utopek by Leszek Libera, translated from German by Sława Lisiecka, which tells the story of the writer’s and academician’s hometown (Racibórz in Upper Silesia). Nevertheless, an attempt to explain the aesthetic and ideological meanings of this work is equally important. A significant topic is a modest mention of the scope and originality of the novel’s reception of Libera’s book. The starting point is the motif of shamelessness (anaideia in Greek), functioning as a writing strategy characteristic of both the main character and the narrator. This type of diction and presentation is a part of the picaresque narrator’s disposition. An outsider from the lowlands, another who, due to his position, can tell more harsh truths than people in the upper echelon. In his book, Libera implements the motif of sacralization of objects and novel artifacts, owing to which they acquire a multidimensional meaning (excrement, barrel, “pulok”, wood, honey). The text refers to and critically comments on the fragments illustrating these processes. They lead to a reflection on “the story within the story” hidden beneath the fabric of the problematic, iconoclastic text. History and literature in Libera’s work remain an absolute value considering the relativity of national feuds, acts of heroism, and the challenges of the uniformed world. In the article, you will find deconstructions, interpretations and analyses showing that Libera’s book manifests unraveled potential and is open to readings ranging from formalism through gender and many others. Above all, it is a triumph of literature itself.