What can a survivor do with their history? Can you be loyal to the friends you left behind? Andrzej Tichy turns this wretched reality into something poignant. His polyphonic novel has a rough, rhythmic melody and a ferocious rage. August Prize Judges'In virtuousically rendered language; full of the poetry of spoken word, the innovation of contemporary slang, and the philosophical verve of great literature, Tichý gives a voice to the lost 'brothers of his youth. Following this frantic, mournful, bamboozling, pleading, smart, childish, would-be hard, bragging, desperate and despairing collective memory is like 'hearing a whole forsaken generation. Despite the embracing of darkness, despite the absence of hope and faith, it is a magnificent elegy, teeming with life. Pia Bergström, Aftonbladet 'In terms of ambition, few contemporary Swedish authors can compete with Tichy. The same goes for linguistic intensity. His prose rushes forward, roaring with, if you will, dark poetry, hurling its rage at an indifferent present. Wretchedness is a furious novel. Ann Lingebrandt, Sydsvenska Dagbladet 'Authors like Tichy are needed to keep our literature alive. He is drilling frenetically, refusing to neglect the suffering and succeeds to light a spark on a linguistic tinder. Nils Schwartz, Expressen
