Customer Reviews

His Current Woman (Hydra Books)

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I have to confess that this much-acclaimed novella, published in Poland in 1995, really didn't come together in any meaningful way for me. The story follows Pawel Kohoutek, a middle-aged veterinarian in the Cieszyn region who is notable for his infidelity to his wife. The book starts with his looking out the window of his houseówhere he lives with wife, daughter, and a whole host of extended family and hangers-onóto see the titular character striding across the lawn with all her worldly possessions. The remainder of the book concerns his efforts to hide this mistress in a crumbling slaughterhouse adjacent to the house, and conceal her existence from his family. Mixed in with these farcical, Fawlty Towersesque escapades (would that they were that funny) are assorted recollections and partial glimpses into what makes him tick. As even he admits he is a boring, totally run-of-the-mill philanderer, there's not a whole lot to take away from these examinations. There is a certain wit and playfulness to it all, but one could imagine it working better as a film than it reads on the page. Ultimately, it's hard to know what to make of the book. Is it a whimsical look at a funny little fellow and his predicament? Is it a telling commentary on the Cieszyn region of Poland (many allusions are made to the Lutheranism found there, but I have no idea what to make of it). Or perhaps, since it is set in 1990, it's some kind of allegory about the Iron Curtain? It's neither witty enough to hold up as a comic novel, nor opaque enough to stand out on any other terms. One wonders whether reviewers are perhaps giving it "bonus points" for being Polish?